Dental Receptionist Resume | Writing Tips, Examples, and A Comprehensive Guide

Before getting started, you need a dental receptionist resume highlighting your experience and skills. This gives the hiring manager insight into who you are and what you can do. It's also a chance for you to show the recruiter why you're a better candidate than the other person.

A dentist receptionist plays a major role in helping patients get a great experience from the time they get into the door. Let's look at some key topics you should cover as you write your resume.

• How to choose the right format for your resume.
• The right experience to set you apart from all the other candidates.
• The essential skills that every dental receptionist should have.
• A dental receptionist resume example to give you some tips as you craft your resume.

Job Market And Salaries For Dental Receptionists

The U.S Bureau of Statistics doesn't give specific details on dental receptionists. However, it states that the overall employment of receptionists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2020 to 2030.

The industries with the highest levels of employment in Receptionists and Information Clerks include:

• Office of Physicians
• Office of Dentists
• Personal Care Services
• Offices of Other Health Practitioners
• Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The average salary for a dental receptionist is $36,000. The typical range is between $33,000 and $40,000, depending on the level of education, skills, and experience.

How to Make a Great Dental Receptionist Resume

A dental receptionist job requires exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills. You need to show your potential employer that you're exactly what they need at the dental clinic. Most candidates have the same qualifications, so do your best to show the recruiter what makes you stand out.

Each section should be well-structured to make it easy for the recruiter to read through it. Every time you're applying for a job, you need a new resume tailored to the job you're applying for. Read through the job description to figure out what the hiring manager is looking for, and check out our resume examples which have some interesting tips that could come in handy.

A long resume may be a turn-off for most recruiters, so keep it short and summarize all your qualifications on one page.

Check Your Resume Format, Layout, and Structure

The right resume format depends on your qualifications.

If you have experience and have worked as a dental receptionist, use the reverse-chronological format. It prioritizes your experience, which is what most hiring managers want to see first on your resume.

Recent graduates and career changers can use the functional resume format, which focuses on skills.

Another common resume format you can consider is the hybrid/combination resume. This one combines the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats.

The layout of your resume either makes it hard or easy to read your resume. Every job seeker should strive to make their resume easy to read. Fonts like Georgia, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial, and Calibri are the best to use on your resume. A font size of 10-12pt is recommended.

The structure of your dental receptionist resume should have the following sections:

• The header section
• Professional summary/objective
• Work experience
• Education section
• Skills section
• An additional section (Certifications, languages, awards/honors, and interests)

Start With The Header Section And Contact Information

The first section of your resume should have your contact details and personal information. The hiring manager will need this information to contact you so ensure that the details are accurate. The details include:

• Your full name
• Job title
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Location
• A link to your LinkedIn profile.

A good header

CORRECT

Jennie Hale

Dental Receptionist

723-092-292

jenniehale@gmail.com

Minneapolis, MN

linkedin.com/in/jenniehale

A bad header

INCORRECT

Jennie Hale

Dental Receptionist

723-092-292

jenniehale@gmail.com

1925 Bryan Avenue

House number 23

Minneapolis, MN

Date of birth 02/02/1999

linkedin.com/in/jenniehale

Photo or No Photo?

A photo on your resume could work against you, so it's better to leave it out. However, if the recruiter asks you to send a photo, you should add one but ensure that it's professional.

How To Describe Your Work Experience as a Dental Receptionist?

If you've worked as a dental receptionist, use this section to summarize your work history. That doesn't mean you should leave this section blank if you don't have experience. You can add other professional experiences not related to the job and describe the transferable skills you gained that will be useful.

As you add your employment history, start with the name of the workplace, the job title, and the employment dates. Under each workplace, add three to five job duties, including keywords and action verbs, to optimize your resume.

Set yourself apart by quantifying your results with figures and facts. This helps to show the recruiter the value you could bring to the company. Also, always start with your most recent job and go backward.

Example for an entry-level dental receptionist resume

Example for experienced dental receptionists

Describe Your Educational Qualifications

Dental receptionist jobs may not require a bachelor's degree, but if you have one, you should add it to your resume. Most positions will require at least a high school diploma because you can learn on the job.

Under your education section, list the name of the degree/diploma, the name of the school, and the year of graduation.

When adding your education, always start with your most recent academic qualification. This section significantly sets you apart from other candidates, especially if you don't have much experience.

Correct example

High School Diploma

Park Center High School

2016

How To List Your Skills for Dental Receptionists

The skills section allows you to highlight the unique abilities that make you the perfect candidate. Without the required skills, it's impossible to land a job.

It's essential to have both hard and soft skills. Check out our professional resume templates, which help you add these skills appropriately.

