Providing remote administrative assistance, Dental Support Specialties is ready to answer the phone, verify insurance, keep cash flow moving, and so much more
Dental Support Specialties (DSS) began with a simple idea: let dentists focus on patient care while the experts handle the logistics.
“Nearly 20 years ago, I left my role as a dental office manager to care for my daughter, Alison, who was born prematurely at 24 weeks,” said Mary Beth Bajornas, founder of DSS. “At the time, I was looking to create something that contributed to our family’s household income while providing an important service for other dental professionals.”
Since its inception, DSS has done exactly that. The company is lauded for its U.S.-based administrative support focused on 3 key areas: phones and scheduling, insurance verification, and billing.
“We offer customized, à la carte services for all types of dental practices—from solo practitioners to large DSOs,” said Joe Bajornas, managing member at DSS. “No 2 clients use our services exactly the same way—if you can imagine it, we can do it.”
Case in Point: Backlog to Cash Flow
Dr. Michael Todres opened his startup general practice in Lakewood, NJ, more than a decade ago with just himself and an office manager. But over the years, the practice expanded quickly to meet the demands of a rapidly growing community. Today, Todres Dental Care has 9 chairs and several part-time associates, including a pediatric dentist.
But as Dr. Todres’ patient base expanded, so did his accounts receivable.
“I mentioned to my accountant how high my accounts receivable was, and he said, ‘Holy cow, that’s a big number,’” Dr. Todres recalled. “I asked him if we should outsource our billing, and he told me about Dental Support Specialties.”
By the time Dr. Todres partnered with DSS in December of last year, he estimated there were about 31 pages of outstanding A/R.
“Basically, the front desk hadn’t been following up on claims that were denied, unpaid, or needed more information,” he said. “We’ve been using DSS for less than a year, and our backlog is already down by half.”
A Lifeline for the Front Desk
DSS assigned 2 dedicated remote teams—one to clear older accounts and another to handle current patient billing—and integrated their efforts directly into the practice’s Open Dental software.
“They’re very easy to work with, and they’re doing a great job for us,” said Dr. Todres. “It’s all handled re-motely and then pushed to our patients’ accounts.”
A few months ago, when patient calls about billing surged, the office redirected those inquiries straight to the DSS team, further freeing up the front desk. “It’s been a game changer for us,” he added.
Support Where You Need It
Dr. Todres recently suggested the company to his dentist friend, a solo practitioner who needed help with insurance verification and chasing unpaid claims.
“They’ll do big things, they’ll do small things—they’ll do anything for people,” he said. “It was definitely worth it to partner with DSS. From what we’re paying them, we’re getting back double, triple, sometimes quadruple that a month.”
