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Oral surgery assistant vs surgical dental assistant

The differences between oral surgery assistants and surgical 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 an oral surgery assistant and a surgical dental assistant. Additionally, an oral surgery assistant has an average salary of $44,205, which is higher than the $40,006 average annual salary of a surgical dental assistant.

The top three skills for an oral surgery assistant include patients, infection control and patient care. The most important skills for a surgical dental assistant are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Oral surgery assistant vs surgical dental assistant overview

Oral Surgery AssistantSurgical Dental Assistant
Yearly salary$44,205$40,006
Hourly rate$21.25$19.23
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs19,85852,478
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 28%Associate Degree, 32%
Average age3838
Years of experience22

Oral surgery assistant vs surgical dental assistant salary

Oral surgery assistants and surgical dental assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Oral Surgery AssistantSurgical Dental Assistant
Average salary$44,205$40,006
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $77,000Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between oral surgery assistant and surgical dental assistant education

There are a few differences between an oral surgery assistant and a surgical dental assistant in terms of educational background:

Oral Surgery AssistantSurgical Dental Assistant
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 28%Associate Degree, 32%
Most common majorDental AssistingDental Assisting
Most common college--

Oral surgery assistant vs surgical dental assistant demographics

Here are the differences between oral surgery assistants' and surgical dental assistants' demographics:

Oral Surgery AssistantSurgical Dental Assistant
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 11.1% Female, 88.9%Male, 8.7% Female, 91.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 8.4% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 7.4% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between oral surgery assistant and surgical dental assistant duties and responsibilities

Oral surgery assistant example responsibilities.

  • Assist in intravenous sedation, prepare syringes with proper medication, placement of EKG leads, record and monitor during procedures.
  • Provide postoperative care with anesthesia patients monitoring vital signs until patient is conscious; establish patient comfort and review prescribe medications.
  • Maintain HIPAA compliance through patient confidentiality.
  • Train how to assist Dr, in surgery.
  • Set up and sterilization of instrumentation, making sure OSHA standards and high standards of the practice are met.
  • Anticipate surgeons' needs, pass instruments, cuts, sutures, hold retractors, obtain and process tissue samples.
  • Show more

Surgical dental assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage medical records and document examination notes, prescriptions, and procedure details in EMR.
  • Train as an anesthesia technician and certify in CPR.
  • Assist dentist in prophylactic procedures: provide necessary tools, sterilize equipment, comfort patients.
  • Bill major insurance providers using ADA codes and process incoming payments from insure and non-insure patients and insurance providers.
  • Assist in oral surgery under local and twilight anesthesia in a private practice setting.Primary IV starter and administer anesthetics on command.
  • Place catheters and IVs for procedures.
  • Show more

Oral surgery assistant vs surgical dental assistant skills

Common oral surgery assistant skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • Infection Control, 16%
  • Patient Care, 13%
  • Dental Care, 7%
  • Chair Side, 7%
  • Root Canals, 4%
Common surgical dental assistant skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • CPR, 9%
  • IV, 9%
  • Infection Control Procedures, 8%
  • Surgical Procedures, 6%

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