Eight years ago, I founded the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) because there was no other organization out there that offered resources specific to the unique challenges faced by dental office managers.

Since then, the title “dental office manager” has become more common and the challenges associated with the job more complex. Managing a dental office today is a multifaceted job, with many systems that must be maintained and updated on a regular basis.

Effective managers realize that, in order to stay on top of everything, they must take advantage of a wide variety of support systems, from peers and online courses, and even their dental distributor.

Dental office management today often goes beyond the traditional role of making sure the schedule is filled and that patient bills are paid on time. Human resources, practice marketing (can you say Facebook?!) and complex financial systems now greet office managers, and the questions they produce can be overwhelming.

How do effective office managers stay on top of everything? Here are just a few ideas: