Table of Contents
Disclaimer: This content is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented. We are not liable for any actions taken based on this content. For specific issues or decisions, we recommend seeking professional advice.
Introduction
Dentists and dental hygienists are two of the most important players in the dental health industry. They work together to make sure your teeth stay clean, healthy, and strong for many years to come. But what’s the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist? Let’s explore.
Dentist
The primary difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist is their level of education. A dentist has a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree, while a dental hygienist has an associate’s degree or certificate from a community college.
While both types of professionals work in the field of dentistry, they have different roles within the practice. Dentists like Australian Dental Specialists perform surgical procedures, diagnoses problems, and treat patients with fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, and dentures. In addition to these services, dentists also provide preventative care such as teeth cleaning and fluoride treatments.
A dentist’s job description typically includes conducting routine exams, performing fillings and extractions, doing root canal therapy, placing dental implants, and making dentures and crowns. Dentists, also known as oral surgeons, where can have their own clinic like this dental clinic Tarneit . They can help you with all types of dental problems. They can perform a root canal to treat a tooth infection, fix an overbite or underbite, or even remove wisdom teeth.
Dental Hygienist
The first step to becoming a dental hygienist is completing an associate degree program at an accredited college or university. While there are only two years of full-time coursework, the curriculum is very demanding and requires a high level of commitment to succeed.
After completing your studies, you’ll need to pass both state board exams and national certification exams (which vary by state). The average salary for dental hygienists in 2016 was $72,390 per year nationwide.
Dental hygienists work directly with patients and offer preventive care such as teeth cleaning with steriliser and scaling. They also educate patients about oral health issues such as flossing, proper diet, brushing techniques, etc., which helps prevent future problems like cavities or periodontal disease (diseases affecting the gums). Dental hygienists also perform other clinical duties such as taking X-rays or performing oral suction during surgery procedures—but only under direct supervision from a dentist who has been trained in those areas!
Education
Both the dentist and the dental hygienist are required to go through four years of formal study at an accredited school. After graduation, both professions need to pass a written exam to become licensed in their state. However, this is where the similarities end:
Dentists must also complete a clinical exam that tests their actual skills in diagnosing and treating patients with oral disease. Hygienists only have to take an ethics course before they can practice professionally in most states (although they may be required by some employers).
Training
As you might expect, doctors have more schooling than dental hygienists. Dentists typically receive four years of undergraduate training, followed by four years at dental school. Dental hygienists often attend college for two or three years and then complete a two-year degree program that includes clinical rotations at healthcare centers.
In addition to their training as dentists, some physicians opt to take further courses to become specialists. In the United States, it takes an average of 10 years after receiving a bachelor’s degree before you can become a general dentist (with no additional training). Specialty practices such as periodontics or orthodontics require additional postgraduate schooling and certification.*
Responsibilities
If you’re wondering what it means to be a dentist or dental hygienist, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll break down the responsibilities of each job and compare them side by side so that you can decide which career path is best for your needs.
As a dentist: diagnose and treat dental problems; perform surgeries; provide advice on oral hygiene and diet.
As a Dental Hygienist: clean teeth, remove plaque and tartar
Specializations
Dentists can specialize in orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics, and pediatrics. Dental hygienists can specialize in pediatric dentistry, periodontics, or oral surgery.
To become a dentist, you must attend 4 years of dental school and pass written and clinical exams. A dental hygienist has 2-3 years of schooling and is licensed to clean teeth and take x-rays.
Dentists are licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication . Dental hygienists do not have that license; instead, they are only allowed to clean teeth, take x-rays and apply fluoride treatments.
To become a dentist, you must attend 4 years of dental school and pass written and clinical exams. A dental hygienist has 2-3 years of schooling and is licensed to clean teeth and take x-rays. To become a dental hygienist you need an associate degree or diploma program in dental hygiene that lasts two years, after which time you will be eligible for licensing exams (you’ll also need some clinical experience).
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of similarities between dentists and dental hygienists. Both help patients with their oral health, but they go about this in different ways. You may be wondering what the best option is for your career path. It’s important to think about what type of work environment will suit you best, as well as how much time each profession requires from its practitioners. We hope that reading through this article carefully and taking notes on everything we’ve said here today, will help guide you toward making informed decisions about which career path will work best for them.
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