Dental nurse vs dentist

The differences between dental nurses and dentists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dentist has an average salary of $147,415, 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 dentist are patients, diagnosis, and DDS.

Dental nurse vs dentist overview

	Dental Nurse	Dentist
Yearly salary	$81,113	$147,415
Hourly rate	$39.00	$70.87
Growth rate	8%	6%
Number of jobs	35,787	8,570
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	38	46
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 dentist do?

Dentists are physicians specializing in oral health. The main responsibilities of dentists are to diagnose oral diseases and treat them with the help of different equipment and technologies. They manage to provide several services like tooth repair, cavities removal, teeth whitening, fillings, crowns, bridges, and even surgical procedures. They also help promote oral care by participating in community outreach and awareness programs. Sometimes, they would also conduct lectures and seminars for preventive education.

Dental nurse vs dentist salary

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

	Dental Nurse	Dentist
Average salary	$81,113	$147,415
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $127,000	Between $99,000 And $218,000
Highest paying City	-	Lynn, MA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	The Primary Health Network
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between dental nurse and dentist education

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

	Dental Nurse	Dentist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Nursing	Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common college	-	University of Southern California

Dental nurse vs dentist demographics

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

	Dental Nurse	Dentist
Average age	38	46
Gender ratio	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
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, 3.1% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 22.0% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	12%

Differences between dental nurse and dentist 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.

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Dentist example responsibilities.

Manage HMO and indemnity dental insurances.
Manage early and moderate periodontal disease, evaluate the results of periodontal treatment and establish maintenance program.
Experience with Medicaid, HMO, and PPO dental insurance plans.
Shadow Dr. Victor Avis, DDS in all dental procedures and assist in routine and surgical oral surgeries.
Provide dental service mostly to Medicaid patient.
Full mouth prophyllaxis, assisting flap surgery, frenectomy.

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Dental nurse vs dentist skills

Common dental nurse skills

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

Common dentist skills

Patients, 27%
Diagnosis, 9%
DDS, 8%
Work Ethic, 8%
Dentures, 4%
Treatment Planning, 4%

Dental Nurse vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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