Enhance Your Dental Career and Become a Patient Care Coordinator

A dental patient care coordinator (PCC) is often the first point of contact for a new dental patient. If you’ve been working in the dental field for a few years and you enjoy helping people, read on.

Because a patient care coordinator wears many hats, quick-thinking and organizational skills are a must.

PCCs focus on patients. They also work with the dentist creating optimal treatment plans that are unique to each person that needs dental care. Experience is a must. 

Hands-on experience in a dental office is vital if you want to become a PCC.

What is a Patient Care Coordinator?

Dental professionals that want to play a role in managing dental patients care and treatment plans are Patient Care Coordinators.

You will Educate a dental patient on their treatment plan, and make arrangements to execute that plan. Expect to network with other dentists, and evaluate a patient’s progress are some of the many tasks they perform.

Finding out a dental patient’s needs by communicating and showing compassion are the key requirements of a good patient care coordinator.

Patient Care Coordinator: Duties and Requirements

Exceptional customer service and a genuine interest in helping others are two key traits of an excellent PCC. Day to day tasks will vary from each practice, but many of the duties are the same.

You can expect to consult with patients to discuss their dental concerns to develop a care plan. You will also collaborate with other dental specialists like surgeons. Another daily duty document and communicate with their dental patients on a regular basis.

Being a people person who can comply with guidelines and dental regulations is a crucial requirement of being a PPC.

Pro tip: Constantly educating yourself on new advances and developments in the dental industry will set you apart.

Empathy, respect, and professionalism are three characteristics of a qualified dental personal care coordinator. In some cases, you may be helping secure funding for dental procedures for your patients.

What Type of Previous Experience or Requirements Are There?

Empathy and compassion are two requirements that cannot be taught, bought, or studied. The pure want of helping others through their dental journey is a big factor when considering if being a PCC is right for you.

Aside from that, you must have excellent customer service and a minimum of three years of hands-on experience in a dental practice as a dental assistant.

You are expected to have strong computer literacy with software like Microsoft Office. There are clerical tasks associated with being a PCC.

You should be able to think outside of the box, multi-task, and remain friendly. These are characteristics that make this role a fast-paced and rewarding career choice.

What Does My Career Look Like As a PCC?

A career as a patient care coordinator is very rewarding. Most dental practices want their patients to be happy about visiting, and that all starts with a happy and knowledgable Patient Care Coordinator.

Most dental assistances make about $38,500 annually, but that factors such as your experience and the location of the practice may influence your salary. 

A patient care Coordinator’s training is never complete because of the ever-evolving advances in the dental industry.

This means that as you grow, you can grow your career. 

Consider becoming a PCC If:

You enjoy helping others solve their problems. Making people happy when they are sad, creating a safe and comforting space for dental patients, as well as networking with other dental professionals and specialists to create high-quality customized care plans, then being a PCC may be the next step in your dental career.

PCCs create a safe and comforting space for dental patients.

They also network with other dental professionals and specialists to create high-quality customized care plans. Does that sound like something that interests you?

Then, being a PCC may be the next step in your dental career.

In Summary

A patient care coordinator could be considered the heart of a dental practice. PCCs are the face they see when they begin their treatment and complete their bookings. 

Because most dental practices treat their patients like family, a warm and friendly demeanor will serve you well.

With a few years of experience as a dental assistant and a passion for helping people, you could be rewarded with duties of caring for the practice’s patients from a nice corner office.