Now in its seventh year of recognizing exceptional women in the dental industry, Dental Products Report is thrilled to present the Top 25 Women in Dentistry for 2016.
When her journey began, Courtney Roberts was inspired to be a dental hygienist. Right after high school she started working as a dental assistant while she went to school to pursue a hygiene career. A few years later she found herself at a practice in need of a practice manager and she was the only person in the office who knew how to use the Dentrix software. Soon it became clear to both herself and her boss that the front office is where she thrived.
“Leading the office just felt so instinctive for me and it was the first time I held a position that I absolutely relished,” Roberts explains. “Needless to say, I readjusted my goals, took a gamble and kissed that future in hygiene goodbye. Experiences in time are usually past or future, where a fraction of a second can hold a lifetime of opportunity. With my perspective enlightened, all of the sudden a bold new separation occurred where dental hygiene was the past and office management was my future. I then put every ounce of energy chasing down this new dream.”
Now, Roberts not only manages an endodontic practice full time in San Diego, she is a published author and the owner and creator of Roberts Dental Logistics, a front office training program for dental students. She works hard to ensure the success of her office and one of her most rewarding moments in this industry is watching that hard work pay off.
Managing a busy practice is definitely fulfilling, but it isn’t always perfect. Like all office managers, Roberts wears a lot of different hats. One minute she is the entire HR department, the next the HIPAA security officer and another insurance guru, all while maintaining her role as team cheerleader.
“As office managers, not only do we have to juggle the positions that require the dental practice to succeed, we still have to stay ahead of the curve in this ever-changing world of dentistry,” she says. “It can all be daunting, but the challenge is entirely worth the reward.”
As a successful woman in dentistry, Roberts believes that the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) has been one of the largest contributors to her success. As an accredited AADOM ambassador, she has completed their prestigious Fellowship program and she was a nominee for the 2015 and 2016 Office Manager of the Year. Roberts also serves on the board of directors for the San Diego Chapter for Dental Office Managers.
Roberts understands that as a woman it’s easy to be pressured into a career where you’re put into a box. “If you’re out there trying to make something of yourself, always stay true to who you are and before you know it, you’ll be slaying those goals left and right,” she advises. “Dreams don’t work unless you do. There will be doubters, there will be obstacles and there will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits. It’s the vehicle to success.”
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