Managing the Dental Team: Guidelines for Practice Success. American Dental Association

is complete but not easily compared state-to-state. To access the database, visit DANB at danb.org or AADB at dentalboards.org.

      

General duties may include:

      • greeting patients when they sign in and monitoring arrival times

      • setting up treatment rooms for procedures

      • preparing and maintaining dental instruments, supplies and equipment

      • escorting patients to treatment rooms

      • showing care and concern and helping patients feel comfortable

      • reviewing health histories according to the practice’s protocol

      • anticipating and responding to the dentist’s needs during patient treatment

      • performing expanded functions and other tasks assigned by the dentist

      • preparing dental materials, such as cements, amalgam, composite, impression materials, etc.

      • answering patients’ questions

      • charting patients and recording the date, service rendered and any charges

      • ensuring that accurate treatment notes are recorded in patients’ charts

      • monitoring patient flow

      • providing patients with instructions and demonstrating proper techniques when necessary

      • monitoring and managing inventory

      • performing allowable duties under expanded function when appropriate

Dental Hygienist

      

General requirements:

      Each state has specific regulations regarding responsibilities and the range of services that can be performed by hygienists.

      

General duties include:

      • reviewing the daily schedules for hygiene patients with the appropriate team member

      • working with other team members to efficiently schedule hygiene patients

      • reviewing patient health and dental history forms and updating them as necessary

      • accurately charting each patient’s periodontal health

      • performing prophylaxis, scaling, root planing and selective polishing

      • administering local anesthetics (where allowed by the state’s dental practice act)

      • taking radiographs

      • applying fluoride and sealants

      • teaching patients proper oral hygiene techniques

      • counseling patients on oral health

      • documenting pertinent observations and patients’ conditions and responses to recommendations for care

      • cleaning and sterilizing instruments

      • performing other tasks assigned by the dentist as allowed by the state’s dental practice act

Dental Laboratory Technician

      

General duties include:

      • working closely with dentist on fabricating prosthetics

      • constructing partial or full dentures; fabricating crowns and bridges

      • manufacturing implant supported prostheses

      • repairing dental prosthetics and appliances

      • preparing models and molds from dental impressions

      • preparing wax bite-blocks and custom impression trays

      • casting and finishing gold or metal alloys for bridges and denture bases

      • packing plastic material in molds to form full or partial dentures

      • molding wax over denture set-ups to form full contours of artificial gums

      • making orthodontic bands from gold, silver, stainless steel or other metals

      • finishing metal framework of dentures and polishing and buffing dentures

      • training and/or supervising other dental technicians or dental laboratory workers as appropriate

      • improving quality results by studying, evaluating, redesigning processes for fabricating prosthetics

      • maintaining the knowledge and skills required to successfully manage computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing technology

      • documenting and maintaining records, preparing reports, correspondence and billing based on the work performed

POSITION OVERVIEWS — NON-CLINICAL STAFF

Administrative Assistant

      

General duties include:

      • maintaining the appearance and order of the dental office to include patient scheduling and management

      • opening and closing the dental office

      • checking the daily schedule for accuracy and providing the schedule to the dental team

      • answering and responding to telephone calls

      • reviewing supplies for reception and submitting orders to the business manager

      • maintaining petty cash

Appointment Coordinator

      

General duties include:

      • greeting patients upon arrival and providing all appropriate forms

      • creating a comfortable, relaxed yet professional environment in the front office

      • keeping track of patient charts

      • advising doctor and other staff of patient arrivals

      • updating the schedule when it changes and coordinating patient flow

      • noting when patients are late

      • working with the doctor to reschedule missed appointments or change proposed treatment for the day

      • scheduling and confirming appointments

      • determining the appropriate response, in consultation with the doctor, when appointments are missed or when there are late arrivals or late cancellations

Bookkeeper