Administrative Dental Assistant (150 hours)

Course Overview/Description

Enjoy the rewards of working with a dentist to create brighter smiles! This exciting new online Administrative Dental Assistant Program can help you can make a difference. The essential skills you learn in this program enable you to gain the edge you need to be an entry level administrative dental Assistant.

Learn to:

• Interact with patients and the dental team.
• Obtain health histories and maintain patient records.
• Understand dental terminology.
• Schedule patients.
• Master recall systems.
• Assist the dentist in caring for patients.
• Use the computer to maximize efficiency in the dental office.
• Recognize signs and symptoms of illness and disease.
• Perform administrative duties in the dental office.

And you learn it all with Gatlin Education Service's online, self-paced program. You get valuable information about the administrative dental assisting field from the comfort of your own home, studying at your own pace.

The administrative dental assistant works on behalf of the patient as well as the dentist in helping to assure a high level of professional excellence in oral health care delivery.

Administrative Dental Assisting is a rewarding career in a growing field. As an Administrative Dental Assistant you can work with patients and be part of a professional dental staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for professional dental assistants will rise, and it is expected to be one of the fastest growing professions through the year 2012.

Job prospects for administrative dental assistants are excellent. Employment is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. In fact, administrative dental assisting is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through the year 2012.

Students in the online Administrative Dental Assistant Program learn about the care of patients as well as how to assist with dental administrative duties. The online program also covers interpersonal communication, interaction with patients and coworkers, as well as instruction in assisting the dentist with various administrative duties, including fee collection, banking, and accounts payable, as well as basic information about dental insurance. The Administrative Dental Assisting Course is a necessity for the student who wishes to work in this exciting and rewarding career field. Textbooks are included!

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this program, students will:

• Understand the role of the administrative dental assistant.
• Know the basics of dental practice.
• Develop communication skills for use with patients and coworkers.
• Develop excellent telephone technique.
• Produce professional written correspondence.
• Relate to patients in a professional, caring manner.
• Understand teamwork in the dental office.
• Maintain quality patient records.
• Understand information management in the dental office.
• Become proficient with scheduling and recall systems.
• Process dental insurance.
• Perform inventory management and equipment maintenance.
• Know bookkeeping and collection procedures.
• Use the computer to promote efficiency.
• Develop employability skills and strategies.

Course Outline

I. The Dental Profession

1. Orientation to the Dental Profession
2. Dental Basics

II. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

1. Communication Skills and Telephone Techniques
2. Written Correspondence
3. Patient Relations
4. Dental Healthcare Team Communication

III. Records Management

1. Patient Clinical Records
2. Information Management

IV. Scheduling and Recall Systems

1. Dental Patient Scheduling
2. Recall Systems

V. Dental Insurance Processing

VI. Financial Management

1. Financial Arrangements and Collection Procedures
2. Bookkeeping Procedures: Accounts Receivable
3. Bookkeeping Procedures: Accounts Payable

VII. Office Equipment and Inventory

1. Inventory Management
2. Chapter Sixteen - Office Equipment

VIII. Computers in the Dental Office

IX. Employment Strategies

Prerequisites/Audience

Students should be proficient in keyboarding, have a basic understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation. No dental office work experience is required.

The target audience for the Administrative Dental Assistant Program is individuals interested in learning job skills for dental office opportunities or individuals interested in changing job skills to become administrative dental assistants.

PC Requirements/Materials Included

This course is compatible with Windows Vista Operating System.

This course can be taken on either a Mac or a PC. There are no specific computer requirements other than an Internet connection and email capability.

GES provides the required textbooks for this course. Each student will receive the following:

The Administrative Dental Assistant, by Linda Gaylor

Student Workbook to Accompany the Administrative Dental Assistant, by Linda Gaylor

Instructor Bio

Carline Dalgleish has been employed in the Allied Healthcare profession since 1970. She began in the Medical Records department of the Army/Air Force Hospital in Nuremberg, Germany, and moved "through the ranks" over the years, performing insurance billing, coding and accounts receivable management services for physicians, clinics, hospitals and even the Healthcare Financing Administration (now CMS). She has real-time experience in physician and hospital coding, as well as management experience in compliance, information technology and services and procedural and diagnostic coding instruction. In the early 90's, Carline moved full-time into curriculum development, teaching and management of allied health education programs, with special emphasis on Medical Billing and Coding. Carline is a Certified Medical Assistant-Administrative, a licensed practical nurse, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems, and a Master's degree in Leadership. She is adjunct faculty at the University of Phoenix Health Care Administration degree program, and is pursuing her Ph.D. at Walden University. . She is a member of the National Dean's Scholars List, AHIMA, PAHCOM, AAMA, AAPC, CCST, AAMT and AMTIE. She currently owns and operates COUGAR-Ed.net, which specializes in development and delivery of continuing education products, seminars and services.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I register?
Click on the register button at the top of the page and follow the directions. It is important that you type all your information in the boxes, then print it out to sign.  Payment and sending instructions are in the bottom right corner of the form.

2. How much do the courses cost?
The fee is in the pink box at the top of the page.

3. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can!

4. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school.

5. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. When you register for a course, you are given an initial 180 days to complete the course. If you need more time, extensions are available.

6. Do I have to buy additional materials?
All materials are included. The cost of materials will be covered by your tuition. GES will ship all materials via UPS ground service upon registration.

7. Can I get financial aid?
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.

• GES provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan at a slightly higher rate. Click here for more information on this loan program.

8. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school you registered with. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.

9. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

10. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

11. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

12. Can this course be taken on a Mac?
Yes.

13. How can I get more information on the course?
All of the information we have is available online under our course catalog (www.gatlineducation.com). If you have questions that are not answered online, please feel free to email us at courseinfo@gatlineducation.com or call 817-870-2870. We will answer your questions promptly.

14. When can I start the course?
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready.