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The differences between dental nurses and dental assistant/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 nurse and a dental assistant/receptionist. Additionally, a dental nurse has an average salary of $81,113, which is higher than the $38,823 average annual salary of a dental assistant/receptionist.
The top three skills for a dental nurse include patients, oral surgery and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a dental assistant/receptionist are patients, customer service, and dental procedures.
A Dental Nurse assists dentists in carrying out different kinds of oral-care procedures. They look after patient records and make notes when the dentist is examining a patient.
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.
Dental nurses and dental assistant/receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Nurse | Dental Assistant/Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $81,113 | $38,823 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $127,000 | Between $26,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | - | Mount Sinai Health System |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dental nurse and a dental assistant/receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Dental Nurse | Dental Assistant/Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 25% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dental nurses' and dental assistant/receptionists' demographics:
| Dental Nurse | Dental Assistant/Receptionist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |