Dental offices are places where patients go to have their teeth checked and cleaned. These offices can be small or large, with multiple dentists and a team of support staff working together to keep the office running smoothly. A typical dental office has a reception area where patients are received, and where schedules are managed so that everyone is seen in a timely manner.
After a patient’s name is called from the waiting room, they are led into an exam room to be checked over by a dental hygienist or the dentist themselves. Typically, the exam will involve some type of cleaning, where the mouth is cleaned and examined under bright overhead lights to ensure that all of the teeth are growing properly, and that no cavities have developed.
In some cases, a patient may be recommended a filling or crown. These are usually two-visit procedures, and a dental laboratory will create the custom-fitted crown for the tooth to cover any decay or cracks in the surface. The lab also produces other dental gear, such as retainers and bridges, that can help maintain a patient’s oral health.
Dental support organizations, or DSOs, are entities that dental practice owners contract with to manage their nonclinical operations. The various types of DSOs vary in their size and structure, but at their core they all provide critical business management services that allow dentists to focus on delivering patient care. Dentist office