Post job

Lead dental assistant vs dental officer

The differences between lead dental assistants and dental officers 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 officer. Additionally, a dental officer has an average salary of $88,980, 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 officer are patients, oral surgery, and dentures.

Lead dental assistant vs dental officer overview

Lead Dental AssistantDental Officer
Yearly salary$41,290$88,980
Hourly rate$19.85$42.78
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs31,58877,189
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 24%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age3838
Years of experience22

Lead dental assistant vs dental officer salary

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

Lead Dental AssistantDental Officer
Average salary$41,290$88,980
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $57,000Between $60,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between lead dental assistant and dental officer education

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

Lead Dental AssistantDental Officer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 24%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorDental AssistingAdvanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common college--

Lead dental assistant vs dental officer demographics

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

Lead Dental AssistantDental Officer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 9.2% Female, 90.8%Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 10.2% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between lead dental assistant and dental officer 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).
  • Show more

Dental officer example responsibilities.

  • Provide comprehensive dental care for diverse patients
  • Admit patients and attend to their in-patient dental emergencies
  • Assist in oral surgery under local and twilight anesthesia in a private practice setting.Primary IV starter and administer anesthetics on command.
  • Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and operate resuscitation equipment.

Lead dental assistant vs dental officer skills

Common lead dental assistant skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Infection Control, 7%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • OSHA, 5%
  • Dental Procedures, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
Common dental officer skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Oral Surgery, 13%
  • Dentures, 12%
  • Dental Program, 9%
  • Infection Control, 6%
  • Dental Services, 5%

Browse healthcare support jobs