Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between denture technicians and dental assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a denture technician and a dental assistant. Additionally, a denture technician has an average salary of $42,557, which is higher than the $37,730 average annual salary of a dental assistant.
The top three skills for a denture technician include dentures, relines and prosthetics. The most important skills for a dental assistant are patients, patient care, and CPR.
| Denture Technician | Dental Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,557 | $37,730 |
| Hourly rate | $20.46 | $18.14 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 6,414 | 69,835 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 23% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A denture technician specializes in molding and creating metal or non-metal dentures, crowns, and bridges. They typically use models of the patients' mouth as a basis and utilize computer-aided software to design dentures according to the patients' needs. Besides creating, they may also repair or re-adjust dentures and assist patients' by answering inquiries, explaining the extent of procedures, and offering other products and services. Furthermore, a denture technician can usually be found at dental offices, clinics, and even hospitals.
Dental assistants provide patient care, have the ability to take x-rays, blood pressure readings, and help dentists perform treatments and procedures. They also keep patients' dental records, schedule appointments, prepare and maintain materials and equipment. They may conduct tests that are not much complicated and would not require the supervision of a dentist or dental surgeon. They also may administer and dispense medications to patients under the doctor's orders. Most dental assistants work in dentists' offices as full time in dental practice, but they can specialize and get employment in orthodontic or periodontist offices and other practices.
Denture technicians and dental assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Denture Technician | Dental Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,557 | $37,730 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $67,000 | Between $28,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Saint Paul, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Alameda Health System |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a denture technician and a dental assistant in terms of educational background:
| Denture Technician | Dental Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 23% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | - |
Here are the differences between denture technicians' and dental assistants' demographics:
| Denture Technician | Dental Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% | Male, 11.5% Female, 88.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 9.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |