Our study reveals that business tasks, such as staff management and paperwork, are among the least favored aspects of being a dentist. This stands in contrast to the reasons most dentists enter the field – namely, a passion for science and a desire to help people, as discussed in last month’s column.
However, many dentists become business owners and find themselves taking on responsibilities beyond their interests or education. That’s why the office manager is the backbone of the dental practice. They handle much of the administrative work, allowing the owner-dentist to focus on patient care.
To benefit from having a skilled office manager, you need to hire someone adept at managing the various elements of running a dental office. Ideal candidates should have knowledge of billing and insurance, a passion for effective scheduling, and strong treatment coordination skills. Former hygienists or assistants can be perfect fits due to their existing dental knowledge.
Before hiring, clarify your expectations. What kind of practice are you running? How involved do you want to be in daily operations? Once you set your expectations and find the right candidate, be prepared to let go. Trust your office manager to take on the responsibilities you hired them for and become the backbone of your practice.
As seen in the print issue of Oral Health September 2024
In October and November 2023 Bramm Research, a third-party independent research house, conducted an online survey of active, practicing non-hospital affiliated dentists and dental specialists on behalf of Oral Health. Survey invitations went out to a contact list of approximately 9,000 readers and there were 265 completions, for a response rate of 2.9 With a total sample of 265, the margin of error is plus or minus 5.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. If, for example, 50% of the sample indicated that agreed with a statement, then we can be reasonably sure (19 times out of 20) of an accuracy within +/- 5.9%. This means that a total census would reveal an answer of not less than 44.1% and not more than 55.9%.
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