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The differences between certified dental assistants and dental nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a certified dental assistant and a dental nurse. Additionally, a dental nurse has an average salary of $81,113, which is higher than the $38,418 average annual salary of a certified dental assistant.
The top three skills for a certified dental assistant include patients, dental procedures and CPR. The most important skills for a dental nurse are patients, oral surgery, and surgical procedures.
Certified dental assistants and dental nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Dental Assistant | Dental Nurse | |
| Average salary | $38,418 | $81,113 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $51,000 | Between $51,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a certified dental assistant and a dental nurse in terms of educational background:
| Certified Dental Assistant | Dental Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between certified dental assistants' and dental nurses' demographics:
| Certified Dental Assistant | Dental Nurse | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |