Industry Insights: Office Management Appreciation Month

Celebrate office managers with personal, practical recognition that fosters growth

There are many ways to celebrate the office management team. Coffee, flowers, lunch, a handwritten card, a social post, a team surprise, or a well-earned day of pampering can all say thank you. But during Office Management Appreciation Month (OMAM), the best celebrations do more than check a box. They help the office management team feel seen for the specific work they do and supported in the growth still ahead.

OMAM is celebrated each September and is brought to the dental industry by CareCredit and the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM). For 2026, the theme is “Let’s Bloom,” which gives practices a simple but meaningful way to connect appreciation with personal and professional development.

Angela Martinez, vice president of strategic associations and dental health policy at CareCredit, says the theme reflects the beauty of growth that has already taken root. “Ongoing growth is critical to success for the practice and the team,” Martinez says. “But the beautiful time is when flowers blossom and bloom. That’s the meaning behind the theme, ‘Let’s Bloom.’ And it’s a gentle reminder that flowers can brighten the team’s day.”


Start with specific appreciation
The first step is to make recognition specific. Office managers do not only answer phones and keep the schedule full. They balance patient communication, insurance questions, financing conversations, team support, compliance, problem solving, and countless other responsibilities that can surface before lunch.

Chavelle Galton-Rice, director of membership and education at AADOM, describes office managers as “the heartbeat of the practice.” Recognition matters, she says, because it reminds managers that their hard work is seen and appreciated. It also strengthens the culture around them. “When people feel valued, they stay engaged,” she says.

That is why a generic “thanks for everything” may not be enough. A more meaningful note might mention how the manager handled a difficult schedule, helped a nervous patient, supported a new team member, or kept the day calm during an unexpected change. Specific appreciation tells the person not only that they are valued, but why.

A useful way to prepare is to ask each team member to identify one moment from the past year when the office manager made their workday easier or helped a patient receive care. Those examples can be collected in a card, read during a team meeting, posted in a staff area, or shared privately. The format matters less than the specificity.

Galton-Rice says handwritten notes from the doctor and team members can be especially powerful when they include real examples. “Any type of recognition that is meaningful, personal, genuine, and specific will let managers know not just that they’re appreciated, but why they’re appreciated,” she says.


Use the month, not just the moment
One advantage of OMAM is that it lasts all month. That gives practices room to celebrate in different ways instead of trying to make one gesture carry the whole message. A team might start with digital flowers, continue with handwritten notes, invite patients to share appreciation, schedule a team lunch, and close the month by supporting the manager’s next growth goal.

Martinez says the OMAM site offers resources that make participation easier, including celebration ideas, social media posts, and a certificate of appreciation. Practices can use those resources as a starting point, then personalize the celebration around the person or people they are recognizing. “I think what’s most important is the thought put behind the celebration,” she says.

Some managers may appreciate a public shout-out. Others may value a quiet card, dedicated time away from the desk, a practical gift, or support for continuing education. The best celebration depends on the person, the team culture, and the kind of recognition that will feel sincere.


Connect appreciation to growth
The “Let’s Bloom” theme is also a reminder that appreciation can look forward. Dental office managers often spend their days helping others succeed. They support doctors, team members, patients, vendors, and the practice as a business. OMAM is an opportunity to support the manager’s own development with the same intention.

Galton-Rice says office managers need support, education, and community in order to grow personally and professionally. When they invest in learning, networking, and development, they create the conditions to become stronger leaders, better communicators, and more confident professionals.

Martinez says the refreshed OMAM virtual experience is designed with that growth in mind. It is bright, energetic, and full of appreciation from leaders across dentistry. “For office teams who want to grow and bloom, it gives them a central place to start that journey,” she notes. “The virtual experience features new resources from AADOM and CareCredit and office managers can even send virtual flowers to their colleagues.”


Celebrate the person who keeps the practice moving
Every practice is different, and every office manager is different. That is why OMAM works best when practices use the resources available but personalize the message.

As Galton-Rice puts it, “At the end of the day, when office managers thrive, the practice thrives.” Martinez agrees, “Every year OMAM gets bigger and bigger. We invite all teams to take time to smell the roses and celebrate their successes.”