Dental receptionists and dental office managers are responsible for making a dental office run smoothly. In this guide, our healthcare education professionals at Howard HealthCare Academy provide an overview of the requirements necessary to become a dental receptionist or dental office manager. Read on to learn more and enroll here at Howard HealthCare Academy today!
How to Become a Dental Receptionist: Dental Receptionist Education Requirements
Those interested in working as a receptionist in a dental office can do so without a significant background in dentistry. Unlike dental office managers, who are expected to know the ins-and-outs of dental care as well as office administration, dental receptionists focus solely on the administrative duties in a dental office — such as maintaining appointment schedules, coordinating patient treatment, overseeing billing, and communicating with patients and other outside contacts.
As dental receptionists do not perform any dental care, dental receptionist education requirements differ considerably from those of a dental office manager. Though some dental offices require receptionists to have an associate’s degree or higher (and, in some cases, specific clerical training), many offices only require their receptionists to have a high school diploma and an aptitude for learning necessary receptionist skills.
Though there are no formal dental receptionist education requirements, most offices give preference to those applicants with extra degrees or certifications. Below, learn how you can bolster your resume with a Dental Office Manager Certification from our accredited dental school at Howard HealthCare Academy.
How to Become a Dental Office Manager: Dental Office Manager Certification Requirements
If you’re a dental assistant looking to expand your career and take on more administrative responsibilities, the dental office manager role may be the right fit for you. In addition to providing assistive dental care when needed, dental office managers are responsible for front office administrative duties including supervising staff, maintaining appointment schedules, coordinating patient treatment, or overseeing billing.
As such, they must be familiar with dental care fundamentals and administrative aspects of a dental office. The dental office manager role is considered a step-up from the dental assistant role, both in terms of earnings and responsibilities — thus, dental office managers are typically required to have the same training as dental assistants, and then some. Most dental office managers have worked for a time as dental office assistants, which means they have graduated from an accredited dental assistant program and obtained their CDA or RDA license after passing their examinations. Visit Howard HealthCare Academy’s Dental Assistant Certification Requirements and Education page to learn more about how to become a dental assistant.
Your Dental Front Office Manager Certification at Howard HealthCare Academy
To train dental office manager candidates and aspiring dental receptionists, our healthcare institution here at Howard HealthCare Academy proudly offers an exclusive eight-hour course to help students learn necessary skills in administrative tasks often performed in a dental office. Our Dental Front Office Manager Training Course trains students in essential dental office functions, including answering phones, responding to patients questions and concerns, scheduling appointments, and handling other administrative tasks through Dentrix, a dental office software program. At course’s end, students will obtain a Dentrix Certification and Dental Office Manager Certification — great resume-builders that signify skills essential for both dental office manager and dental receptionist positions. This course is open to graduates of our Dental Assistant Program as well as those with no formal dental training.
Learn More and Start Your Dental Career at Howard HealthCare Academy
Want to learn more about dental receptionist education requirements or how to obtain your dental office manager certification? Our team at Howard HealthCare Academy is here to help. Contact us to speak with one of our career professionals directly, and enroll Dental Assistant Program or Dental Front Office Manager Training Course today!