The Benefits of Coordinator Duties in a Dental Office

Dental office coordinators ensure that the office runs efficiently.

A coordinator in a dental office schedules patient appointments, answers phones, adjusts schedules and assists in managing the front office. Dental coordinators make reminder phone calls to patients for upcoming appointments to ensure the most efficient use of the dentist's time. The average salary for a patient scheduling coordinator is between $25,622 and $38,120 as of July 2010, according to Payscale.

Time Management

The coordinator manages the dentist's time and ensures that the dentist sees patients in a timely manner. Scheduling duties ensure the office is productive during all hours it is open by scheduling patients with adequate time for the dentist to perform dental duties. The scheduling coordinator must be familiar with the typical time required for dental procedures.

Productivity

Dental offices that operate with an efficient schedule see more patients in a workday. When there are fewer gaps in the schedule, the dental office makes the maximum amount of money. The coordinator also fills empty spots due to patient cancellations, ensuring the office is always running at top efficiency with as little lost time as possible.

Clerical Tasks

Dental office coordinators also handle clerical tasks in the front office to ensure that the office has the necessary office and dental supplies and equipment. Dental coordinators file patient records and may enter data in the patient record database in a timely manner. This allows the dentist to have access to dental records as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Fewer Missed Appointments

Dental office coordinators make reminder calls to patients for upcoming appointments. Calling lowers the incidence of missed appointments and provides a valuable service for patients. Reminder phone calls can alert the coordinator to a gap in the schedule that may be filled by another patient. This ensures that the office is always running at top efficiency and productivity.

References

• The American Association of Dental Office Managers: Job Description: Scheduling Coordinator Duties
• Payscale: Patient Scheduling Coordinator Wages