What S The Difference Between Dental Assistant And Dental Hygienist

A hygienist has a less supervised role and often works one on one with patients.

Dental assistants directly assist dentists more than hygienists do often acting as a second pair of hands. However there are important distinctions between the two. Dental assistants often work as an immediate aide to a dentist while dental hygienists often work one on one with patients. Dental hygienists are most often concerned with preventative dental health and the treatment of the early stages of gum disease.

Their wages are also very different. 4 dental hygienists focus particular attention on providing preventive care doing health teaching and handling the periodontal charting. Looking at the dental assistant salary vs dental hygienist there s something of a difference there. 2 dental hygienists have more comprehensive educational and licensing requirements compared to the case of dental assistants.

If you are planning to enter either career field you should understand the differences between a dental assistant and dental hygienist before you choose. Following graduation an aspiring dental hygienist must pass a written and clinical exam to receive a state license. Education requirements vary by state. You need more education and training to become a hygienist than you do to work as a dental assistant.

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Dental assistants require less training but also earn significantly less than dental hygienists do. To those outside the dental industry a dental assistant and a dental hygienist seem interchangeable. Dental assistants tend to perform more administrative duties to assist dentists while dental hygienists work directly with patients to help clean their teeth prior to dental exams. In addition between the two areas there are differences in salary and schooling as well as level of interaction with patients.

Dental assistants can expect to earn around 38 000 per year while hygienists tend to earn almost twice that amount. Hygienists spend more one on one time with patients. 3 the majority of dental hygienists earn more than dental assistants. What s the difference between dental assistant and dental hygienist.

Some dental hygienists eventually earn a bachelor s or even a master s degree. Dental hygienists for instance earn significantly higher wages than dental assistants.