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Dental secretary skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

1 min read

Quoted experts

Allison White,

Allison White

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical dental secretary skills. We ranked the top skills for dental secretaries based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 39.8% of dental secretary resumes contained scheduling appointments as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a dental secretary needs to be successful in the workplace.

14 dental secretary skills for your resume and career

1. Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling appointments is the practice of finding a free slot with the person(s) you want to meet. The process of scheduling appointments involves finding mutually free time, negotiating follow-ups, sending reminders, and creating new appointments. Scheduling appointments is important to ensure that the timings of consecutive meetings do not clash with each other.

Here's how dental secretaries use scheduling appointments:

Answered phones Organized files In charge of scheduling appointments for patients Sanitized tools and equipment for dentist
Conducted clerical and administrative functions such as organizing paper and electronic files, generating correspondence, scheduling appointments and answering telephones.

2. Patients

Here's how dental secretaries use patients:

Enter patient information into computer system Check-in patients, gathering all personal and insurance information needed etc.
Educated and advised patients of the Notice of Privacy Policy Act (HIPAA) and (PHI) Private Health Information.

3. Patient Appointments

Here's how dental secretaries use patient appointments:

Worked extensively with scheduling patient appointments, insurance verifications, referrals, collections and daily batching.
Maintained minutes for section and other hospital meetings.Schedule and notify personnel of patient appointments.

4. Insurance Forms

Here's how dental secretaries use insurance forms:

Verified patients' insurance eligibility, called for prior authorizations, completed insurance forms and insurance referrals.
Complete insurance forms and verify coverage, also obtaining authorizations and verifying patient insurance information.

5. Insurance Claims

Here's how dental secretaries use insurance claims:

Handled insurance claims, confirmed appointments, filled the schedule, excellent people skills.
Processed insurance claims and documentation to ensure prompt reimbursement.

6. Check-In

Check-in is the hospital process of registering new patients to the hospital database. It also refers to where patients get their information registered or where patient's kin check for their patient's whereabouts.

Here's how dental secretaries use check-in:

Greeted and check-in patients, including obtaining accurate patient demographic information, patient registration, and checking insurance eligibility.
Processed patient check-in and checkout paperwork for medical imaging procedures and responsible for various secretarial duties.

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7. Insurance Verification

Here's how dental secretaries use insurance verification:

Preformed insurance verification claims/benefits coverage.
Analyzed insurance verification and eligibility.

8. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how dental secretaries use telephone calls:

Performed secretarial duties including processing and filing of paperwork, responding to telephone calls and completing financial reports through electronic database.
Maintained professional communication frequently via e-mail or telephone calls with corporate office, regional practice manager, and office manager.

9. Patient Charts

Here's how dental secretaries use patient charts:

Maintained patient charts and x-rays.
Performed various secretarial/clerical duties such as documenting patient charts, scheduling appointments and organizing filing system.

10. Insurance Eligibility

Here's how dental secretaries use insurance eligibility:

Verified insurance eligibility for authorization of various medical procedures
Conducted health insurance eligibility verification.

11. Direct Calls

Direct calls are connections established with a previous customer or client, most likely a subscriber.

Here's how dental secretaries use direct calls:

Answer telephones & direct calls/messages to appropriate personnel; provide patients/visitors directions or information.
Answered telephone and/or direct calls to appropriate individual.

12. Word Processing

Here's how dental secretaries use word processing:

Operated general office machines including regular typing and word processing equipment, copy machines, calculators and transcription equipment.
Process technical medical dictation and other recorded data of pathologists using automated dictation, transcription and information/word processing systems.

13. Insurance Benefits

Here's how dental secretaries use insurance benefits:

Verified insurance benefits and precertification status.
Checked and verified insurance benefits/eligibility.

14. Office Equipment

Here's how dental secretaries use office equipment:

Operate office equipment such as copy fax, scanner complete insurance and other claim forms.
Typed correspondence, reports and other documents Maintained office files Opened and distributed the mail Coordinated repairs to office equipment Distributed payroll

What skills help Dental Secretaries find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on dental secretary resumes?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Knowledge of spreadsheets software such as MS Excel is a commonly sought-after skill. Employers want word processing and spreadsheet skills but often say they want high school graduates and pay accordingly. These skills aren't always taught in high school. Those in the field should seek these skills. Additionally, medical and legal assistants have highly sought after. Terminology courses for these specialized areas are sometimes offered at the vocational schools but are usually offered at the post-secondary level.

What soft skills should all dental secretarys possess?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!

What hard/technical skills are most important for dental secretarys?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.

Do you want to know more?

List of dental secretary skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a dental secretary resume and required skills for a dental secretary to have include:

Scheduling Appointments
Patients
Patient Appointments
Insurance Forms
Insurance Claims

Check-In
Insurance Verification
Telephone Calls
Patient Charts
Insurance Eligibility

Direct Calls
Word Processing
Insurance Benefits
Office Equipment

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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