Dental Front Office Receptionist

Our privately owned small practice is growing and this is a new position added to support the Front Office Team!

This front office team member will have overlapping responsibilities with the current front office staff while concentrating on patient coordination and treatment planning/presentations.

Work Week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:45am-5:45pm. About once a month a Friday is exchanged for a Monday. Closed for last week of year.

Benefits: 1 Week PTO, 401K Matching up to 4.5%, Production Bonus Pool, and in house staff dental plans.  

Compensation:

Negotiable based on experience and skills.

Below is a general list of responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

A dental receptionist is, among other things, the representative of a dental office. They are the first person a patient speaks to, and are an important part of establishing the patient’s relationship with the office. A dental receptionist is responsible for making sure that the operations of a dental office run smoothly so that the dental professionals can concentrate on patient care and dental treatment.

The Responsibilities of a Dental Receptionist Include:

• Greeting patients as they arrive and answering the phones.
• Assisting patients in filling out and required intake, insurance, and medical forms.
• Confirming appointments with patients via phone, e-services, or email
• Scheduling and cancelling patient appointments.
• Maintaining patient accounts and records.
• Prepare and send patient bills.
• Completing and filing insurance forms and dental billing records.
• Submitting patient claims to insurance companies.
• Dental Charting and Treatment Planning.
• Translating dental services into proper billable codes.
• Managing and organizing specialist referrals.
• Informing patients of payment options if applicable.
• Managing office inventory and supplies.
• Communicating with dental supply vendors.
• Handling test results including x-rays.
• Office duties including document filing, scanning, and creation.
• Ensure reception area is maintained and professional in appearance.

Skills:

Dental receptionists need a variety of skills to be successful in their positions. The most important skills for these professionals include:

Interpersonal skills

Dental assistants are regularly interacting with patients, dentists, dental assistants and other individuals in a dentist's office. Strong interpersonal skills allow dental receptionists to communicate and relate to others effectively, as well as help these professionals build relationships within their position and career. Interpersonal skills needed by dental receptionists include:

• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Active listening
• Empathy
• Patience
• Leadership
• Dependability
• Emotional intelligence
• Flexibility

Detail orientation

Dental receptionists are responsible for maintaining patient records, managing dentists' schedules and overseeing a variety of administrative information. In order to do so effectively, these professionals must be very detail-oriented. This skill allows dental receptionists to pay close attention to all details when working on a project or task and complete tasks in an error-free manner. Ways that dental receptionists can incorporate detail orientation into their daily tasks include:

• Keep tasks organized
• Observing situations and making note of large and small details
• Fixing mistakes as they arise rather than waiting
• Limiting distractions
• Practicing good time management habits
• Following a set routine each day
• Being punctual in the workplace

Customer service skills

A dental receptionist's primary role is to support patients and provide assistance when necessary. They are often the first person a patient sees when they arrive at the dentist's office and the last person a patient sees as they make any final product purchases and leave. Strong customer service skills ensure the dental receptionist is in-tune to patients' needs, manages patient issues and needs effectively and leaves patients with a positive impression.

Examples of customer service skills that dental receptionists benefit from include:

• Patience
• Communication skills
• Active listening
• Empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Attentiveness
• Adaptability
• Decision-making skills

Professionalism

Dental receptionists must maintain professionalism throughout the course of their workday. Professionalism refers to a person's ability to act in a professional and respectable manner. Examples of professionalism skills that dental receptionists need include competency, integrity, accountability and emotional intelligence.

Computer and Technology skills

Proficient in dental practice management software (Dentrix and e-services), social media, printing and scanning, and faxing.

Organizational skills

Dental receptionists are responsible for the majority of the organization done within a dental office. From filing patient information to creating filtered reports for communication, these professionals need strong organizational skills to effectively manage all of the information that goes into and out of the office. Examples of organizational skills include strategic planning, delegation, goal setting, time management and analytical thinking.