Job Description: Front Office/Business Assistant
We are looking for a friendly front office business assistant to ensure that dental patients’ appointments are appropriately scheduled, rescheduled, or canceled, depending on the needs of the patients. To be successful as a dental business assistant, you should be able to organize and maintain patient waiting areas as well as front-desk areas. Ultimately, a top-performing business assistant will perform all duties in a manner that ensures the efficient running of the dental practice.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities
- Answer telephone calls from clients and speak with them when they visit the clinic in person.
- Provide answers to clients’ questions regarding activities in the clinic and direct them to relevant persons for more clarifications.
- Get appointments for clients from doctors and inform both parties about canceled appointments.
- Register new patients while meeting acceptable standards of the clinic.
- Guide patients in filling medical forms at the clinic to avoid errors and inaccurate information.
- Inform patients of the various dental services offered by the clinic.
- Ensure that patients stick to scheduled appointments to avoid clashes between patients.
- Keep patients’ records from unauthorized persons to ensure their privacy and guarantee their safety.
- Keep financial records of patients’ billings.
- Confirm appointments and recalls in line with office protocols.
- Sort out patients’ files when they visit the clinic.
- Perform general office duties, such as answering telephones, photocopying, filing, and faxing.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- High school diploma or GED.
- Minimum 2 years of dental front office experience required.
- Computer proficiency with MS Office, and with Dental Practice Management software like Dentrix is necessary.
- Understand dental front office procedures.
- Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal skills.
- Organized and Professional with an interest in customer care.
- Possess high-level communication skills, problem-solving, organization, and exceptional customer service skills.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee will encounter while performing this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to blood-borne pathogens, airborne fomites, infections, and other contagious diseases; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; and vibration. In addition, the employee is frequently exposed to the risk of radiation.
Other Benefits
- Paid vacation
- Paid holidays — regardless of what day it falls on
- Office bonus system
- 401K
The Top 10 Questions Business Assistants should ask their Future Employer
Insurance is complicated. I have found that the offices that function the best, the entire team understands the process. Do your Doctors, Hygienists, and Dental Assistants understand / are involved in the insurance process?
I love my work, but I don't want my work to be my life. Do you make me give up my weekends? Do you offer any flexibility, even for weekdays?
As an office grows, I know I will need more help. How do you support your Business Assistants (mentorship, training portals, remote teams, insurance verification, appointment reminder systems, accounts receivable)?
I understand dental technology leads to a better patient experience and quality of care. What technology have you implemented for the front office specifically (Dual screens, digital forms)?
For me to grow, I know I need support. How are you going to support my teammates that ultimately support me (Doctors, Hygienists, Dental Assistants)?
I like working in a structured and organized environment. Tell me about your protocol for intaking new patients from the initial phone call to checking out the patient (what is the new patient cycle)?
Do you know what Shift Work Disorder is and what are you doing to help prevent that in your organization? An example is a 7am start one day, and a 7pm end the next day.
Anxiety and burnout is prevalent in our profession. How do your systems and processes help fight against this problem?
Teamwork is great. Give me an example of how that directly relates to my day to day duties (Does anyone help me with answering phone calls, checking in / out, scheduling)?
I think that team-based offices are the best. Do you have team bonuses if the performance is there?