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The differences between dental receptionists and dental technicians 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 receptionist and a dental technician. Additionally, a dental technician has an average salary of $68,232, which is higher than the $34,359 average annual salary of a dental receptionist.
The top three skills for a dental receptionist include patients, customer service and phone calls. The most important skills for a dental technician are patients, dentures, and dental care.
| Dental Receptionist | Dental Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,359 | $68,232 |
| Hourly rate | $16.52 | $32.80 |
| Growth rate | - | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 66,076 | 45,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 Technicians manufacture dental prosthetics, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures in accordance with the dentist's specifications. They are also responsible for replacing, repairing, or modifying full or partial dentures.
Dental receptionists and dental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Receptionist | Dental Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,359 | $68,232 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $40,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Columbia, MD |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Maryland |
| Best paying company | University of Southern California | Private Practice |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dental receptionist and a dental technician in terms of educational background:
| Dental Receptionist | Dental Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | Associate Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | - | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between dental receptionists' and dental technicians' demographics:
| Dental Receptionist | Dental Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 4.9% Female, 95.1% | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |