The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Enjoy the rewards of working with a dentist to create brighter smiles! This exciting new online Administrative Dental Assistant Program can help you can make a difference. The essential skills you learn in this program enable you to gain the edge you need to be an entry level administrative dental Assistant.

Learn to:

  · Interact with patients and the dental team.
  · Obtain health histories and maintain patient records.
  · Understand dental terminology.
  · Schedule patients.
  · Master recall systems.
  · Assist the dentist in caring for patients.
  · Use the computer to maximize efficiency in the dental office.
  · Recognize signs and symptoms of illness and disease.
  · Perform administrative duties in the dental office.

And you learn it all with Gatlin Education Service's online, self-paced program. You get valuable information about the administrative dental assisting field from the comfort of your own home, studying at your own pace.

The administrative dental assistant works on behalf of the patient as well as the dentist in helping to assure a high level of professional excellence in oral health care delivery.

Administrative Dental Assisting is a rewarding career in a growing field. As an Administrative Dental Assistant you can work with patients and be part of a professional dental staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for professional dental assistants will rise, and it is expected to be one of the fastest growing professions through the year 2012.

In smaller practices, the assistant might work with the dentist as well as managing the practice's business aspects such as scheduling, billing and purchasing. In larger practices the duties may be more specialized. Many dental assistants are qualified to take X-rays, or expose radiographs as it is properly called. In most dental offices, the dental assistant is in charge of infection-control procedures, which are closely regulated by OSHA (the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration). The complexity and importance of this task is a real challenge for any professional, requiring constant updates to remain current with registrations.

Procedures a dental assistant may perform are regulated on a state-by-state basis and may not include duties assigned to dental hygienists. But the varied activities of an assistant in most states make for a challenging, interesting, and responsible position whether chairside or in the business office.

Job prospects for dental assistants are excellent. Employment is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. In fact, dental assisting is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through the year 2012.

In addition to job openings due to employment growth, numerous job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave the labor force for other reasons. Many opportunities are for entry-level positions offering on-the-job training.

Population growth and greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or even two assistants. In addition, dentists are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks to enable the dentists to devote their own time to more profitable procedures.

Students in the online Administrative Dental Assistant Program learn about the care of patients as well as how to assist with dental administrative duties. The online program also covers interpersonal communication, interaction with patients and coworkers, as well as instruction in assisting the dentist with various administrative duties, including fee collection, banking, and accounts payable, as well as basic information about dental insurance. The Administrative Dental Assisting Course is a necessity for the student who wishes to work in this exciting and rewarding career field. Textbooks are included!

Course ObjectivesUpon successful completion of this program, students will:

  · Understand the role of the administrative dental assistant.
  · Know the basics of dental practice.
  · Develop communication skills for use with patients and coworkers.
  · Develop excellent telephone technique.
  · Produce professional written correspondence.
  · Relate to patients in a professional, caring manner.
  · Understand teamwork in the dental office.
  · Maintain quality patient records.
  · Understand information management in the dental office.
  · Become proficient with scheduling and recall systems.
  · Process dental insurance.
  · Perform inventory management and equipment maintenance.
  · Know bookkeeping and collection procedures.
  · Use the computer to promote efficiency.
  · Develop employability skills and strategies.

    I. The Dental Profession

  · Orientation to the Dental Profession
  · Dental Basics

   II. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

  · Communication Skills and Telephone Techniques
  · Written Correspondence
  · Patient Relations
  · Dental Healthcare Team Communication

  III. Records Management

  · Patient Clinical Records
  · Information Management

  IV. Scheduling and Recall Systems

  · Dental Patient Scheduling
  · Recall Systems

   V. Dental Insurance Processing

  VI. Financial Management

  · Financial Arrangements and Collection Procedures
  · Bookkeeping Procedures: Accounts Receivable
  · Bookkeeping Procedures: Accounts Payable

 VII. Office Equipment and Inventory

  · Inventory Management
  · Chapter Sixteen - Office Equipment

VIII. Computers in the Dental Office

  IX. Employment Strategies