How to Become a Dental Practice Manager

Dental practice managers are responsible for ensuring the practice’s daily operations run smoothly.

They’re tasked with non-clinical operations such as hiring staff, organising work rosters, and ordering medical supplies. If you’re naturally talented at administration and customer service, you may have what it takes to become a dental practice manager.

In addition to a general understanding of how dental practices work, you’ll need to be great at multitasking in this role. From taking patient appointments and answering phone calls, to bookkeeping and tracking inventory, dental practice managers perform a wide range of administrative and customer-facing tasks.

If you’re not sure how to manage a dental practice, studying a course will give you a chance to develop the necessary knowledge and skills. Completing a formal qualification may also make it easier for you to find employment.

Ready to start your career as a manager in the dental industry? Keep reading to learn how to become a dental practice manager.

Top Traits of a Dental Practice Manager

Administrative Know-How

Each patient who visits your dental practice will generate paperwork that must be completed and filed appropriately, requiring expert administration skills. Other administrative duties may include handling patient records, management of office equipment, and internal communications.

Planning and Organisation

The daily operations of a dental practice can involve many moving parts, so you’ll need a high level of organisation to stay on top of things. Being organised will help you plan budgets, schedule appointments, and perform other general tasks to help keep the business running efficiently.

Financial Management Skills

Dental practice managers play a key role in keeping the business financially viable. You may need to follow up client bills, send out invoices, and create processes to ensure your practice is able to make the most of financial resources.

Computer Literacy

Modern dental practices rely on digital databases to keep track of patient records, so you’ll need to know your way around a computer to effectively run a dental practice. Having a basic grasp of email, word processing and inventory tracking software will also come in handy.

Get Qualified

Earning a qualification can improve your career prospects as a dental practice manager. Even if you already have extensive experience, getting qualified will verify your level of expertise and help you stand out among other job applicants.

Foundation Education’s HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management will help you acquire the skills needed to confidently manage a busy dental practice. This course is designed to teach you the kind of leadership and management skills required to work in senior roles in a healthcare setting, allowing you to advance your career.

You’ll be taught how to delegate and train staff, accomplish business objectives, and implement risk management policies and procedures. Most importantly, you’ll graduate with the skills needed to deliver an exceptional standard of service to patients.

How Much Does a Dental Practice Manager Make?

According to Seek, dental practice managers can make between $65,000 and $75,000 a year. Wages can vary depending on your location, experience, and qualifications. With a Diploma of Practice Management under your belt, you’ll be able to make the most of your earning potential.

If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like to manage a medical practice, please take a look at our article What Does a Practice Manager Do?

For more information on enrolling in our HLT57715 Diploma of Practice Management, contact our team on 1300 616 197 or enquire online today.

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