East St Kilda Dental is looking for a warm, confident and highly capable Senior Dental Receptionist & Dental Assistant to become an important part of our growing practice.

This is not a standard dental reception role.

We are looking for someone who genuinely loves people, builds trust naturally, communicates exceptionally well, takes ownership of the appointment books, and wants the opportunity to grow with the clinic based on their performance and contribution.

You will often be the first person a new patient speaks to. That means your role matters.

A great conversation can be the difference between someone continuing to put off their dental care and someone finally feeling comfortable enough to come in. We want someone who understands that.

What you will own

Patient relationships and new enquiries

- Create a warm and memorable experience from the very first interaction
- Speak with inbound leads and new patient enquiries
- Build rapport and trust over the phone
- Ask thoughtful questions to understand what the patient actually needs
- Help nervous, hesitant or uncertain patients feel comfortable
- Follow up enquiries that have not yet booked
- Guide suitable patients toward booking without pressure or scripts
- Build genuine relationships with existing patients
- Help strengthen patient loyalty and long-term retention

Appointment book optimisation

- Manage dentist and hygiene appointment books
- Identify gaps and proactively work to fill them
- Maintain cancellation and short-notice lists
- Follow up overdue recalls
- Follow up unscheduled treatment
- Reconnect with patients who have fallen out of regular care
- Help reduce cancellations and failed attendance
- Think ahead about upcoming capacity and opportunities
- Work closely with the clinical team to keep schedules running efficiently

If you see a two-hour gap tomorrow, your instinct should be: Who can we help, who needs treatment, and how can I fill it? Dental assisting and clinical support

- Chairside dental assisting
- Preparing surgeries
- Room turnover




- Sterilisation and infection-control duties
- Supporting clinicians during busy periods
- Helping wherever the team needs you most
- The kind of person we are looking for

Skills matter, but personality and mindset matter just as much.
- Naturally warm and personable
- Someone patients remember
- An excellent listener
- Confident and engaging on the phone
- Comfortable having real conversations rather than reading from scripts
- Empathetic but commercially aware
- Proactive rather than waiting to be told what to do
- Organised and dependable
- Comfortable taking ownership
- Good at solving problems
- Able to move between reception and clinical duties
- Interested in understanding how a successful dental practice operates
- Motivated by improvement, responsibility and growth

We particularly value people who can combine care with initiative. You should be able to make someone feel completely looked after while also understanding that healthy appointment books, strong patient retention and responsive follow-up are critical to a successful practice. This role can grow For the right person, this does not need to remain a traditional reception/DA position.

As the clinic grows, there will be opportunities to take on greater responsibility based on your strengths, performance and contribution.

- Patient experience
- Current patient coordination
- Appointment book performance
- Recall and reactivation systems
- Team coordination
- Practice operations
- Training new team members
- Leadership responsibilities

We believe responsibility should grow with capability. If you perform, take ownership and help us build a stronger practice,



we want your opportunities within the clinic to grow as well. About East St Kilda Dental

East St Kilda Dental is an established community dental practice serving St Kilda East and surrounding areas.

We provide comprehensive general, preventive, restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

We want to build a practice where patients do not feel like numbers. They should feel known, remembered and cared for.

We are equally focused on building a strong team culture where good people are trusted, developed and given opportunities to grow.

What success looks like

- New patients feeling comfortable before they ever walk through the door
- Enquiries being followed up rather than forgotten
- Appointment gaps being actively worked
- Patients returning because they feel connected to the practice
- Clinicians having productive, well-managed books
- The front desk running calmly and professionally
- The clinical team knowing they can rely on you
- You taking on more responsibility as your capability grows

Hours [Insert full-time / part-time hours and preferred days]

Flexibility may be available for the right person.

Remuneration

Salary: $75K-$85K + superannuation, with potential performance-based bonuses available on top.

There is also genuine scope for increased responsibility, progression and remuneration based on performance, contribution and the impact you make within the clinic.

How to apply

Please apply through SEEK with your resume and a short cover letter.

Rather than sending us a generic application, tell us:

- Why you enjoy working with patients
- What makes you particularly good on the phone
- How you would approach a nervous recent patient who is unsure whether to book
- How you would respond if you noticed several gaps in tomorrow's appointment book
- What you would like your role in a dental practice to look like over the next few years

We are looking for someone who wants to make a real contribution, not simply fill a position.

📌 Senior Dental Receptionist & Dental Assistant (St Kilda East)
🏢 East St Kilda Dental
📍 St Kilda East