Dental nurse vs dental hygienist

The differences between dental nurses and dental hygienists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dental hygienist has an average salary of $88,432, which is higher than the $81,113 average annual salary of a dental nurse.

The top three skills for a dental nurse include patients, oral surgery and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a dental hygienist are patients, patient care, and CPR.

Dental nurse vs dental hygienist overview

	Dental Nurse	Dental Hygienist
Yearly salary	$81,113	$88,432
Hourly rate	$39.00	$42.52
Growth rate	8%	11%
Number of jobs	35,787	24,234
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 71%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	2	-

What does a dental nurse do?

A Dental Nurse assists dentists in carrying out different kinds of oral-care procedures. They look after patient records and make notes when the dentist is examining a patient.

What does a dental hygienist do?

Dental hygienists are professionals who provide preventative oral care under a dentist's supervision. They are concerned mostly in treating minor oral health conditions. They clean teeth, examine any signs of damage and oral diseases and provide dental recommendations and after-care treatment. They educate patients with proper oral hygiene and counseling about how good nutrition impacts oral health. They also teach them ways to improve and maintain good oral health.

Dental nurse vs dental hygienist salary

Dental nurses and dental hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dental Nurse	Dental Hygienist
Average salary	$81,113	$88,432
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $127,000	Between $56,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Bonita
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between dental nurse and dental hygienist education

There are a few differences between a dental nurse and a dental hygienist in terms of educational background:

	Dental Nurse	Dental Hygienist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 71%
Most common major	Nursing	Dental Assisting
Most common college	-	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Dental nurse vs dental hygienist demographics

Here are the differences between dental nurses' and dental hygienists' demographics:

	Dental Nurse	Dental Hygienist
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%	Male, 6.9% Female, 93.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between dental nurse and dental hygienist duties and responsibilities

Dental nurse example responsibilities.

Help dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply.
Box 106387, Riyadh 11666 KSA
Communicate appropriately and sensitively with patients who may be fearful, vulnerable, have sensitive concerns or have special needs i.e.
Educate patients on oral/dental hygiene, project office interests.
Complete documents for state fund Medicaid programs, admission into community nursing and group home facilities and other community resources available.
Perform chartings and BPE records.

Show more

Dental hygienist example responsibilities.

Assist dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification.
Assist front office with eligibility interviews and inputting information of future patients into Dentrix computer system.
Perform all the same duties as a dental hygienist under the supervision of a RDH.
Enter all services render, treatment plan and suggest into DENTRIX computer system; including clinical charting.
Develop a course plan, instruction materials, and curriculum goals for students as a didactic instructor for radiology.
Sterilize surgical instrument trays, set up and operate ultrasonice cleaners, maintain and operate autoclaves, assemble surgical trays.

Show more

Dental nurse vs dental hygienist skills

Common dental nurse skills

Patients, 44%
Oral Surgery, 11%
Surgical Procedures, 11%
Dental Procedures, 7%
Dental Clinic, 6%
Vital Signs, 4%

Common dental hygienist skills

Patients, 30%
Patient Care, 13%
CPR, 10%
Medical History, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Work Ethic, 4%

Dental Nurse vs. similar jobs

Dental Nurse related careers

Dental Nurse related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z