dental hygienist

dental receptionist

payroll administrator

patient coordinator

dental assistant

Altima Dental

Loved the actual office I worked at however all the overhead micromanagement from home office was too much.  If your regional manager is awesome then your job is a bit less stressful, if they have poor people skills and micromanage,  your job is unnecessarily stressful.  Goals for bonus and raises were too unattainable for some locations which unfortunately caused low morale even if everyone is doing what they can to reach them.  (Budget never reflected changes, eg: senior dentist retired and being replaced by a new grad.  Still expected to make the same with a new dentist not as qualified at recommending treatment) If you reach goals the raises are too low to retain employees at your office which causes turnover.  I received the same pay at my new job as a dental receptionist than I did as an Office Manager at Altima. 

The interviewing process is very lengthy, they keep you wondering if you are to get hired for weeks!
The hours differ so much. One week you get 52 hours, the next week - 12. It's so bad.
The job itself is hellish. There is so much pressure to meet the unreasonable target every month. They try everything to keep their expenses low and revenue - high. The well-being of employees is the least of their concerns. 
The employee turnover rate is high. During the 3 months I was there, a manager and 2 other employees were let go. 
One of the dentists I worked with was so bad with the patients, breached so many rules set out in their own booklet. I asked a co-worker why was he still there. She said: ''That's because he brings the most revenue to the practice''. To me, that's the worst reason to keep a dentist.
Throughout my 8 years career as a dental assistant I met many former employees of Altima, including 3 dentists. All of them said that it was a horrible place to work at.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I couldn’t think of a positive comment. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Heavy pressure  to over bill patients. A lack of good equipment. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Corporate. But it was corporate on a shoe string.  Individual patient care was discouraged. Rather a blanket treatment plan was developed for all. This encouraged a competitive environment among your colleagues by rewarding those who had high billings. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
In the morning an office manager told you how you should bill your patients instead of you assessing each patient’s needs individually. The day was usually stressful trying to find enough sterile equipment to preform your tasks. There was always a shortage of supplies.

WE are a small office in a rural community so we are a busy office.  The people I work with are wonderful and the patients are pretty great themselves.  Because we are out in the country finding coverage is more difficult so I tend to have to work more hours than I would like to work.  Our team here is one of the best because we all help each other out.  As the manager I am also a dental assistant so I take xrays and help out with setup and cleanup when they are really busy and fall a bit behind.  The assistant is also trained on front desk so she helps out with phones and seeing people in and out if I am at the bank or post office.  Having a head office in Toronto has its challenges but for the most part things work out ok.  I have been with Altima for almost 15 years and will be here for a few more.

For some reason there has always been a scarcity based mentality when it comes to the salaries and benefits for the Finance Department. Other departments receive better treatment. Very difficult to receive a decent raise. Higher expectations always accompany raises. 

Recent changes in management have led to high turnover and low morale. High performing employees continue to leave for better opportunities. Low performing employees stay. 

Rampant favoritism within Operations clouds the better judgment of Senior Leadership as company continues to grow its problems are swept underneath the rug.

A typical day consisted of overseeing the budgets and targets for the clinic through profit and loss statements.  During my time with this company, I learnt a great deal about HR and the role head office plays.  I hired and trained the staff at the clinic.  This including hiring a Dentist and implementing a hygine department.  Generally the staff was compliant but did require direct supervision.  The most difficult part of my role was dealing with head office.  I take complete pride in my job and found that head office wanted  to dictate and never wanted to hear of possibly a better, more effective solution to some issues.  The most enjoyable part was increasing production and being a part of a clinic that was  initially suffering and than rose above it.

I have been with Altima for a little more than a year and I can only say good things about them. The Company culture is welcoming, professional and supportive. The people at head office are only one call away. As long as you are responsible, accountable for your actions, transparent and are doing a good job, you should have no reasons to think they are not a good company. You also have to understand that the company is in constant growth and development, and so are the protocols that are been put into place. You should embrace that as a learning experience. We could all be complaining about the changes in policies, but isn't change the only constant in life?

I come to work every day excited because I get to work with a talented group of caring professionals. Every person I have met at Altima genuinely cares about the patients and every team member. When I come to work it feels rewarding and I leave feeling like we have made a difference in peoples lives.

 I love that Altima encourages personal and professional growth and they help you achieve your goals. It feels like I am working with a family. Everyone I have met is so supportive and kind. It is very refreshing to work with a group of professionals who are driven, motivated and strive for excellence on a daily basis.

Being a co-op student at the Altima Dental Centre is a fantastic learning experience. A typical day consists of pulling files for the following day, observing the receptionists, dentists, dental hygienists, and creating pediatric files for new patients. With my interest of becoming a dentist in the future, I've learned many things about the practice. I've learned things such as the roles of a dentist, to how the business itself runs. Management and co-workers are both extremely nice people. They help me with everything I need to know and do as a co-op student. And most of all, they are very patient for someone who is just learning how they operate. This experience thus far has been a very enjoyable learning process.

Altima is amazing place to work. They are always looking for ways to improve patient service. Being part of company for over 15 years, I can truly say that by working for Altima, your voice will be heard and your hard work will be recognized. There is a lot of opportunity to grow and better youself. There is option for benefit inrolment, not many dental offices will do that for you. Upper management is very good. They are only phone call away, very approachable and  ready to help. When you plan your vacation, you don't have to go around anyone's schedule, because it is big company and it is easy to find coverage. I could go on and on, but you get the idea: if you are looking for great place to work, it is Altima.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Dental hygienist 5 salaries reported	$39.00 per hour
Dental receptionist 1 salary reported	$23.67 per hour
Payroll administrator 1 salary reported	$23.50 per hour
Patient coordinator 1 salary reported	$19.00 per hour
Dental assistant 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour

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