Is There a Difference Between a Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist?
They both play support roles in dental offices, but dental assistants and dental hygienists are different.
Dental Assistant or Dental Hygienist?
To those outside the dental industry, a dental assistant and a dental hygienist seem interchangable. However, there are important distinctions between the two. If you are planning to enter either career field, you should understand the differences between a dental assistant and dental hygienist before you choose. You'll find that your job duties vary, as does the required education and training you'll need to undertake.
Dental Assistants
What you'll do: Dental assistants are typically responsible for the following tasks:
- Working closely with patients before, during and after procedures
- Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
- Taking and developing x-rays
- Preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
- Taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
- Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies
- Performing office management
Degree you'll need to practice: Certificate or diploma
Median annual salary: $27,400 – $39,920
Cities where jobs may be found: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Santa Ana, Phoenix
Dental Hygienists
What you'll do: In addition to some of the same duties as dental assistants, a dental hygienist often performs the following types of tasks:
- Collecting information about the patient's oral and medical health history
- Removing calculus, stains and plaque (hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth
- Making molds of patients' teeth used for evaluating treatment
- Charting patients' dental conditions for the dentist
- Applying fluorides and decay preventatives
- Administering local anesthetics
- Removing sutures and dressings
Degree you'll need: Associate's degree or bachelor's degree in dental hygiene
Median annual salary: $55,930 – $81,340
Cities where jobs may be found: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Minneapolis
Education Guide
Training & Certification
Time to completion and testing breakdown
School Accreditation
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Dental Assistant Degree Types
Certificate or associate's degree?
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Many schools and organizations offer financial aid.
Student Interview
What dental assisting courses are like.
Dental Assistant Schools
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Career Guide
About the Profession
Dental assisting job description.
Salary Information
Wages vary in different areas. The average hourly...
Work Environment
Dental assisting can be done in a variety of different...
Dental Assistant vs. Dental Hygienist
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Résumé Tips
Get tips for writing your dental assistant resume.
Professional Interview
First-hand account of what it's like to be a dental assistant.
Glossary of Professional Terms
The terms of the trade are easy once you understand..