How do I Become a Dental Office Manager?

Dental office managers coordinate all aspects of a dental practice. For instance, their work might involve answering phone calls, entering patients' dental appointments into the computer, maintaining the dentist's schedule, hiring office assistants, training new hires, keeping patient records, and making certain dental lab results are correctly organized. If you aspire to become a dental office manager, it is generally helpful to have post-secondary school training.

Some people choose to become dental assistants or dental hygienists first, then choose to become a dental office manager as an outgrowth of the dental assistant job or the dental hygienist job. Of course, if you are not interested in being a dental assistant or dental hygienist and are solely interested in being a dental office manager, keep in mind that earning an associate's degree in dental office administration or dentist office management from a two-year college can be helpful. Getting a four-year bachelor's degree in dental office administration is also an option if you hope to become a dental office manager.

Dental office manager programs include coursework such as marketing, staff management, and account management. Also included are courses such as database management, medical billing, and patient communications. In some cases, a practicum involving supervised office work in a dental office might be required. This coursework will enable you to develop the specific office skills you will need to work successfully when you become a dental office manager.

In addition, dental office management programs include courses such as pharmacology, pathology, and medical terminology. It is true that these courses are more medical-related as opposed to office-related. Nonetheless, dental office management programs deem it important for students to have general familiarity with medical or dental topics so they can be more effective in their work as dental office managers.

In the past, there was a certification called the Dental Practice Management Administrator Certification (DPMAC). That particular certification went out of existence in 2008 due to efforts in the profession to update the certification requirements. This certification will be available again at some point, although it is not clear when. Certification is not mandatory, however, it can be helpful because certification shows that you are knowledgeable about dental office management procedures and are committed to the profession. Prospective employers are likely to see the certification as an asset and because of that the certification will most likely expand your career options in the long term.