Receptionist/ Dental Assistant

Reports To: Supervisor

Job Summary

The Receptionist/ Dental Surgery Assistant operates the telephone system,  efficiently answering incoming calls, and directs callers to the appropriate personnel. This role also involves assisting the dentist by setting up equipment, preparing patients for treatment, and maintaining accurate records. Additional responsibilities may include performing teeth cleaning and conducting preliminary examinations for signs of oral disease. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Reception and Administrative Duties

• Welcome clients, determine their needs and announce them to the appropriate dentist.
• Answer incoming calls, determine the purpose of calls, and forward them to the appropriate personnel or department.
• Update clients on appointment delays and manage the reception area, ensuring it is clean and tidy.
• Retrieve messages from email and voicemail, forwarding them to the appropriate staff members.
• Schedule appointments, prepare bills, and process payments for dental services.
• Issue receipts, complete insurance forms, and maintain accurate records manually or through a computerized system.
• Receive, sort, and route mail and publications.
• Prepare bank deposits and manage payments to clients as required.
• Order, receive, and manage office and dental supplies inventory.
• Create and print practice notices, correspondence, reports, and other necessary documents
• Update and maintain the practice’s patient management database.

Surgery Assistance

• Prepare patients and assist the dentist during dental procedures.
• Prepare materials, sterilize instruments, and set up instrument trays for procedures.
• Record treatment details in patient records.
• Expose and process dental diagnostic x-rays.
• Take and record patients’ medical and dental histories, including vital signs.
• Assist in managing medical or dental emergencies.
• Provide postoperative instructions as prescribed by the dentist.
• Educate patients on oral hygiene and plaque control techniques.
• Fabricate temporary restorations and custom impressions from preliminary molds.
• Create preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
• Pour, trim, and polish study casts.
• Apply protective fluoride coatings to teeth.

Dental Cleaning and Hygiene 

• Assist with or administer basic health care and dental treatments. 
• Interview patients to gather medical and dental histories.
• Record and maintain patients’ vital statistics and other health information.
• Operate diagnostic and therapeutic dental instruments or equipment.
• Process x-rays or other medical images.
• Fit patients for assistive dental devices.

Additional Patient Care Responsibilities

• Assist with or administer basic health care and dental treatments.
• Interview patients to gather medical and dental histories.
• Operate diagnostic and therapeutic dental instruments or equipment. 
• Process x-rays or other medical images.
• Fit patients for assistive dental devices. 

Additional Duties

• Perform general clerical duties such as filing, photocopying, and document collation.
• Inventory and maintain medical supplies and equipment.
• Process medical billing and insurance information. 
• Schedule patient procedures and appointments.
• Update and maintain the patient management database. 

Education and Experience 

Secondary school diploma or Associate degree with some emphasis in Science.  Six months related experience and /or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.  Training as Dental Assistant would be an asset.

The employee may be required to perform any other related duties that are necessary for the operation of the practice.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by an employee. Employees may be required to perform other related duties to ensure workload coverage. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.