Lead dental assistant vs dental nurse

The differences between lead 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 lead dental assistant and a dental nurse. Additionally, a dental nurse has an average salary of $81,113, which is higher than the $41,290 average annual salary of a lead dental assistant.

The top three skills for a lead dental assistant include patients, infection control and patient care. The most important skills for a dental nurse are patients, oral surgery, and surgical procedures.

Lead dental assistant vs dental nurse overview

	Lead Dental Assistant	Dental Nurse
Yearly salary	$41,290	$81,113
Hourly rate	$19.85	$39.00
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	31,588	35,787
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Lead dental assistant vs dental nurse salary

Lead dental assistants and dental nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Dental Assistant	Dental Nurse
Average salary	$41,290	$81,113
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $57,000	Between $51,000 And $127,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between lead dental assistant and dental nurse education

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

	Lead Dental Assistant	Dental Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Dental Assisting	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Lead dental assistant vs dental nurse demographics

Here are the differences between lead dental assistants' and dental nurses' demographics:

	Lead Dental Assistant	Dental Nurse
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.7% Asian, 8.0% White, 52.9% 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%

Differences between lead dental assistant and dental nurse duties and responsibilities

Lead dental assistant example responsibilities.

Provide oral care instruction to patients according to surgery or alternate dental procedures.
Provide exceptional oral hygiene care under supervision to a variety of patients in addition to assign clerical duties.
Certify as an instructor for CPR.
Demonstrate compliance in coordinating CPR training for staff.
Maintain dental records in accordance with HIPPA policy.
Enter patient information into computer system (PBS ENDO).

Dental nurse example responsibilities.

Help dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply.
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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.

Lead dental assistant vs dental nurse skills

Common lead dental assistant skills

Patients, 25%
Infection Control, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Dental Procedures, 4%
CPR, 4%

Common dental nurse skills

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