Safety Net Dental Practice Management Series

This learning series consists of 30 to 60 minute online learning modules designed for dental directors and dental practice managers. The modules provide an overview of the main components of practice management for a Safety Net Dental Program.

ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) credits are available for these modules.

Safety Net Dental Practice Management Series

Modules 1, 2	= 1.0 CE Credit
Module 3	= 1.0 CE Credit
Modules 4, 5	= 1.0 CE Credit
Modules 6, 7	= 1.0 CE Credit

NOTE: Please view this important Course Information including instructions for obtaining and printing your CE certificates.

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Module 1: Developing Billing Excellence: Getting Paid for What You Do

In Module 1: Developing Billing Excellence: Getting Paid for What You Do, you will learn about the roles and responsibilities of staff and patients related to the billing and collections process. We review the common breakdowns in the billing system, determine ways to improve billing, and discuss what billing performance measures are and how to track them.

Module 2: Fee Schedules

In Module 2: Fee Schedules you will gain an understanding of how to set appropriate rates for dental services and how to develop an effective and sliding fee scale for your dental program. We discuss the unique guidelines for Federally Qualified Health Center dental programs and their use of the sliding fee scale, as well explain how self-pay patients can effectively fit into your safety net dental practice.

Module 3: Safety Net Dental Program Finance and Productivity: Your Mission and Your Margins

In Module 3: Safety Net Dental Program Finance and Productivity: Your Mission and Your Margins, you will learn about what data should be collected in order to set and achieve financial and productivity goals in a safety net dental program. You will also learn how to complete key financial and productivity calculations as well as identify typical productivity benchmarks.

Module 4: Front Desk Customer Service

In Module 4: Front Desk Customer Service, you will learn about the front desk staff, their role and how customer service is a key component of that role. You will also review the tenets of good customer service and how to ensure front desk staff is applying those principles. We also explain how to help your front desk staff deal with difficult patients.

Module 5: The Front Desk: Creating Your Dream Team

In Module 5: The Front Desk: Creating Your Dream Team, you will hear about the crucial role of the front desk staff. We develop a master list of responsibilities for front desk staff, identify three different levels of priorities for tasks and responsibilities, discuss strategies for hiring and keeping the right staff, and ensure accountability and motivation to keep front desk staff productive.

Module 6: Managing Chaos in the Dental Program

In Module 6: Managing Chaos in the Dental Program, you will gain a deeper understanding of why no-show and emergency patients can be one of the largest barriers to a productive dental practice. We review effective policies and procedures for managing no-show and emergency patients and discuss best practices used in safety net dental programs to ensure that no-show and emergency patients do not cause chaos in your dental program.

Module 7: Scheduling by Design

In this course we discuss the concept of designing schedules strategically and what elements of the practice should be positively affected, identify what can be done when a practice’s current schedule does not allow for financial viability, and understand the process of defining and improving current metrics related to scheduling.

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