Pediatric dentist vs associate dentist

The differences between pediatric dentists and associate dentists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pediatric dentist has an average salary of $166,900, which is higher than the $148,530 average annual salary of an associate dentist.

The top three skills for a pediatric dentist include patients, patient care and diagnosis. The most important skills for an associate dentist are patients, DDS, and oral health.

Pediatric dentist vs associate dentist overview

	Pediatric Dentist	Associate Dentist
Yearly salary	$166,900	$148,530
Hourly rate	$80.24	$71.41
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	30,550	7,961
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Doctoral Degree, 49%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

What does a pediatric dentist do?

A pediatric dentist is responsible for taking care of children and infant's dental needs and concerns. Pediatric dentists maintain the patients' oral health, monitor their conditions, and schedule regular dental checkups. They also inspect and diagnose early dental problems and perform dental operations according to the patients' problem areas. A pediatric dentist must have excellent knowledge of the dental practices and processes, as well as having excellent communication skills to advise the children's parents and guardians of dental health techniques.

What does an associate dentist do?

An Associate Dentist helps the dentist carry out dental duties effectively and efficiently. They also help design plans for the treatment of the patients, provide anesthesia, and schedule patients appointments.

Pediatric dentist vs associate dentist salary

Pediatric dentists and associate dentists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pediatric Dentist	Associate Dentist
Average salary	$166,900	$148,530
Salary range	Between $99,000 And $280,000	Between $99,000 And $221,000
Highest paying City	Danbury, CT	Danvers, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Arthur's Enterprises, Inc.	Paris
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between pediatric dentist and associate dentist education

There are a few differences between a pediatric dentist and an associate dentist in terms of educational background:

	Pediatric Dentist	Associate Dentist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Doctoral Degree, 49%
Most common major	Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences	Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Pediatric dentist vs associate dentist demographics

Here are the differences between pediatric dentists' and associate dentists' demographics:

	Pediatric Dentist	Associate Dentist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 17.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 26.7% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between pediatric dentist and associate dentist duties and responsibilities

Pediatric dentist example responsibilities.

Manage early and moderate periodontal disease, evaluate the results of periodontal treatment and establish maintenance program.
Verify insurance and authorization for medical treatment of patients as needed.
Register new patients, loading demographic information and collecting patient balances.
Manage early and moderate periodontal disease, evaluate the results of periodontal treatment and establish maintenance program.
Train as a cerec dentist completing same day crowns, inlays and onlays.
Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications.

Associate dentist example responsibilities.

Provide and manage direct patient care, including examinations, evaluations, diagnosis and treatment for practice's diverse patient population.
Perform quality patient care in a busy Medicaid and insurance practice including root canals, crowns, dentures, and extractions
Diagnose and provide treatment for mostly Medicaid patients.
Use Dentrix and Dexis software on a daily basis.
Fast pace office that serve a large percentage of Medicaid insure pediatric population.
Provide patient care in all aspects of general dentistry including tasks like filling, tooth extraction, and setting artificial dentures.

Pediatric dentist vs associate dentist skills

Common pediatric dentist skills

Patients, 60%
Patient Care, 18%
Diagnosis, 4%
Infection Control, 3%
Insurance Coverage, 2%
Treatment Options, 2%

Common associate dentist skills

Patients, 58%
DDS, 14%
Oral Health, 8%
Aspen, 4%
Dental Services, 4%
Dentures, 3%

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Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric Dentist vs Associate Dentist

Updated January 8, 2025

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