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What’s the Difference Between a Dental Assistant & Dental Hygienist?

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two dental professionals using tools on patients mouth

Written and reported by:
All Allied Health Schools Staff

To those outside the dental industry, a dental assistant and a dental hygienist seem interchangeable. 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.

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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: $44,820

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: $81,400

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022