Dentist vs hygienist

The differences between dentists and hygienists 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 $83,134 average annual salary of a hygienist.

The top three skills for a dentist include patients, diagnosis and DDS. The most important skills for a hygienist are patients, oral health, and patient education.

Dentist vs hygienist overview

	Dentist	Hygienist
Yearly salary	$147,415	$83,134
Hourly rate	$70.87	$39.97
Growth rate	6%	11%
Number of jobs	8,570	13,991
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 58%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	-	-

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.

What does a hygienist do?

The Hygienist is a specialist in the promotion of clean conditions for the preservation of health. They work in various environments, from factories and building sites to offices.

Dentist vs hygienist salary

Dentists and hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dentist	Hygienist
Average salary	$147,415	$83,134
Salary range	Between $99,000 And $218,000	Between $59,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	Lynn, MA	Petaluma, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Rhode Island
Best paying company	The Primary Health Network	Private Practice
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between dentist and hygienist education

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

	Dentist	Hygienist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 58%
Most common major	Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences	Dental Assisting
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Dentist vs hygienist demographics

Here are the differences between dentists' and hygienists' demographics:

	Dentist	Hygienist
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	7%

Differences between dentist and hygienist duties and responsibilities

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.

Hygienist example responsibilities.

Manage construction and demolition nationwide.
Perform oral prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance therapy for adult and geriatric patients with active periodontal disease.
Provide oral prophylactics and scaling and root planing on adults.
Perform oral prophylaxis, root planing, and soft tissue management.
Participate in several OSHA inspections for field and plants location from employee complaints.
Accelerate patient care includes prophylaxis, radiographs, SRP, anesthesia and fluoride.

Dentist vs hygienist skills

Common dentist skills

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

Common hygienist skills

Patients, 43%
Oral Health, 9%
Patient Education, 6%
Clinical Findings, 6%
Planing, 5%
Aspen, 5%

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Dentist vs Hygienist

Updated January 8, 2025

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