The front desk, trained.
A school for the front desk of a dental or medical office. See the course a student takes, then try the live practice.
1The course a student takes
6 core modules, 38 lessons and quizzes, taught online.
Show all 8 modulesHide the modules
Module 7 adds AI practice. Module 8 is for the clinic, not the student. Tap a module to see what it covers.
Module 1 · 5 lessons, 1 quiz
×Welcome to the Dental Office Assistant Profession
Get oriented to the course and the dental workplace. You'll learn what a Dental Office Assistant does, how the dental healthcare team works together, and the core front-office workflows that keep patient care and business operations moving smoothly.
What is included
- Course Orientation & How to Succeed Online
- What a Dental Office Assistant Does (Day-to-Day)
- Dental Healthcare Team Basics
- Dental Office Fundamentals: Layout, Patient Journey, and Routines
- Career Pathways & Professional Growth in Dental Administration
- Quiz: Getting Started in the Dental Office Assistant RoleQuiz
Module 2 · 5 lessons, 1 quiz
×Professionalism, Ethics, and Compliance Essentials
Build a strong foundation in ethical conduct and day-to-day compliance expectations. This module covers patient rights, privacy and confidentiality (HIPAA), workplace safety basics (OSHA), and how accurate documentation supports quality and reduces risk.
What is included
- Professionalism in a Dental Office: Expectations and Boundaries
- Ethics in Dental Administration: Making Good Decisions Under Pressure
- HIPAA, Privacy, and Patient Rights (Front Office Focus)
- OSHA and Workplace Safety Basics for Dental Offices
- Documentation Standards & Risk Reduction + CMAA Alignment
- Quiz: Professionalism, Ethics, Privacy, Safety, and Documentation in the Dental Front OfficeQuiz
Module 3 · 5 lessons, 1 quiz
×Patient Communication and Service at the Front Desk
Develop practical communication skills for a welcoming, efficient patient experience. Practice phone techniques, in-person communication, service mindset habits, clear written messages (confirmations and reminders), and calm strategies for complaints or anxious patients.
What is included
- Patient-Centered Service Mindset at the Front Desk
- Telephone Techniques: Call Flow, Scheduling Requests, and Message Taking
- In-Person Communication and Patient Relations
- Managing Difficult Conversations (Complaints, Anxiety, Misunderstandings)
- Clear Written Communication: Reminders, Confirmations, and Office Messages
- Quiz: Front-Desk Patient Communication and Service SkillsQuiz
Module 4 · 5 lessons, 1 quiz
×Dental Terminology, Records, and Charting Fundamentals
Learn the language and information systems used in dental offices so you can support accurate administration. You'll build dental-specific terminology, understand how patient records are managed, review charting methods at a beginner level, and get introduced to modern dental software that supports records and workflows.
What is included
- Dental-Specific Terminology: Building Your Working Vocabulary
- Patient Records Management: Clinical vs. Administrative Information
- Charting Methods Overview: What Front Office Staff Should Recognize
- Introduction to Modern Dental Software and EHR Basics
- Documentation Standards and Quality Checks for Reliable Records
- Quiz: Dental Terminology, Records, Charting, and Software FundamentalsQuiz
Module 5 · 5 lessons, 1 quiz
×Scheduling, Office Systems, and Inventory Operations
Practice the operational skills that keep a practice running on time and well stocked. This module focuses on appointment scheduling fundamentals, efficient daily office systems, and basic inventory management so supplies are available when needed.
What is included
- Appointment Scheduling Fundamentals: Accuracy, Time Blocks, and Priorities
- Recall and Follow-Up Systems: Keeping Patients on Track
- Dental Office Systems & Office Management Basics (Daily Operations)
- Inventory Management & Office Supplies: Track, Reorder, and Receive
- Operational Mini-Scenarios: Solving Schedule and Supply Problems
- Quiz: Scheduling, Recall Systems, Daily Office Operations, and Inventory BasicsQuiz
Module 6 · 7 lessons, 1 quiz
×Program Summary: Financial Workflows, Insurance, and CMAA Preparation
Bring everything together with the financial and career-readiness skills expected in entry-level roles. You'll learn insurance processing and claim filing basics, billing and coding concepts tied to financial policies, and foundational A/R and A/P tasks.
What is included
- Financial Policies, Billing Basics, and Talking About Fees
- Insurance Processing & Claim Filing: From Verification to Submission
- Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Basics (Entry-Level Tasks)
- Payments, Reconciliation, and Fraud-Prevention Awareness
- Quiz: Financial Workflows and Insurance ProcessingQuiz
- Glossary
- Study guide
- Dental Office Assistant Final
Module 7 · AI readiness · 13 short lessons
×AI at the front desk
13 short lessons in 4 units on using AI at the front desk. Extra practice, outside the required course hours.
Unit A · Records and AI
- What AI does at the desk
- Ask a good question
- Check before you act
- A shift with the assistantHands-on
Unit B · Privacy and AI
- Patient privacy and AI tools
- Would you paste it?Hands-on
Unit C · Talking with patients
- AI-drafted messages and scripts
- Three practice callsHands-on
Unit D · Your job and AI
- What offices expect
- Teaching AI the office rules
- The ask-first habit
- "Have you used AI at work?"
- A full practice shiftFinal
Module 8 · Clinic only · 11 items
×Your clinic's values
An add-on for the clinic, not the student. Your office's own way of working, taught to every new hire.
Part 1 · Your office values
- What your office stands for, in your words
- Your check-in and check-out steps
- Your scheduling and cancellation policy
- Your payment and co-pay policy
- Who your staff go to when they are stuck
Part 2 · Your way with patients
- How your office answers the phone
- Your greeting at the window
- Your hold message and voicemail
- Words your office uses, and words it avoids
Part 3 · Your systems
- Your scheduling and records system, set up in the assistant
- Your practice calls, built from the calls your desk gets most
2Live practice for every student
Alongside the course, any student can practice live phone calls, anytime. Each call is a random made-up patient in a random situation, and the student is scored while they talk. Try one yourself.
Start a practice callA random patient calls. Press Start and allow the microphone.Live now