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Difference between Dental Hygienist and Dentist
by
Timothy Burley
Dentistry and dental hygiene are both health care professions that focus on the well-being of teeth, gums, tongue, and other concerns on the oral cavity. The two careers require extensive supplementary education and training beyond secondary education, which is high school, and both also require a professional license to work legally. However, dentists and dental hygienists have significant differences in many aspects, such as the length and complexity of education and training required, the average salary they typically receive, the duties and responsibilities they usually perform, and the degree of authorization they are granted by the state dental board.
A dental hygienist training program usually takes two years to accomplish, though bachelor s and master s degree programs for the profession exist. Most dental hygienists are granted an associate degree once they compete their training in the field.
On the other hand, dentists are generally required to complete a bachelor s degree before entering any dental schools. The bachelor s degree may be obtained in a pre-dental program, though this is not strictly a requirement. However, to be accepted in most dental schools, the student must complete several specific classes, mostly in sciences and mathematics. Then he must take a Dental Admissions Test and must pursue to have a license to practice dentistry.
Working conditions are quite different for dentists and dental hygienists. Most dentists are small business owners operating a dental clinic with a small dental staff to receive patients. Dental hygienists are usually part of the dentist s staff and must work with a supervising
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has. Dentists usually work from thirty five to thirty hours a week. In contrast, many dental hygienists work in part-time schemes. Dentist usually earns twice or thrice the income a dental hygienist can, but both professions are well-paid.
Also, dental hygienists duties focus more on preventative treatments, while dentist a
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can perform both preventative and surgical operations. Dental hygienists are not authorized to prescribe medications unlike licensed dentists, but can administer anesthetics in some cases.
Although there are many significant differences between the two professions, dentistry and dental hygiene are complementary to each other. A
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Visit www.thestpetersburgdentist.com for more details.
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