Answers to commonly asked questions

Doctors guide to getting the most from your team’s training.

Printable video tracking sheet

Answers to 12 of the most common dental practices face

This Receptionist resource provides step by step instructions on how to leave the perfect voicemail message.

This Receptionist policy is designed as a step‐by‐step guide to entering a new dental patient’s information into Eaglesoft and to ensure that your front office has all of the required data needed to ease the transition for the patient and the front office staff.

This Receptionist policy provides detailed information and definitions for the vital terms used while entering new patient information. Accuracy is vital when entering new patient information into your software. The entire practice relies on correct patient information to do their jobs.

Sample Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information. Please work directly with your legal council or Human Resources professional to ensure your office is legally compliant while using any records release form.

This Receptionist checklist can be used to track and monitor the number of weekly and monthly recare and insurance calls that are made.

This Receptionist form is perfect to give directly to your new child patients and can be filled out by themselves, while waiting for their appointment to begin.

This Receptionist form should be used to handle new patient calls. The form aids in asking the right questions and getting the answers the practice needs to provide the best customer experience possible.

This Receptionist policy maps how to skillfully execute hand-offs in your office. The intention of good hand offs is to ensure that the patient is transitioned from one employee to the next with the correct amount of information and care.

This Receptionist policy provides step by step instructions on how to handle a patient that calls and asks for their records to be forwarded to a new dentist, regardless of the reason.

Each day we need to make sure we get certain things done to open the office efficiently and at the end of the day to make sure we close office correctly. This Receptionist policy is a list of steps that must be done by the first person in from the front office team in the morning.

It is important to recognize that the noise level in the office can potentially increase the stress of patients and also may lower the ability to offer exceptional customer service. This Receptionist policy outlines how to manage the noise level in your office.

Your communication skills can impact the flow of information throughout the office, not only helping you get what you need, but others getting what they need. This document focuses on the most efficient way to communicate with your team members and doctors and be effective through your communication.

If you are new to dental there are many basic dental terms that you will hear in a dental office daily that you need to know and understand. This document defines some of those terms in the area of diagnostic and preventative dentistry.

This document explains and illustrates what periodontal or gum disease is and how it is treated.

This document provides tips for asking for referrals, suggested scripts and an area to write your own “ask for a referral script.”

This form can be downloaded and customized for your office. It will guide you as you select the correct insurance information for the patient.

This Receptionist ‘How To’ Checklist provides a detailed checklist of the tasks, skills and knowledge generally required to be successful as a Dental Receptionist. This checklist can be printed and filled out by the trainer, or Office Manager.

This document outlines what restorative or restoration means and different ways that we can help our patients restore their teeth with various procedures done in a dental office.

This document illustrates the different options for replacing a tooth or multiple teeth, when it is needed.

As the Receptionist, it is your job to do all that you can to get patients to arrive on time, but when they do run late, you need the ability to handle the situation. Use this lesson document to make notes during the video to enhance your skills while handling a late patient.

This flow chart outlines the new patient process from first call to check-out.

This Doctor Scheduler Checklist can be used to track and monitor the scheduler’s daily responsibilities specific to maintenance of the doctor’s schedule.

As a scheduler, use this form to break down and track your eight hour day while scheduling hygiene. We have illustrated how to break your day into manageable pieces and what to do with each allotment.

When confirming appointments, there are a few things that you should review prior to making the phone call and then update the notes accordingly. Use this Scheduling Policy to help break down the steps for the next day review.

The Scheduler provides a well-run scheduled flow of the dental office. They oversee that patients are scheduled appropriately, keep the schedule productive, fill any openings in the schedule and confirm patients are aware of their next visit. Use this Scheduler Daily Duties list to stay on track and ahead of the day.

As a scheduler, use this form to break down and track your eight hour day while scheduling the doctor. We have illustrated how to break your day into manageable pieces and what to do with each allotment.

In order to have a productive day in the hygiene department, it is important to have variety in the schedule. Use these guidelines to create a well-rounded and productive hygiene schedule in your office.

This Hygiene Scheduler Checklist can be used to track and monitor the scheduler’s daily responsibilities specific to maintenance of the hygiene department’s schedule.

When confirming appointments, there are a few things that you should review prior to making the phone call and update in the notes if needed. This policy provides step by step instructions to use prior to and during your phone call to the patient.

Every patient should leave the office with a future visit scheduled. We do this is because it’s easier to remind them when their appointment is rather than having to track them down to get scheduled.

It is important to understand block scheduling, the reasons to use and how to do it. This Scheduling Policy outlines the importance of how to block schedule, what happens when you don’t and the proper guidelines to follow for an effective and productive schedule.

No matter what position you hold within this organization, the daily schedule of patients affects you and your position. It is very important that each and every team member understand and abide by the scheduling policy.

It is the purpose of the scheduling team to make sure that the hygiene schedule stays as full as possible. In order to accomplish this, there may be a lot of movement within the daily hygiene schedule, including the hygienists’ lunch schedule. This policy provides guidelines for monitoring and managing hygiene lunches.

The Hygiene Schedule Priority Policy lists, in order of importance, the daily role of the scheduler to ensure a full and productive hygiene schedule each day.

The hygiene schedule is the most dynamic schedule of the dental office and in order to maximize any times when patients cancel an appointment, the policy needs to be followed to ensure effective communication occurs and that the team is on the same page. This Receptionist checklist can be used to track and monitor the number of weekly and monthly recare and insurance calls that are made.

Offices intend to keep their patients regularly coming to the practice, however for one reason or another, patients disappear for an extended period of time. We always want to look for opportunities to reach out to patients that have not been in for an extended period of time and welcome them back when they return to us. This policy will address what to do for patients that have been away for a few years.

On occasion, patients will run late for any number of reasons. If they are only late by a couple of minutes the impact is minimal, but if the patient is going to be 15 minutes late or more a quick assessment must be made to see if that will be acceptable. Use this policy to assess next steps for any patient who is running late.

This document describes how to offer an appointment to a patient that fits their schedule, but ulitmately fills the needs of the office schedule. You will see the best way to offer an appointment.

Understanding how to schedule and what the goal is when putting together a productive schedule is the most important aspect of the scheduler role.  Each dental office is different, so it is important to find out what your office policy is when it comes to scheduling.  Front Office Rocks suggests that when learning how to schedule, you need to look at it from two different perspectives:  The doctor’s schedule and the hygiene schedule (if you have both to fill).

When trying to build a productive schedule, we don’t want to fill up the schedule with a lot of little appointments. By doing this, we end up with a lot of small appointments scattered all over the day and no room to put primary appointments. In this lesson, we explain how to save a block, while still providing a patient appointment times they want.

Block Scheduling is scheduling for production. What does that mean? It means planning your schedule ahead of time and knowing what you need to put into the schedule to hit your production goals.

Dedicating time and energy to following up with patients who have outstanding treatment is necessary in order to take the best care of patients, fill the schedule and remain productive. Use this document to track those vital outstanding treatment calls to patients.

Being an excellent communicator is a vital skill of the Treatment Coordinator. The Treatment Coordinator oversees the complete cycle of clinical diagnosis to a patient with a clear financial agreement to pay for treatment. Use this Treatment Coordinator Daily Duties list to stay on track and ahead of the day.

Communication with patients is an important part of coordinating treatment. These templates are a good starting point for creating your own library of templates or using them just as they are to communicate effectively with your patients. Strong communication techniques will yield a full and productive schedule.

Dental treatment narratives are imperative for insurance reimbursement but also assist a patient in understanding their current dental condition. A well written and documented narrative may help eliminate the repetitive expenditures of dental staff energies in obtaining results. Use this narrative as a starting point for creating your own.

The purpose of reviewing the schedule a day ahead is to make sure that we maximize tomorrow and we do all we can today to make it run smoothly. The first step is to print a copy of the schedule for tomorrow. Use these instructions to stay organized and effective prior to and during your next day review.

Use this form to confirm an agreement between the practice and the patient to receive payment for treatment and services. One agreement is good for each patient and is valid until the patient requests and updates the financial agreement.

The doctor’s scheduler is in charge of the doctor’s schedule and needs to confirm with the patient not only their appointment time, but their financial obligation for the appointment. It is a significant help when scheduling patients, whether from the consult rooms or over the phones, to verify the patient’s plan for payment.

Most of our patients schedule their treatment at the time of the consultation and get it done in a timely manner, however, there are a few patients that just don’t follow that rule. With a high level of commitment, we work to get them scheduled by calling them, emailing them and sometimes bringing them back in for a second consult. Follow this policy to manage returning patients and their outstanding treatment.

At the end of the consult with a patient, the treatment plan coordinator must note what happened with the patient and any follow up that is needed. Use this policy to outline what steps need to be taken for each patient that requires treatment plan follow up, including weekly and monthly meeting updates.

It is important to understand that many times, patients are not excited about getting the dental work done and will not call in to schedule on their own. It is the responsibility of the dental office to reach out to the patient and attempt to get them scheduled. Use this policy to outline what steps need to be taken for each patient that requires treatment plan follow up, including weekly and monthly meeting updates.

The purpose of the Financial Coordinator is to maintain a productive and efficiently scheduled appointment book, keeping the office running smoothly and ensuring that patients are arriving on time to their scheduled appointment. Use this Financial Coordinator Daily Duties list to stay on track and ahead of the day.

This Financial Coordinator Checklist can be used to track and monitor the financial insurance coordinator’s daily responsibilities specific to financial and insurance specific functions.

Oftentimes, insurance companies will “downgrade” benefits for treatment. The instructions in this work around will save you time during insurance submissions and multiple bills to patients.

This document outlines the duties of the financial coordinator with explanations as to what each step/duty is and why it is important. The instructions define each step, what it means, how it is done and why it is important to your role and the office. You will also find basic terms and their definitions for each step.

When a new patient comes to us or a patient’s insurance changes, the front desk calls the insurance to verify their benefits and gets the breakdown of coverage. This information is initially written on a Benefit Breakdown sheet which is then scanned into the patient’s documents. Use this policy and supporting form to know what to capture and how to make accurate notes.

Use this list to pay better attention to account alerts when looking in accounts and/or walking a patient out. This is not all inclusive and you can add your own account alerts to it and customize it for your office.

As the insurance coordinator your day functions best when it is organized and well planned. You can use this graph and daily task table to help you organize your day and ensure productivity.

This policy is a list of treatments that typically require a narrative from insurance companies when submitting a claim. This list is a good starting point of reference to determine whether your claim should include a narrative at submission. Remember to add to it as you discover additional treatments that require narratives.

This document outlines dental codes, what they mean and how they work and will serve as a reference while completing and submitting claims.

Whenever the dental office bills an insurance company for a procedure for a patient, the insurance company sends the dental office and the patient an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Each insurance company’s EOB look different but typically have the same information. This document illustrates the information that you can expect to see on the majority of EOBs.

This document can be used to help you manage insurance benefits for each patient by breaking down their benefits. You can use this form to capture patient information, coverage percentages, frequency, and hygiene. There is also a place to enter your fees versus UCR and ortho if needed.

This is a reference document that provides a screen shot sample of a patient account with an unpaid balance.

This document defines insurance terms. Refer to this comprehensive list of terms and descriptions while initiating and submitting claims.

This document uses a sample insurance claim to identify important parts of each claim.

This document defines the terms used to describe either a patient’s employer or their insurance plan. You can use these definitions during patient set up in your software system to distinguish between the two and ensure an accurate patient record.

This is a reference document that provides a screen shot samples of how to determine whether you should use a fee schedule or the coverage book.

Most insurance companies accept electronic claims, which are typically returned to us within two weeks. However, some insurance companies only accept paper claims, which can take much longer to be returned. Whether the claim was sent by mail or electronically, it is important to track the status of claims over 30 days old. Use this policy to manage outstanding insurance calls.

This letter to patients can be used as a template to inform patients that the office is no longer in-network and provides the details they need pertinent to their dental care. You can use this letter as is or customize it for your office.

Collecting outstanding balances from patients who have appointments each day is important to the financial flow of the office because it may be the only time we see them in a six month period. Use this policy to establish the appropriate steps to take when managing collections in your office.

This essential position is responsible for the overall management of the day to day operations of the dental office. Use the Dental Office Manager Daily Duties list to aid in successfully managing and staying on top of your day!

The Dental Assistant provides a valuable role for general patient care, regarding office function and maintenance. Use this Dental Assistant Daily Duties list as a guide to help successfully manage the day.

In addition to patient care, the Floater/Hygiene Assistant seeks to ensure proper office function and maintenance. As an assistant, this team member will follow outlines and policies outlined in assistant daily duties, as directed by the lead assistant. Use this Floater/Hygiene Assistant Daily Duties list as a guide.

Step by step, learn more about new patient flow in the dental office. From that first point of contact, the new patient phonecall, to arrival and booking that next appointment, this guide walks you through the process.

The new associate trial period is designed to assure that quality care is being delivered and the new doctor is up to speed clinically, as well as assist them in getting trained on our office policies as they relate to doctors’ duties.

Welcome to the team! We are excited to introduce you to your new position and provide resources to help you make a smooth transition to your new role. To make sure you know what to expect today, this checklist will cover pertinent information to establish an excellent foundation with us.

Ready for your new employee’s first day on the job? You can download and print this handy checklist to help your new team member get up to speed and ready to train on the first day.

This Office Manager checklist can be used to track and monitor the daily, weekly and monthly tasks and responsibilities managed.

Ready for the next Performance Evaluation of your Dental Assistants? Download and print this handy Evaluation Form that covers everything from Clinical Skills and Duties, to Work Ethic, Insurance knowledge and Communication Skills.

Ready for the next Performance Evaluation of your Front Office Team? Download and print this handy Evaluation Form that covers everything from Productivity, Time Management to HIPPA Compliance and Insurance Claims and Billing.

It is important to take the time first thing in the morning to look at the schedule and determine if there is anything in the day that needs to be remedied, moved, handled, etc. Looking for and addressing these issues early in the day helps keep the office running smoothly and productively.

A primary role of the Office Manager is to work with the doctor to not only set goals but to regularly know how your office is doing each day, week and month in order to meet those goals. This document contains examples and screen shots illustrating how best to track those goals.

A primary role of the Office Manager is to work with the doctor to not only set goals but to regularly know how your office is doing each day, week and month in order to meet those goals. Use this Excel Worksheet to track your goals.

The morning huddle is the most important part of the day. It prepares the staff to have a productive day with a good attitude. It allows the team to discuss the day’s patients, their needs, and the day’s expectations. Use this agenda to set the tone for the huddle and get your office’s day off to the right start.

Here you will find detailed examples of Auto Notes to use in your office.

This document defines insurance terms. Refer to this comprehensive list of terms and descriptions while initiating and submitting claims.

The performance evaluation is a great opportunity for the dentist and the team member to discuss their job performance, their objectives and their purpose. Performance reviews are based on the responsibilities detailed in the job descriptions, as well as on adherence to the standards of conduct expected by the practice and laid out in the employee manual. Use this as a guideline for creating your own Performance Evaluation Policy.

Production in a dental office is important but if the office only focuses on production then eventually the office will start to become disorganized and result in decreased production. The reason for the decreased production is no time allotted for meetings and times to get more organized or to get organization addressed. Therefore, it is vital that regular meetings are scheduled and held throughout the month and the year. This policy contains a suggested list of meeting that should happen along with the purpose of the meeting and the suggested increments.

It is important to recognize that the noise level in the office can potentially increase the stress of patients and also may lower the ability to offer exceptional customer service. This policy outlines how to manage the noise level in your office.

In order to create a more professional and team centered work environment, we ask each team member to make a commitment to change any negative actions and help our office to be gossip and drama free. Use this policy form as a guide in creating a Gossip Policy for your office.

Each employee, except the doctors, wears a headset while working to stay in good communication with everyone else and to save time trying to track people down to get things done. The headset communication is important too for the office manager to manage the flow of the office and the patients in the office.

Use these examples of patient dismissal verbiage in the instance that a patient is not following periodontal recommendations, suggested treatment plan, or wants to be seen between two seperate offices.

The New Associate Trial period is designed to assure that quality care is being delivered and the new doctor is up to speed clinically as well as assist them in getting trained on your office policies as they relate to doctors duties. This policy outlines the procedure to help assist a new associate as he or she transitions onto the staff.

This letter to patients can be used as a template to inform patients that the office is no longer in-network and provides the details they need pertinent to their dental care. You can use this letter as is or customize it for your office.

This policy provides the guidelines and assigns responsibility for ordering both dental and office supplies for the practice.

Full-time employees become eligible to take accrued vacation after their first year of active service, as it accrues and as work schedules permit. Refer to this policy for details pertaining to vacation and other paid time off and the approval of both.

It is important to recognize the personal time, regular pay and overtime pay. As an employer, it is our job to make sure that our employees know the difference between each so each employee can be responsible for the time they are at the office and the work they are doing. This policy defines each type of time that an employee may or may not accrue during a typical work week.

The purpose of this meeting is to bring the management team together to review the past week and make a plan for the upcoming week. This meeting is also used to discuss each division of the office to make sure there is nothing going on that needs to be handled and/or discuss opportunities to make things run more smoothly. This policy will act as a guideline and agenda for the weekly executive meeting.