Dental Assistant vs. Dental Hygienist: What’s the Difference?

A dentist will evaluate your teeth, fill cavities, do extractions, and perform various dental procedures. Other routine tasks, including cleaning your teeth, taking x-rays, and suctioning your mouth dry during the dental treatments, are done by other dental professionals – dental assistants and dental hygienists.

Patients may not know the difference, but dental hygienists and dental assistants are very different jobs. When comparing a dental assistant vs. a dental hygienist, they each perform a distinct, but important role and have different levels of training and experience.

What’s The Difference Between A Dental Hygienist & A Dental Assistant?

Dental Assistants

Dental assistants help the dentist care for the patients, and they may also perform administrative and office tasks. Some common responsibilities that dental assistants may have include:

Scheduling dental appointments for patients
Updating patient records and their billing insurance information
Ordering dental supplies for the offices
Escorting patients to the exam room and preparing them for the dentist
Setting up for the dental exam with a bib and cup of water for the patient
Sterilizing and putting out the dental tools for the dentist
Assisting the dentist during the exam by handing them the instruments and suctioning the patient’s mouth
Cleaning up the tools and patient’s chair after the exam
Taking impressions of patient’s teeth
Developing x-rays of the patient’s mouth
Applying fluoride and sealants on patients’ teeth, in some cases

Dental assistants interact a lot with the patients. In addition to being familiar with the dental treatments to help the dentist, they should have good interpersonal skills to make the patients feel comfortable. While it is true for anyone who deals with people, it is especially important in a dental office when some people can be anxious.

Education

The education and training for a dental assistant vary from state to state. In some locations, a dental assistant doesn’t need any formal training and can learn on the job. Other state laws may require a dental assistant to complete a certification program from the Dental Assisting National Board. Many dental offices and clinics require the assistants to know CPR.

Salary

The average salary for a dental assistant is about $41,000 a year, or a little under $20 an hour.

Dental Hygienists

Dental hygienists are formally educated and trained to perform specialized dental tasks. While a dental assistant cares for a patient under the dentist’s supervision, a dental hygienist can treat a patient on their own. For an annual cleaning and dental checkup, you may see just the dental hygienist. They will refer you to the dentist if they think you need treatment, such as for a cavity.

Dental hygienists usually take care of the following in dental offices:

Clean the patient’s teeth and remove plaque using specialized instruments
Check the patient’s mouth, gums, and teeth for visible signs of decay and evaluate their general oral health
Treat conditions like gingivitis
Take x-rays of the patient’s teeth
Transcribe patient oral health to their records
Consult with the dentist on the patient’s treatment
Administer anesthetics to patients before dental procedures
Remove patient’s stitches after oral surgery
Show patients how to better take care of their oral hygiene and proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Dental hygienists need to be fluent in oral care and be able to educate the patients on how to care for their teeth. As with other medical providers, they should stay up-to-date on the latest practices and technology in their fields.

Working as a hygienist can also be physically demanding. They may need to stand on their feet for hours and lean over into patients’ mouths for one appointment after another. At the same time, it can be a rewarding job to help improve a patient’s oral health.

Education

Dental hygienists, as opposed to some dental assistants, do need to attend school. Most DHs receive an Associate’s degree through a two-year program that is certified by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Salary

The average salary for a dental hygienist is about $77,000 a year, or approximately $37 an hour.