DENT 125: Dental Practice Management

• demonstrate knowledge in the basic use of common software applications and dental software
• demonstrate the basic business skills needed in a dental practice
• demonstrate basic communication skills needed and used in a dental practice
• demonstrate the skills needed to obtain employment

1. Introduction to Practice Management
   1. Business of dentistry
   2. Dental team management
2. Telephone Techniques
   1. Telephones
   2. Etiquette
   3. Speaking voice
   4. Incoming calls
   5. Outgoing calls
   6. Taking messages
3. Patient Managements
   1. Understanding patients’ needs
   2. Barriers to communication
   3. Recognizing nonverbal cues
   4. Reception room
4. Records Management
   1. Preparing records for filing
   2. Kinds of filing systems
   3. Electronic files
   4. Types of practice records
   5. Storage supplies
   6. Active/inactive files
   7. Indexing rules
5. Appointment Control
   1. Appointment books
   2. Appointment book matrix
   3. Factors in scheduling
   4. Appointment book entries
   5. Daily schedule
   6. Appointment control for the expanded duty assistant
6. Dental Insurance
   1. Introduction
   2. Types of prepaid programs
   3. Terminology
   4. Preparing claim forms
   5. Coordination of benefits
   6. Fraud
7. Accounts Receivable Bookkeeping
   1. Introduction of dental bookkeeping
   2. Types of accounts receivable systems
   3. Components of computerized system
   4. Collection agencies
   5. Statements
8. Computers in the Dental Office
   1. Information systems
   2. Operations of a computer
   3. Software
9. Financial Systems
   1. Establishing a checking account
   2. Deposits
   3. Reconciling the bank statement
   4. Petty cash
   5. Payroll
10. Recall
    1. Purpose and objective
    2. Systems
    3. Establishing a system
11. Written Communication
    1. Letter writing
    2. Envelopes
    3. Other types of communication
12. Marketing Your Skills
    1. Career goals
    2. Philosophy
    3. Obtaining employment
       1. job application
       2. resume/cover letter
       3. interview

Computer Software Content

1. Review the use of Microsoft Word  
2. Produce professional letterhead and letters using a word processing software
3. Respond professionally to various telephone scenarios
4. Alphabetize a list of patients in proper name units
5. Prepare a resume, a cover letter and thank you for interview letter
6. Financial Systems
   1. Prepare deposit slip
   2. Reconcile a bank statement
   3. Prepare checks and keep an accurate balance in the check stub
7. Schedule appointments using paper and computerized appointment books
8. Complete insurance forms
9. Accounts Receivable
   1. Use the computerized dental practice management bookkeeping system