Dental secretary vs dental nurse

The differences between dental secretaries and dental nurses 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 secretary and a dental nurse. Additionally, a dental nurse has an average salary of $81,113, which is higher than the $33,630 average annual salary of a dental secretary.

The top three skills for a dental secretary include scheduling appointments, patients and patient appointments. The most important skills for a dental nurse are patients, oral surgery, and surgical procedures.

Dental secretary vs dental nurse overview

	Dental Secretary	Dental Nurse
Yearly salary	$33,630	$81,113
Hourly rate	$16.17	$39.00
Growth rate	-8%	8%
Number of jobs	36,708	35,787
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	49	38
Years of experience	2	2

Dental secretary vs dental nurse salary

Dental secretaries and dental nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dental Secretary	Dental Nurse
Average salary	$33,630	$81,113
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $51,000 And $127,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between dental secretary and dental nurse education

There are a few differences between a dental secretary and a dental nurse in terms of educational background:

	Dental Secretary	Dental Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Dental secretary vs dental nurse demographics

Here are the differences between dental secretaries' and dental nurses' demographics:

	Dental Secretary	Dental Nurse
Average age	49	38
Gender ratio	Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7%	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	4%

Differences between dental secretary and dental nurse duties and responsibilities

Dental secretary example responsibilities.

Manage Eaglesoft system thereby maximizing and balancing the calendar of appointments to drive practice revenue while maintaining optimal practice productivity.
Bill charges to patients and insurance companies and process cash/credit and insurance check payments; make financial arrangements for patients.
Check patients in and out for appointments, billing, filing and pulling medical records, phone calls.
Provide technician support to psychologists and urologists by accurately and efficiently transcribing a wide range of medical conditions onto patient records.
Perform therapeutic treatments including: electric stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and lumbar and cervical decompression therapy.

Dental nurse example responsibilities.

Help dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply.
Box 106387, Riyadh 11666 KSA
Communicate appropriately and sensitively with patients who may be fearful, vulnerable, have sensitive concerns or have special needs i.e.
Educate patients on oral/dental hygiene, project office interests.
Complete documents for state fund Medicaid programs, admission into community nursing and group home facilities and other community resources available.
Perform chartings and BPE records.

Dental secretary vs dental nurse skills

Common dental secretary skills

Scheduling Appointments, 40%
Patients, 36%
Patient Appointments, 3%
Insurance Forms, 3%
Insurance Claims, 3%
Check-In, 2%

Common dental nurse skills

Patients, 44%
Oral Surgery, 11%
Surgical Procedures, 11%
Dental Procedures, 7%
Dental Clinic, 6%
Vital Signs, 4%