Best Dental Receptionist Job Description And Salary

A dental receptionist plays a very vital role in dental practices, carries out a string of administrative and pubic-related duties, and is the first person patients come in contact with, so it is safe to describe him as a front liner in a dentist’s office. 

Some common duties of a dental receptionist include scheduling, rescheduling, or canceling appointments, attending to patients on the phone and in person, and ensuring that the reception area is clean and professional. 

Being a dental receptionist can be interesting as you’ll get to meet different people,  learn new things, and develop yourself professionally but you must be properly equipped with the necessary skillset and information. 

Follow us closely, as we will be discussing the job description, necessary skills, and salary of a dental receptionist. But first, it’s important to have a clear understanding of who a dental receptionist is. 

Who Is A Dental Receptionist? 

A dental receptionist is an administrative professional working in a dentist’s office responsible for maintaining patient records, managing dentists’ schedules, and ensuring that the overall operations of the office run smoothly. 

Dental receptionists are the public face of the dental practice since they are frequently the first people clients come in contact with.

They provide care and attention to patients who visit the office and are also responsible for patient follow-up.

To ensure that dentists or dental practitioners focus on patient care and treatment, the receptionist endeavors that operations in the dental office run smoothly. 

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Dental Receptionist Job Description

Dental receptionists are the public face of the dental practice. They are the first point of contact over the phone or in person.

As a dental receptionist, you will have to perform several administrative duties including sorting out appointments, booking new patients, and so on. 

Here are some roles and duties of a dental receptionist;

1. Greets and welcomes clients when they visit the dentist’s office
2. Schedules patients for appointments
3. Maintains patients records and accounts
4. Submit patient claims to insurance companies
5. Prepares and mails bills to patients
6. Assists patients with the completion of necessary intake and medical forms
7. Contacts patients to confirm appointments
8. Manages and organizes recommendations to specialists
9. Keeps track of office supplies and places orders if there are shortages
10. Sort and organizes incoming and outgoing mail
11. Protects the confidentiality and privacy of patients
12. Verify payment methods (cash, cards, and cheques)
13. Ensures that the reception area is clean and professional
14. Writes to patients when necessary to chase payment or send out reminders for routine check-ups or further dental checkups. 
15. General administration tasks include making photocopies, scanning, sending out faxes, printing, sorting, filing, etc. 

Where Can A Dental Receptionist Work?

As a dental receptionist, you can be employed to work mostly in dental practices. You can work in clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, dental care offices, rehab centers, and manufacturing companies. 

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Dental Receptionist Salary

Generally, salary depends on qualifications, experience, and the dental practice you work for.  On average, a dental receptionist earns $19.36 per hour in the United States. 

In the U.K. dental receptionists can make between 17,000 Euros and 23,000 Euros per year.

Requirements To Become A Dental Receptionist

Becoming a dental receptionist entails you meet certain requirements. These requirements may vary depending on the practice you are applying to be worth with. However, most dental receptionists’ requirements typically include;

An Education

Most firms do not require candidates to have postsecondary education like a bachelor’s degree but they require applicants to have a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent. 

For applicants who wish to have higher leverage or stand at a greater advantage, you can pursue an associate degree in administration, medical administration, or a similar field. 

Equipping yourself with knowledge of office applications like MS Word and spreadsheets can also be very beneficial. 

Training

Although most dental receptionists receive training while on the job, you can get formal training through technical programs or certifications.

Even if you are a full-time staff, you can take up any of the many dental receptionists training programs or courses available online.

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Skills

To be a successful dental receptionist, you must possess certain skills for effective work performance. They include;

1. Interpersonal Skills

Because dental receptionists are constantly in contact with clients, dentists, and other personnel in the office, it’s important that they have strong interpersonal skills to enable them to communicate and relate effectively. Some of these skills include being;

1. Patient
2. Responsible 
3. Flexible
4. Emotionally intelligent
5. Dependable
6. An active listener
7. A leader
8. And a team player

2. Must Be Detail Oriented

Being detail-oriented allows dental receptionists to pay attention to details when working on a project and complete tasks in an error-free and efficient manner. For a dental receptionist, detail orientation involves 

1. Keeping tasks organized
2. Following a set routine every day
3. Being punctual 
4. Limiting distractions
5. Having good time management skills
6. Fixing mistakes as soon as they arise

3. Customer Service Skills

Examples of customer service skills a dental receptionist should have include

1. Effective communication skills
2. Decision-making skills
3. Attentiveness
4. Conflict Resolution Skills
5. Empathy
6. Patience

4. Professionalism

Dental receptionists must be able to show competence and act professionally and respectably. As a professional dental receptionist, you should show integrity, be accountable and be emotionally intelligent.

5. IT Skills

Dental receptionists do a lot of filing, documentation, and organization and hence, it’s necessary that they are equipped with basic computer skills to perform their tasks effectively. The skills include the ability to work on spreadsheets, use word processing, and send emails.   

6. Organizational skills

Dental receptionists are responsible for the majority of the paperwork done within a dental office. They are responsible for filing patient information, distributing mail, and maintaining records. 

To effectively manage these tasks, it’s necessary to have basic organizational skills which include strategic planning, delegation, goal setting, effective time management, and analytical thinking. 

Conclusion

The job of a dental receptionist is exciting but also tasking. While you get to meet new people and learn new things in the dental practice, you need to possess the necessary skill set to be successful at your job.

These include proper organizational skills, great interpersonal skills, and a knack for IT. 

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