Amanda Terzoglou, General Dental Treatment Coordinator

Role: General Dental Treatment Coordinator, Smile Solutions

What a treatment coordinator does

A treatment coordinator is the person who handles everything around the clinical decision — so that the dentist's time is spent on diagnosis and treatment, and you are not left working out the logistics on your own.

In practice that covers:

Explaining the treatment plan after the dentist has presented it, at whatever length you need — see Understanding Your Treatment
Written quotes — itemised, so you can see what each stage costs. The published starting points are in the Price Guide
Health fund estimates, item numbers, and what your annual limits will and will not cover, including Bupa Platinum provider arrangements and the Child Dental Benefit Schedule
Payment plan options, and what they involve
Sequencing and scheduling — particularly where treatment runs across several appointments or involves more than one clinician
Coordinating internal referrals to specialists, so records and imaging travel with you
Being the point of contact for questions that come up after you leave

Why the role exists

Most people leave a dental appointment having understood the clinical part and almost none of the practical part. The plan was explained while they were still processing the diagnosis; the cost was mentioned once; the sequence involved four appointments and two clinicians.

A coordinator exists to slow that down. It is a non-clinical role — a coordinator does not diagnose, does not recommend treatment, and does not change what the dentist has proposed. What they do is make sure you understand it and can act on it.

That boundary is the important thing on this page. If a conversation about a treatment plan starts to feel like it is persuading you towards a more expensive option, ask to speak to the treating clinician. That request should always be accommodated, without friction. The clinicians are listed on the Our Team page and the specialists on Dentists and Registered Specialists.

What consent actually requires in Australia

This is the part that gives the role its purpose, and almost nobody is told it.

Australian law sets a patient-centred standard for warning about risk. Under the principle established in Rogers v Whitaker (1992), a practitioner must warn of a material risk — one that a reasonable person in the patient's position would be likely to attach significance to, or one that this particular patient would, if the practitioner is or should be aware of that.

In plain terms: consent is not a signature on a form. For consent to be informed you should have been told, in language you understood:

The diagnosis, and how confident it is
What is proposed, and what it involves
The material risks, including the ones that are uncommon but serious
The realistic alternatives, including the more conservative and the cheaper ones
What happens if you do nothing, which is always an option and sometimes the right one
The cost, in writing, before it begins
Who will actually do the work

And you are entitled to time. Except in a genuine emergency, there is no reason a treatment plan must be accepted the same day. Take the written plan home. How important is communication in dentistry? covers the same ground from the clinician's side.

What a proper written treatment plan contains

Each procedure listed separately, with its ASDS item number
The fee for each, not just a total
The sequence and the number of appointments
What is excluded — the commonest surprise. Does a crown quote include the core build-up? Does an implant quote include the crown on top of it? Does an orthodontic quote include retainers?
Any laboratory costs
What is an estimate rather than a fixed quote, and what could change it
The practice's position if something fails early

Ask for it in writing every time. It is routine, and a practice that resists is telling you something.

The articles that set out what the common treatments actually cost, and where the exclusions usually sit, are useful preparation:

What to ask a treatment coordinator

These are entirely reasonable questions, and the answers should be in writing:

What does the total cost cover, and what is excluded?
What happens if I do only part of it, or stage it over two financial years? Health fund limits reset annually, so splitting a large plan across a January boundary can materially change what you pay.
What will my health fund actually pay, given my limits and waiting periods?
What are the item numbers? You can check these with your fund yourself.
What is the cost of doing nothing — what does this become if I wait a year?
Is there a less expensive option the dentist considered, and why was this one recommended?

That last question is worth asking of the dentist rather than the coordinator, but a coordinator can arrange the conversation. 5 questions you've always wanted to ask your dentist is a reasonable starting list.

If a payment plan is part of the conversation

Payment plan options are available. Where a plan is advertised as interest free, that describes the plan term only — a deposit may be required, an establishment fee and ongoing account fees may apply, and charges can apply if the balance is not cleared within the agreed period. The applicable terms depend on the provider and the amount financed, and are set out in writing before you commit — ask what the deposit and the establishment fee are, in dollars, and what the total will be by the end. Payment Plans.

For the wider context on how these arrangements have spread through dentistry, see Patient Dental Payment Plans: the next big disruption on the dental horizon.

Second opinions

Seeking a second opinion on a large treatment plan is normal, sensible and not an insult. A good clinician expects it and will not object. See Second Opinions and Corrective Dentistry.

Ask for a copy of your records and radiographs to take with you. You have a right of access to your own health information, and it saves repeating the imaging and the radiation exposure.
Do not say what the first plan was until the second practitioner has formed their own view.
A second opinion that agrees is worth the money, because it converts uncertainty into confidence.

Registration

Treatment coordinators are not registered health practitioners, because the role is administrative rather than clinical. That is appropriate to what the job is — the Dental Board of Australia registers dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists, and not administrative staff.

The registration that matters for your care is that of the dentist or specialist who examined you and proposed the treatment, and it can be verified on the AHPRA register. If you are ever unsure whether advice you have been given is clinical or administrative, ask to speak to the treating clinician — that request should always be accommodated.

Common questions

I understand the price, but I still do not understand why I need the treatment. Who should answer?

The treating clinician. Amanda can help you work through the written plan, appointments and itemised costs, but the reason for treatment, its alternatives and its risks need a clinical explanation. A clear quote does not resolve uncertainty about the diagnosis.

Write down the point you are unsure about and ask the coordinator to arrange that conversation. Useful wording is: “What finding makes this necessary, and what would change if I waited or chose the more conservative option?” Understanding your treatment explains how those decisions fit together.

What should I ask for if the plan involves several appointments and clinicians?

Ask for one written sequence showing who does each stage, what that stage costs and which parts depend on the results of an earlier appointment. Make sure the plan distinguishes an estimate from a fixed quote and identifies laboratory work or other charges that sit outside the headline figure.

The coordinator can help organise that information. If moving an appointment would alter the treatment sequence, the clinician needs to decide whether the change is suitable. Scheduling convenience alone cannot settle a clinical question.

Can the coordinator tell me exactly what my health fund will pay?

A practice estimate is useful preparation, but check the proposed item numbers with your own fund before relying on it. Ask the coordinator for an itemised plan, then ask the fund about your particular policy, remaining limits and waiting periods. Keep the responses with the plan so you can compare them.

If an estimate changes, ask which item or assumption changed. Avoid comparing two plans by their total alone: the included procedures, exclusions and sequence may differ.

What if I think of an important question after I have left?

Use Contact Us and say whether the question concerns the clinical recommendation, the quote or the arrangements. That helps it reach the right person. Include the relevant stage or item number if the question is about your written plan.

For a clinical question, ask for a response from the treating practitioner. For appointments or clarification of the document, the coordinator can help. You do not need to turn an unanswered question into agreement simply because the consultation has ended.

Practical details

Registration of treating clinicians can be verified free on the AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au, or by calling 1300 419 495.

Smile Solutions, Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Manchester Unity Building, Melbourne VIC 3000. Phone 13 13 96, or theteam@smilesolutions.com.au. Monday–Friday 8.00am–6.00pm, Saturday 8.30am–1.30pm, Sunday by appointment. Location and directions, or contact us.

This page records a staff role as published by the practice. General information only — it is not legal or financial advice. Fees, health fund terms and item numbers change; confirm current details with the practice and your fund. Payment plan terms are set by the credit provider and change; confirm current terms directly before you commit.

Smile Solutions trades under ABN 28 193 514 103.