Dental Receptionist Resume Example & Writing Guide

When it comes to helping patients achieve their perfect smile, dental receptionists are an integral part of the process. Scheduling appointments, filing charts and making sure the office is pleasant and functional are just some of a receptionist’s daily duties. 

The growing need for dental healthcare is one of the reasons dental receptionists are increasing in demand. In this position, you play the critical link between dentists and their patients. If you love working with people and making them smile (literally), then a dental receptionist job could be just the position for you. But to get there, you’ll need one critical document: a great resume.

This guide, along with our dental receptionist resume sample, will cover the following topics:

• The duties of a dental receptionist
• The key elements of a great dental receptionist resume sample
• How to land a dental receptionist job with no experience
• Formatting tips from a great dental receptionist resume example

Resume.io is a resource for job seekers of all ages and experience levels. We hope our 300+ resume examples will help you craft the perfect resume that sets you up for success in all your professional endeavors. 

What does a dental receptionist do?

Dental receptionists work in a similar capacity to many other types of receptionists, although their duties focus primarily on the needs of dentists and their patients. Some of these tasks include:

• Answering office phone lines to answer patient questions
• Using software to manage the dentist’s schedule
• Adding, changing and canceling patient appointments
• Handling paperwork needed to accept new clients
• Sending and receiving tests, charts and equipment
• Process payments and submit claims to insurance companies
• Organizing office space to make it a pleasant experience for patients

Creating positive interactions with patients and staff is one of the key duties for any dental receptionist. In this role, you are the face of the office, so approaching each day with a positive attitude and cheery disposition is one of the best things you can do to succeed in the role.

How to write a dental receptionist resume

A dental receptionist resume should show why you’re the full package – someone who’s just as comfortable greeting patients as they are accurately recording medical data and billing insurance companies. Above all, your resume should convey a friendly tone and the right disposition for the office environment.

On our dental receptionist resume example, you’ll key sections that should be included in any resume for this role, including:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

These sections are found on resumes across the medical field because they make it easy for a hiring manager or office manager to quickly look over your experience and skills. In a fairly formal field like dentistry, it’s best to stick with the expected section names. While more creative labels might seem like a good way to stand out, they can confuse a hiring manager. Check out our formatting section later on for tips on how to create a resume that commands attention.

Choosing the best resume format for dental receptionists

Dental receptionists with some experience generally want to stick with the most traditional of resume formats: the reverse chronological. In this format, your most recent (or current) position comes at the top of your employment history section. Work backwards until you’ve listed all relevant positions. 

Reverse chronological is useful for experienced dental receptionists because it allows them to showcase the experience they’ve gained on the job, however, it’s not the only resume format available to you. 

If you’ve never worked as a dental receptionist before (for example, if you are switching into it from another career) then a combination resume format may be a better option. This structure begins with an experience section that shows off your skills relevant to the dental receptionist position without giving a date or workplace for them. Later on your resume, you can include a more traditional employment history section that captures some of your previous experience even if it’s in a different field.

Dental receptionist CV summary example

A great dental receptionist CV should contain a summary that’s lively and enthusiastic. This is one of the only places where you’ll get to show off a bit of personality on your CV so it’s important to make sure it shines. This CV section is made up of 3-5 sentences that highlight your relevant experience, skills and accomplishments. If you have any sort of key training or coursework, make sure to make note of it here. 

Avoid including too many details that could weigh down your summary. The goal is to create a paragraph that differentiates you and entices a hiring manager to read further where they can find all the details of your education and employment history.

Check out this adaptable summary from our dental receptionist resume example:

Employment history sample

If you have previous experience as a dental receptionist, the employment history section will be a vital part of your resume. Underneath each job title, make sure to include the office name, location and dates worked. You can create 4-5 bullet points below each job title in order to expand on your job duties. The employment history section is the best place to include skills that take more than one or two words to describe. Make sure to include action verbs, facts and figures to back up your accomplishments.

If you haven’t worked as a dental receptionist before, use your employment history section to highlight transferable skills – abilities that will carry over from your previous work into the dental receptionist role. Feel free to leave off any positions that cannot be linked to dental receptionist work, unless they would leave large gaps in your employment history section.

Here’s the employment history section of our dental receptionist resume sample:

Resume skills example

While the skills section covers some of the same territory as the previous section, its bullet-point format makes it better for qualities that require only a few words to describe. The skills section is the place to hit home your most relevant abilities and fit in any keywords mentioned in the job description. Software programs and dental-related knowledge are key pieces of information to include, but you should also make sure to sprinkle in a few soft skills like communication, punctuality or attention to detail.

Here is the skills section from our dental receptionist resume example for more insight:

Dental receptionist resume education example

The education section on a dental receptionist resume sample is the place to list all your relevant degrees, coursework or training. If you hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, you can leave off your high school diploma. 

Since many dental receptionist duties are learned on the job, you don’t need a higher degree to land the position. However, any membership organizations, classes or other achievements that show your interest in the field can help make your resume more competitive against other entry-level candidates.

Check out the education example from our dental receptionist resume sample:

Resume layout and design

A great resume layout is one of the first things a hiring manager will notice when sorting through a stack of applications. Your layout serves several key purposes in helping to land you the role: it conveys your personal style, professionalism, interest in the position and attention to detail.

The best resume layout should have a header that highlights your name and contact information. This is one of the few places you can add a touch of color or more creative font to your resume. Your header should contain all the necessary information without feeling too crowded (or taking away too much space from the rest of your resume!)

Key takeaways for a dental receptionist resume

1. A dental receptionist resume is a key document that can help you land a position in this rapidly growing field.
2. Make sure to create a summary that exudes energy for the role and offers just enough detail while encouraging the hiring manager to keep reading.
3. If you have some experience, a reverse chronological resume format is the best way to go as it allows you to describe skills learned in previous positions.
4. The best skills sections have a strong balance of people-skills and more technical abilities. Check out our resume sample for an example of this.
5. A professional header might just be the element that sets you apart. Resume.io can help you create a polished presentation that highlights your strengths.

We hope this dental receptionist resume example and guide has helped you craft your own application. For even more tips on finding jobs, creating the perfect resume format or acing the interview, check out our collection of resources at Resume.io.