The Dental Office Manager role is a crucial one in any dental practice. They take care of hygiene appointments, track future treatments, they play a role in patient education, handle all the administrative tasks and new patient acquisitions. They have their fingers in a lot of pies and can aptly be named the superheroes of your office. In addition, they practice excellent customer service and get all the behind-the-scenes work done so that your office continues to run smoothly and you can continue doing what you do best and what you love — dentistry.
But that superhero is not immortal and does need support and assistance to continue being that stable foundation your practice stands on. So how can you help? Well, as the membership development coordinator for the Canadian Association of Dental Office Managers, I am well aware of some of the challenges that dental office managers face on a daily basis, and here are the top four ways you can make your dental office manager’s life a little less hectic and a lot more enjoyable.
1 | Appreciation
This is the one challenge that comes up the most with a lot of dental office managers; lack of appreciation. They feel taken advantage of. In order to have a good and strong relationship with anyone in your office (not just your dental office manager), you need to establish trust, but more than that, you need to be in constant communication. Lack of appreciation can stem from not being fully informed and therefore not fully aware of their purpose. Remind your dental office manager that they are part of your team, an integral part of your team and confirm these words with keeping them constantly in the loop.
Appreciation doesn’t just mean a pat on the back once in a while or even a yearly raise, it means including your dental office managers in the big decisions, decisions that will affect the practice, the bottom line, and everyone in the office. Be open and honest and keep the conversation flowing smoothly so that your dental office manager can keep the office running smoothly.
2 | Remembering that your dental office manager is human
No matter what job we do, we only have two hands with which to do it and one brain with which to process. Dental office managers not only feel that they are juggling too much at one time but that the boss they answer to doesn’t seem to understand that they are only one person or that they are in fact, human.
Your dental office manager may be a superhero, but they are not invincible or immortal; they are human and they really need you to remember that the next time they accidentally miss a deadline or have a hard time juggling an insane amount of tasks and ask for an assist.
3 | Support
Most dental office managers have one challenge in common — they feel alone in their field. At times they are lost because there is no handbook on being a dental office manager and no list of roles and responsibilities, either. This is where you come in. Be the support they need by letting them know that they are in fact not alone and are able to join a community of other dental office managers with which they can access educational tools, and share their challenges as well as their successes. You too are welcome and even encouraged to join this community in a show of support and solidarity with your dental office manager. For more information on the Canadian Association of Dental Office Managers and how to register, just visit http://officemanagers.ca/.
If you’re a dental office manager reading this, you are not alone. Let the Canadian Association of Dental Office Managers help you by providing a free and secure space to communicate, share, and learn with other dental office managers just like you.