Hard skills are job specific and show your mastery and expertise as a dental receptionist. You may need to go to school to learn these skills, but you can also learn on the job. Soft skills are personal attributes that make it easy for you to interact with people at the workplace.

Here are some skills you should have on your professional dental receptionist resume.

Hard skills

• Office management
• Office
• Dental terminology
• Patient schedule management
• Dentrix proficiency
• Medical records management
• Credit and Collections
• Patient records gathering

Soft skills

• Detail-oriented
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Excellent customer service
• Organizational skills
• Customer Satisfaction
• Creative Problem Solving
• Multitasking skills

Write Your Professional Summary

The professional summary comes right after the header. It summarizes your top achievements and highlights your experience and best skills. The resume summary should be short, with two to four sentences, but catchy to get the recruiter's attention.

Correct example

CORRECT

Certified Dental Assistant with six years of experience assisting dentists to schedule appointments, handle incoming calls, and register new patients when they visit the clinic. Adept at quickly responding to patient issues to relieve their pain or discomfort. Proven proficiency in administrative tasks, including charting, managing patient records, and informing patients of their appointments, increasing customer loyalty by 15%.

Incorrect example

INCORRECT

Professional Dental Hygienist with a reputation for reassuring patients and calming their fears. Proficient at scheduling appointments and assisting the dentist.

What is a Resume Objective?

A professional/resume objective does the same job as a resume summary but is suitable for candidates who don't have much experience. Recent graduates and career changers use this to introduce their resumes and convince the hiring manager to continue reading the rest of the resume. Highlight your goals and show the recruiter how they align with the organization's goals. Also, express your interest in working for the company in this section.

Correct example

CORRECT

Enthusiastic Dental Receptionist eager to launch a career. Expert in executing clerical tasks, including scheduling patient appointments, processing payments, and filing patient records. Enthusiastic team worker with the ability to build strong relationships with colleagues. Dedicated to increasing patient loyalty and customer satisfaction at Regency Dental Clinic.

Additional Section for Your Dental Receptionist Resume

Most candidates in this field have the same qualifications, so you must find something to set yourself apart. The best way to do this is by having an additional section on your resume where you'll highlight the skills and extra qualifications that you don't want the recruiter to miss.

Having these qualifications in a separate section makes it easier for the hiring manager to see them on the resume.

Here are some of the sections you can consider for your resume.

Computer Skills and Certifications

Dental receptionists need to enter patient records into the database, so they'll require basic computer skills. This qualification could be the one that helps you get the job, so you don't want your potential employer to miss it. Add your computer skills in this section to make them more visible and clear.

One of the major advantages of working as a dental receptionist is that you can learn on the job and may not need a degree when you're starting. However, if you have a certification, it can give you an edge over your competitors. List all your certifications here to make them more visible. Some of the certifications that will help you stand out include:

• Certificate in Dental Reception
• Dental Office Manager Certification
• Certified Medical Officer Manager

Interests

Some candidates are very unsure about this section, but multiple employers are interested in knowing more about who you are outside work. It's always advisable to research the company you want to work for to get an idea of their culture. This will give you insight into the type of interests you should add to your resume.

Languages

• DELF for French
• Goethe Zertifikat or TestDaF for German
• SIELE for Spanish

Tips to Enhance Your Resume

• Using keywords and action verbs to optimize your resume sets your resume apart.
• Tailoring each resume to match the recruiter's requirements puts you ahead of your competitors.
• Refrain from using one job title for multiple applications.
• Keep your resume short and focus on your most relevant qualifications.
• Choose the right resume format and layout.
• Read through your resume to ensure that it has no errors.

Summary: Key Takeaways

• A header should have your accurate contact information and personal details.
• Start your resume with a professional summary/objective that gets the recruiter's attention.
• Detail your work history by adding your tasks and the results you achieved to show the value you bring to your new job.
• Always add your academic background in the education section.
• Use the skills section to list your unique abilities in the bullet-point form to make them easy to scan on ATS systems.
• An additional section is essential as it helps you highlight your extra qualifications.

Write A Cover Letter To Complement Your Resume

A cover letter is a document that describes your qualifications in more detail, allowing you to showcase your personality and writing skills. Every job application should have a cover letter and a resume unless the recruiter states they don't need one. Here are our cover letter examples that you can check out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which top companies are hiring dental receptionists?

According to Glassdoor, the companies hiring dental receptionists include:

• DRsMesh, P. C.
• Mint Kisco Dental
• Healthy Smiles Dental Center
• Children's Dentistry of Pocatello
• JAMES ESSELMAN DDS
• Westar Dental
• Sedation Dentistry of Fort Wayne
• Unlock The PPO

Which are some of the careers in the dental field?

• Dental Assistants
• Dental Hygienists
• Dental Laboratory Technicians
• General Dentist
• Orthodontist
• Periodontist
• Oral Surgeon