Last Updated on August 25, 2024 by Anna Baumann

How to Switch from Dental Assistant to Dental Front Desk

So you’ve mastered the art of Dental Assisting and now you want to move to the front desk. Good for you! I started my dental career as a Dental Assistant when I was in High School and I really enjoyed it! But after about ten years, I felt like I needed a change. That’s when I transitioned to the front desk. I know firsthand that making the switch is scary. But don’t let that stop you! You can absolutely do this! Here are my tips on how to switch from Dental Assistant to dental front desk with as little stress as possible.

Use What You Know

You may feel overwhelmed by everything you need to learn. When that happens, remind yourself that you’re going into this with a solid dental background! You already know how the day should flow from the clinic. Just bring that up to the desk with you. Whatever you’re learning to do at the front, think of it in relation to the clinic and work backward! Schedule patients as you’d like to work that scheduled day as an Assistant. Get information from patients that you found helpful having as an Assistant. Focusing on what you already know gives you comfort and confidence. And, you’ll learn new things a lot faster than if you had the mindset that you’re starting from scratch.

Don’t Freak Out About Money

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Dental Assistants say that they would love to work at the front desk but they’re afraid to ask for money.

First, you will not ask for money. You will create treatment plans, explain the cost of treatment, and let patients know what is due on the day of their appointment. There will always be people who complain about fees or try to get out of paying. Don’t let that worry you. The majority of patients understand that they need to pay for their treatment, and they appreciate having advance notice of what they owe.

Second, beginnings are always scary. You were terrified the first time you took an impression. You might have even been nervous the first couple of times after that. But, you overcame your fear and now you can do it in your sleep. And that’s what will happen with the money part of your job. I promise you, it’ll become just another part of your day.

Don’t Straddle The Fence

Once you decide to work at the desk, make the switch completely. Working in an office where you’re part-time at the desk and part-time in the clinic is a bad idea for many reasons.

• You’ll feel overwhelmed quickly because there’s too much to do! Follow-through is a huge part of being a Dental Assistant and working in the front office. Even if you’re super organized, you won’t have time to finish what you start in both areas.
• You’ll become the office scapegoat. Whenever something isn’t restocked, reordered, or put back where it belongs you’ll get the blame. This is probably justified because you won’t have the time to do both jobs well.
• You’ll get bitter and burned out. One minute you’re an outcast because everyone’s frustrated with you. Next, you’re a hero because someone needs you to cover for them.

I’m not saying it can’t be done. But it’s a very special office with a unique situation if it actually works well. If you still feel strongly about keeping your hand in both, work part-time in two separate offices. In my experience, it’s best to commit to one position per office and stick with it. I’m not implying that we can’t jump in and help each other out occasionally. But working both positions regularly is a tricky tricky business.

Embrace Chaos

As a Dental Assistant, your day revolves around a set schedule. Emergencies pop up, and sometimes procedures take longer than expected. But for the most part, you have a good idea of what your day will bring by looking at your schedule.

It doesn’t work that way at the front desk. A schedule doesn’t dictate your day because you no longer have one. You track everyone else’s schedules while you simultaneously release and welcome your patients. Then there’s answering the phone, working recare, opening mail, insurance and billing, and preparing for the next working day.

But, you’ll be okay! It’s just a day in the life in the Dental Front Office. Change your mindset to working within a broader timeline. Make a plan for what you need to accomplish each day, stay organized, and write things down. You’ll get everything done, it just won’t always be at a set time.

One thing that will not change from back to front, is that your patient is your first priority. The patient in front of you or the patient on the phone with you always takes precedence over anything else at the front desk.

Learn All Front Office Areas

Depending on the office size, front office duties may be shared equally between several employees at the front desk. Or, they may be divided into separate departments that work outside of the front desk area. Front desk trainees usually start off as Dental Receptionists. It’s a great beginning because it’s the first step of the patient experience.

Dental Receptionists usually handle patient checkin, answering and routing phone calls, and (at least some) patient scheduling. Once you master those tasks, move on to recare, treatment planning, and insurance and billing. Learn all front office areas to further advance your dental career.

Once you know what you love and hate about the front office, you can zone in on your next career move. Your next job could be Treatment Coordinator or Dental Billing Specialist. Or maybe since you now have extensive clinical and administrative knowledge, you’ll decide to become a Dental Office Manager. The point is, don’t limit yourself.

And Hey, if after moving to the front desk you decide it’s not your thing, switch back to Assisting. There’s no shame in being honest with yourself. In fact, you should be PROUD of the fact that you were brave enough to try something new! I personally think you’ll love it all and shine like a diamond!

GOOD LUCK with whatever you decide! If you have any questions, drop me a comment and I’ll do my best to help! 🙂

My Dental Front Office Essentials book is a great tool for your in-office front desk training. It’s an informational guide/notebook so you can jot things down and find your information quickly. You can check it out on here: Dental Front Office Essentials, A Supportive Guide for Successful On-the-job Training.