Are you looking to advance your dental career? Perhaps even step into a management position? If you crave the challenge that comes with running an entire surgery from scratch, our dental practice management course is a step in the right direction. We empower future dental managers by developing critical skills they need to drive any surgery to success. You’ll learn to think on your toes, how to elevate your team to the next level, and oversee day-to-day operations so that dentists can concentrate on patient care.
Dental managers are the burning soul of any dental practice. They’re the people who support dentists, maintain customer relations and keep staff happy. Furthermore, they love wearing many hats and thrive on juggling various business operations and patient queries. That’s why we’ve designed our dental practice management course to teach the essentials, all the while studying online in your own space and time. From theories to NHS changes, goal setting and administration, you will learn it all. So, when you join your dream practice, dentists can focus on what they do best: Dentistry.
Start filling those cavities with knowledge and advance your dental career by enrolling with us today on our dental practice management course!
When you study Dental Practice Management, you’ll learn about:
- Working in dental practice management
- Key skills all managers should know
- Setting personal and professional goals
- Dealing with stressful work conditions
- Building and managing a team
- All kinds of financial activities
- Keeping staff, clients and dentists happy
- Organising patient records, appointments and sessions
- Marketing goals for the benefit of the business
- And so much more…
This comprehensive course has been designed for those looking to gain recognition and improve their dental careers.
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Study with winnersWe’re an award-winning learning provider and have been recognised for our cutting-edge learning techniques.
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At your own pace
Study this course as quickly or slowly as you wish; we’ll work at a speed that suits you.
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Unlimited Tutor Support ™
Get as much help and support as you want from your personal course tutor via email and phone.
- Awarding body: NCFE Customised Qualifications
With a heritage stretching back over 150 years, NCFE is one of the largest awarding bodies in the UK. Over 340,000 students were awarded certification by NCFE last year. Our customised qualifications have been developed to meet the needs of our learners, they’ve also been accredited by the NCFE after demonstrating great quality and rigor. Completing Customised Qualifications doesn’t lead to an OFQUAL regulated qualification, but they can be used as evidence of knowledge and skills towards future study. Every Customised Qualification has met strict criteria to attain NCFE accreditation.
Study Hours
The total qualification hours is 200. However, additional hours may be required for reading, writing and research.
Study Method
Our course is paper based, meaning you’ll receive all the materials necessary yo pass the course in your course pack. However, there are plenty of learning resources out there and we always recommend exploring different types of media, such as videos, e-books and online quizzes to supplement your learning.
Course Duration
You have up to a year to complete this course and we have included a suggested number of study hours. This is usually ample time for learners, even with full-time jobs and other commitments. Don’t worry if you go over the year though, we can organise an extension to your course for an additional fee, which also extends your tutor support.
Assessment
Throughout this course, you may be expected to complete assignments, essays, research projects, presentations, video/audio recordings, and practical learning sessions to meet the requirements of your course. This information will be included in your study pack detailing exactly what you need to do to accomplish your goals as a student.
Course Outcomes
At the end of this course, successful learners will receive an NCFE Customised Qualification. You can read more about NCFE here.
Additional Information
Difficulty - Level 3
Entry requirements - There are no formal entry requirements for this course, however, it is recommended that you have an intermediate ability to read and write English.
Course Content
In the first unit, you’ll be introduced to challenges that presently affect dentists. You’ll learn about changes in NHS dentistry, such as structural, cultural and clinical changes. You’ll also cover professional networks, the Steele contract and population changes.
In this unit, you’ll learn about the management approaches of FW Taylor, Henri Fayol and Mary Follett. You’ll also consider functions of dental practice management, management by exception, as well as advantages and disadvantages of management by objectives. To end the unit, you’ll gain insight into management systems, sub-systems, classification of systems, what makes a good system and procedures.
In this unit, you’ll discover functions of a dental practice and the advantages of goal setting, looking at professional, personal, as well as the practices goals. You’ll gain knowledge of objectives and practice policy, workplace stress, its causes and how to reduce it. With insight into work conditions and mental health.
In this unit, you’ll contemplate time management, appointment control systems and what to record in appointment entries. You’ll learn about organising an appointment book, as well as patient-centred, procedure-centred and random booking sessions. You’ll also consider aspects of stock process from purchasing to requirements, infection control when ordering, choosing suppliers, and monitoring stock. Finally, you’ll look at the Control of Substances Hazardous to Heath (COSHH) Regulation (1988).
In this unit, you’ll explore key financial activities that ensure the practice runs smoothly, including cost analysis, financial ratios, cost control and budgets. You’ll also look at fee setting, cash flow and debt control, borrowing and repayment methods.
In this unit, you’ll the role of computers in general dental practice. You’ll cover MS Office packages, including Word, Access (databases) Excel (spreadsheets), and powerpoint, while looking at the clinical applications of computers in a surgery. Finally, you’ll explore the future of computer use in dental practices, as the principles of the Data Protection Act (1984) with regards to patient privacy.
In this unit, you’ll consider all aspects of the recruitment cycle, from forming a job description to advertising positions, conducting interviews and offering a contract of employment. You’ll cover areas of staff management in the workplace, from training to setting goals, delegation of responsibility and staff appraisals. Finally, you’ll learn the value of a staff handbook and how to manage staff absenteeism.
In this unit, you’ll consider various health and safety regulations, upgrading equipment for the practice, as well as the cost-benefit and cost-effective approach to purchasing. You’ll explore the marketing process, from SWOT analysis to KPIs, and look at factors impacting the successful development of a practice, such as pricing to product placement. You’ll learn about marketing campaigns for dental care, effective communication and market segmentation. Finally, you’ll see how expanding a practice’s range of services can help it to develop.
In this unit, you’ll look at three key areas of patient management: Communication skills, managing patient perceptions and feedback. You’ll consider what makes a good relationship to overcoming barriers in communication, patient consent and the consequences of not providing treatment.
The final unit will cover areas of confidentiality, clinical records and record keeping for patients. You’ll explore aspects of negligence, patient feedback and acting on its results, and incidence of claims. You’ll consider patient perceptions, bias in patient feedback surveys, and clinical audits. Finally, you’ll look at the audit cycle, internal and external auditing, and implementing changes determined by a number of different factors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
We have some answers to common student questions, but if you can't find the answer you're looking for then please contact us and we will do everything we can to answer your questions.
You will have access to your personal tutor, via email and telephone, who will mark your assignments and guide you through the course. In addition, you will be supplied with a comprehensive Study Guide which will help you through the study and assessment process. Your personal tutor will be highly experienced in their subject area and qualified to teach.
You don’t need any prior skills in the subject area to start. However, as with all of our courses, we recommend a reasonable level of English reading and writing ability.
We provide all the specially written learning materials you require to study this course at home. The course fee also includes tutor support for 12 months.
You will receive everything you need to complete this course within the study pack we send to you.
No, this course is assessed by coursework alone.
No, all of the study materials are supplied within your learning pack.
Most students finish comfortably within the course duration period given. However, if you do need more time, your personal tutor support can be extended for an additional fee.
That’s fine, this course can be studied anywhere and is completed by submitting Tutor marked assignments (TMAs).
Please check our FAQs section or Contact Us, we are happy to answer any questions you have.