What is the difference between dental assistant & dental hygiene?
There are major differences between the 2 professions. A Dental Assistant can be trained on the job, pretty much anyone can do this job – you learn to clean and prepare instruments for use, and you assist the dentist during procedures (using the suction, etc.), and may take/develop xrays. There are DA programs, typically no more than 9 mos- 1yr in length. Some DA’s may have office tasks and some may have laboratory tasks in addition. Avg pay is $14/hr. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos163.htm A Dental Hygienist typically goes through a 2 year associate’s degree or a 4 yr bachelor’s program. These programs are highly competitive and require a great deal of commitment from the students. They learn extensive anatomy of the face, mouth, and teeth. They learn how to use the tools correctly to work on all types of mouths & patients. Once working in the field, they work independently from the dentist, one-on-one with their patients. Th
