The office manager’s day in one list: opening, schedule and staffing, patient flow, billing, compliance tasks and closing.
A dental office manager keeps the schedule full, the team staffed, claims moving and the front desk calm. Most of that work is repeated daily, and the tasks that get missed are usually the quiet ones: unconfirmed appointments, unsent claims and expiring certifications.
This checklist is for practice and office managers in general and family dentistry. It sits alongside the dental assistant checklist, which covers operatory setup, and the end-of-day checklist, which covers closing the office.
Infection control, radiation safety and patient privacy rules are set by regulators and licensing boards. Use your practice’s own protocols for those areas.
24 items. Fill it in on screen or print a copy.
An office manager at a four-chair practice starts the day by noticing a hygienist has called out sick. Before the 8:00 a.m. huddle, she moves two hygiene patients to an open afternoon slot and calls the other three to reschedule. At 3 p.m., she verifies insurance for the next day’s 22 patients, submits the previous day’s claims and confirms tomorrow’s schedule before closing.
Many of the quiet tasks on this checklist come from a few federal rules. OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, requires a written exposure control plan reviewed at least once a year, training at hire and every year after, and the hepatitis B vaccine offered within 10 working days of initial assignment for staff with exposure risk.
| When | Task | Source |
|---|---|---|
| At hire | Bloodborne pathogens training; offer hepatitis B vaccine | OSHA 1910.1030 |
| Every year | Review the exposure control plan and sharps devices | OSHA 1910.1030 |
| Every year | Repeat bloodborne pathogens and hazard communication training | OSHA |
| Feb 1 to Apr 30 | Post the OSHA 300A summary, if your practice must keep the log | OSHA 1904 |
| Ongoing | Track license and CPR expiry dates | State dental board |
| Ongoing | Privacy and security safeguards for patient records | HIPAA |
The CDC publishes infection prevention guidance for dental settings that most state boards expect practices to follow. Clinical protocols stay with the dentist and clinical lead, while the office manager makes sure the dates are met.
A missing hygienist cancels most of a day’s hygiene production, so staffing is the first check every morning. Keep a short list of temps or part-timers who can fill in, and build the hygiene schedule so a callout can be absorbed by moving patients rather than cancelling all of them. EZTime’s open shifts and shift swaps with approval let a team member pick up a gap from their phone.
Typically scheduling, staffing, billing and insurance, patient communication, supplies and administrative compliance. Exact duties vary by practice.
The assistant checklist covers clinical setup and operatory tasks. This one covers running the business.
Many practices assign this to the office manager. Keep a list with expiry dates and review it monthly.
Yes. Remove the items that do not apply.
Dental offices are on OSHA’s list of partially exempt industries for routine injury recordkeeping, but they must still report severe injuries and follow the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Check the current list for your industry code.
In EZTime, a routine like this can run as a recurring task assigned to a person, team or location, with photo proof and an alert when it is late. Book a demo if you want a walkthrough.