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What is the difference in a dental hygienist and orthodontics?

I am a junior in high school and I want to be a dentist, but I want to know what are the difference in certain types of dentistry. #dentistry #careers #dental-hygienist #dental #orthodontics

careers dentistry dental dental-hygienist orthodontics
Thank you comment icon a dental hygienist primarily focuses on preventive oral care, such as cleanings and educating patients on oral hygiene, while orthodontists specialize in diagnosing and treating misalignments of the teeth and jaws using braces, aligners, and other corrective devices. Preya
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Holly’s Answer

Good Day to you Ann. I found this online. I hope this is of some help to you.
They do not do the same things as an orthodontia technician or an orthodontist? Assistant, and would need specialized training to do those duties.
There are more general dentists than orthodontist so the demand for hygienists may be higher.
Since a hygienist has more schooling, their salary would probably be greater.
Ortho assistants often take dental assisting courses. There are many, ranging from short 13-week courses to ones that take more time and are more detailed, to work as an just a dental technician. You can invest in a long standing career and be an orthodontist? Orthodontist takes years of college whereas a dental hygiene tech takes about 2 -4 years depending on the college that you will be attending. I had a friend who attended a post-secondary college for dental hygiene she has a great job making great money out the door. So this is possible. If you attend a four year college it will take you four years. If you go to a community college this will be you pre educational credits or prerequisite courses for a transfer to a four year college. You have many options and choices. All of them are good. Keep up the good work.
Thank you comment icon Thank you. This has helped me. Ann
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Steven’s Answer

Dental hygiene is a type of "dental auxilliary"--someone who is trained in some aspect of dentistry to assist the dentist in delivering dental services. The commonest practice setting for a hygienist is in a dental practice or other dental facility, where the hygienist examines patients, charts conditions, counsels patients, and cleans their teeth. They generally are trained in a 2-year program post-high school.
Dentists generally have graduated college with a baccalaureate-level degree, followed by usually 4 years of dental school. Some states may require additional training, even as a general dentist. Most specialties require 2 or 3 years of additional training after completing dental school. Orthodontia is only 1 of 9 recognized dental specialties. Generally, specialists limit their practice to their particular field. An outline of the recognized dental specialties can be found here:
http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/dental-specialties/specialty-definitions


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