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The differences between dental assistant/receptionists and orthodontic assistants 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/receptionist and an orthodontic assistant. Additionally, an orthodontic assistant has an average salary of $49,768, which is higher than the $38,823 average annual salary of a dental assistant/receptionist.
The top three skills for a dental assistant/receptionist include patients, customer service and dental procedures. The most important skills for an orthodontic assistant are patients, HIPAA, and patient care.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Orthodontic Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,823 | $49,768 |
| Hourly rate | $18.66 | $23.93 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 80,317 | 55,933 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 23% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dental assistant/receptionist is responsible for managing dental appointments, including scheduling or canceling patients' dental sessions. Dental assistants/receptionists inform patients ahead of time if the dentist is out to reschedule another appointment. They also process payments, respond to customer's inquiries about dental services the clinic offers, updating patient information on the database, and creating a patient chart and visiting records for the dental staff's reference. A dental assistant/receptionist must have excellent communication and organization skills to assist patients efficiently and perform administrative tasks as needed.
An Orthodontic Assistant works under the supervision of an orthodontist. They prepare the appointment rooms prior to patients visits, take the patients oral health history, assess patients through examining them, and determine their needs for orthodontic care.
Dental assistant/receptionists and orthodontic assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Orthodontic Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,823 | $49,768 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $57,000 | Between $25,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | California |
| Best paying company | Mount Sinai Health System | LCMC Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a dental assistant/receptionist and an orthodontic assistant in terms of educational background:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Orthodontic Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 23% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dental assistant/receptionists' and orthodontic assistants' demographics:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Orthodontic Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% | Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |