Dental Office Assistant Training Curriculum

The goals and values of Ashworth College; time management; creating a realistic weekly and monthly study schedule; the nature and purpose of assessments; how to study effectively to prepare for and take an online examination; developing the skill sets necessary for success in the twenty-first century.

Introduction to the basic operations of allied healthcareers and the legal and ethical issues you may encounter while working in the many different venues available for these fields.

Dental Office Assistant characteristics; dental staff; dental specialties; front office and back office duties; scheduling procedures; patient confidentiality.

Infection process cycle; universal and standard precautions; dental office assistant's role in safety; reducing chance of disease transmission; dental facility safety hazards and prevention; sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization.

Dental office personnel; team management concepts; first impressions; patient relations; the art of listening; problem resolution; dental practice hierarchy.

Dental office equipment; professional telephone techniques; computer basics; computer maintenance; basic calculator functions; integrated technology services.

Marketing a dental practice; organizing mail; special shipping services; using tickler files; placing office supply orders; effective written communication; proper letter and memo formats; address abbreviations.

Scheduling dental appointments; first visit dental forms; verifying insurance coverage; scheduling follow‐up appointments; completing appointment cards; referring patients to other providers; completing record transfer requests; handling office emergencies.

Organization of the dental chart; dental charting forms; the MED ALERT box; signature on file form; consent forms.

Filing systems; computerized dental charting; setting up yearly records; record retention; maintaining dental front office files; storing dental records; planning for and recovering from a dental records disaster.

Common dental terms, prefixes, suffixes, root words, and combined words; oral cavity structures; common diseases of the mouth; parts of the tooth; identifying teeth by types, numbers, and locations; primary vs. permanent teeth; dividing teeth into quadrants and sextants; growth and development of teeth; common diseases of the teeth.

Dental chart organization; pediatric and emergency patient charts; filing radiographs in a chart; dental charting abbreviations; common charting symbols; dental charting rules; noting the patient chart.

Pathologic conditions requiring treatment; types of dental services performed; the use of specific codes; common restoration materials; types of crowns; types of full and partial dentures.

Properly completing the dental claim form; common billing forms; completing the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form; performing a claim analysis; the charge slip; delayed billing procedures; common fraudulent claim situations; calculating the patient's portion of the bill; submitting clean claims; the Incomplete Data Master List.

The CDT, PDR, HCPCS, CPT, and ICD‐ 9‐ CM; dental contract terms; types of dental plans; benefits and provisions of contracts; common cost‐ containment provisions; contract limitations and exclusions; temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

The ledger card and patient statements; posting payments to the patient account; creating a payment plan; properly handling collection calls; daily journal use; properly balancing petty cash; common dental office reports.

Dental practice overhead costs; making bank deposits; processing invoices; writing out and documenting checks; performing a bank reconciliation; the three basic types of payroll; business tax reporting basics.

Employment skills; marketing objectives; preparing a professional résumé; interviewing techniques; writing an effective cover letter; writing a follow‐up letter.