What's the difference between dental assistant and a dental hygiene?

Hi Andrea!

A dental hygienist is licensed by the state (in which they live) after 3-4 years of schooling to provide oral health prevention through clinical means (scaling and polishing) teeth, apply fluoride, sealants. This license must be renewed every few years (based on state) with dozens of hours of continuing education required. Depending on the state, the dental hygienist can practice independently, through collaboration with a dentist, off site. A dental assistant can be certified or registered based on her training, will work chair-side with the dentist providing care, usually during treatment of oral diseased teeth and oral cavity. A dental assistant helps to fill out charts, take impressions, (if certified) X-rays, keep instruments sterile, provide education to patient on dental treatment needs. The dental assistant is not registered with the state and isn't required to attend continuing education classes during their working career.

There are so many job responsibilities for both.

I have been both a dental assistant and am currently a dental hygienist. I enjoy both aspects of dentistry. As a whole, I love educating my patients on how to strive to have a healthy mouth, maintain it and make it beautiful. As the mouth is the beginning of internal systemic health, I love to help people understand that relationship between mouth and body are a single unit and not separate. Taking care of the mouth is taking care of the body!

If you have any other specific questions, I would be happy to answer them for you.