Erika Carbajal
Erika Carbajal is a seasoned dental operations professional with over two decades of experience in the dental field, beginning in 2004 after discovering a dental assistant trade school opportunity through a newspaper advertisement. She enrolled in UEI’s Certified Dental Assistant Program, where she gained strong clinical chairside experience. Although she valued her hands-on training, she quickly realized her passion was in the broader operational side of dentistry where she could oversee systems, support teams, and enhance the overall patient experience.
Throughout her career, Erika has developed deep expertise in dental operations and revenue cycle management with a strong focus on insurance billing, claims processing, and maximizing patient benefits. She is highly skilled in building and managing provider schedules, optimizing patient flow, and coordinating preventive and restorative treatment plans. Her ability to strategically manage scheduling often balancing appointments with precision has contributed to consistent operational efficiency and strong financial performance. She has maintained high production and collections across two Beverly Hills dental offices, both operating as multi million dollar revenue practices.
Erika currently serves as an Operations Manager with Imagen Dental Partners where she continues to grow within a supportive DSO that has elevated her from Office Manager into leadership with expanded responsibility. She remains closely connected to both clinical and administrative workflows using that insight to improve systems and support her teams effectively. Beyond her professional life Erika is a dedicated mother who deeply values time with her children. She has also served as a soccer coach for all three of her kids embracing the opportunity to stay involved in their activities and community. She thrives in environments built on mutual respect including serving a patient base of professionals such as physicians and other high level practitioners and brings both compassion and operational excellence to every aspect of her work.
• Certified Dental Assistant
• National University - Business Administration and Management, General
• Imagine Dental Partners
• South Hills Church
• Dental Education at Children's Schools
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to always having a great team around me, but also to the sacrifices my parents made and how hard they worked in their blue-collar jobs. Watching them taught me that regardless of what we're doing, we still have to work hard and be proud of what we're doing. My dad always told me that I don't want to just work hard physically because that will hurt one day - I want to work mentally. I always remember that. My mind is strong, so I can always continue to work hard and succeed as long as I can. Having that foundation from my parents as role models, combined with surrounding myself with great people, has been the key to everything I've accomplished.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to continue to learn so you can grow. This advice has stayed with me throughout my entire career, and it's something I live by every day. I'm always looking for opportunities to expand my knowledge, whether it's learning new clinical procedures, understanding the latest technology, or finding better ways to help patients navigate their insurance benefits. That commitment to continuous learning is what has allowed me to evolve from a dental assistant to an operations manager, and it's what keeps me excited about my work even after 22 years in the field.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I have a young daughter, so what I always tell her is don't take no for an answer. There is equality. But I also tell her, especially in our field, it's a given - usually it's women running the front desk, women doing the dental assisting, being the hygienist. Be proud of that, because these businesses are profitable. I've worked in two offices in Beverly Hills, and we've always been multi-million dollar revenue. It's mostly women. Be proud of that. I've been asked several times how I got this position in this town being of Hispanic heritage, and I was always taken aback, but then at the same time I'm like, well, yeah, I am doing this. And what? So I tell my daughter, when people are boxing you in or telling you you don't belong, ignore that. Because you do belong.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge and opportunity right now is that everything is going AI. We're in the process of switching programs, and I joke that my job will be easier because AI is taking over tasks that used to take me hours. But here's what I always tell everyone - at the end of the day, AI is only successful because of what we feed it. It still needs us in order to continue and grow. So while AI is giving me free time by handling certain tasks, it's actually creating opportunities for me to learn and do other things to continue to have the practice grow. The challenge is making sure we're up-to-date with technology, especially because I love technology but I'm not the biggest fan of all the moving parts. But I see it as a positive - it's not replacing us, it's allowing us to focus on higher-level work and continue our growth.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Commitment and accountability are the most important values to me in both my work and personal life. I feel like now, being in this industry for as long as I have been, I'm seeing that we're losing those values. It's so easy for people to kind of jump around, but you've got to stay committed. I also think it's the responsibility of the employer to make sure that you show your employees that you want their commitment, but you also commit to them. I love the partnership we have with our DSO because they give us lots of benefits as employees, but they also give us all the tools to help us succeed in our roles and for our team. When you show that commitment towards your employees, of course it's easier for them to stay because they're being fed. It has to go both ways.