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The differences between dental assistants and dental receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dental assistant and a dental receptionist. Additionally, a dental assistant has an average salary of $37,730, which is higher than the $34,359 average annual salary of a dental receptionist.
The top three skills for a dental assistant include patients, patient care and CPR. The most important skills for a dental receptionist are patients, customer service, and phone calls.
| Dental Assistant | Dental Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,730 | $34,359 |
| Hourly rate | $18.14 | $16.52 |
| Growth rate | 8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 69,835 | 66,076 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Dental assistants provide patient care, have the ability to take x-rays, blood pressure readings, and help dentists perform treatments and procedures. They also keep patients' dental records, schedule appointments, prepare and maintain materials and equipment. They may conduct tests that are not much complicated and would not require the supervision of a dentist or dental surgeon. They also may administer and dispense medications to patients under the doctor's orders. Most dental assistants work in dentists' offices as full time in dental practice, but they can specialize and get employment in orthodontic or periodontist offices and other practices.
A dental receptionist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support dental office operations and ensure that the patients receive the highest quality care services. Dental receptionists manage and schedule the patients' appointments, determine the availability of the dentist, process dental reports and service payments, and ensure the adequacy of dental inventories. They also organize the database system by updating patients' information, sending referrals to medical specialists, pulling-up patient charts, and responding to the patients' dental inquiries and concerns.
Dental assistants and dental receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Assistant | Dental Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $37,730 | $34,359 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $50,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Alameda Health System | University of Southern California |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dental assistant and a dental receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Dental Assistant | Dental Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dental assistants' and dental receptionists' demographics:
| Dental Assistant | Dental Receptionist | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.5% Female, 88.5% | Male, 4.9% Female, 95.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 27.0% Asian, 5.5% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |