Dental Hygienist Vs Dentist
What are the differences between Dentists & Dental Hygienists?
Whenever you visit your dentist for treatment or a routine dental checkup, that person that examines your teeth before sending you into the dentist’s office, is usually the dental hygienist. Hygienists are not only responsible for listening to your dental problems but they will also record the status of your existing teeth and oral health, so that it can be conveyed to the dentist prior to your treatment.
Being a dental hygienist not only requires being an excellent and compassionate healthcare professional, but it also requires you to be a superb administrator and most importantly, a team player! While both the dentists and dental hygienists play an equally important role in looking after your oral health, their roles and responsibilities are quite different.
What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?
Have you ever thought to yourself, "What does a Dental Hygienist do?" You can consider a dental hygienist as the “superwoman/superman” of a dental office. They are there to make sure that the everything goes smoothly in a dental office. Also, since dentists are usually too busy to take care of everything, they delegate some of their responsibilities to their dental hygienists. The following makes up the typical day in the life of a dental hygienist:
- Administrative Duties – the smooth administrative functioning of a dental office is the responsibility of dental hygienists. They are often responsible for maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments of patients and making sure that they don’t have to sit in the waiting room for a long time. In addition, dental hygienists are also tasked to ensure an uninterrupted availability of all the essential materials that are used in the dental office.
- Recording your Oral Health Status – before meeting the dentist, your dental hygienist will make a note of all the problems with your teeth and gums, so that the dentists need to spend less time in the diagnosis and spend more of it in providing quality treatment to their patients.
- Teeth Cleaning – Dental hygienists are also trained and authorized to clean your teeth, whenever it is required and they are instructed by their dentists. They will use an ultra-sonic hand-piece to remove tartar from your teeth and gums. Of course, they will only clean your teeth if the dentist feels the need to.
- Fluoride Treatment – another role of dental hygienists is to provide fluoride treatment to dental patients, which involves the application of fluoride gels and varnishes. The main aim behind fluoride treatment is to make our teeth less sensitive and more resistant to development of teeth cavities.
- Taking X-ray Images – before sending you into the dentist’s office, your dental hygienist will take x-rays of your diseased or broken teeth. These x-ray images will also help the hygienist in assessing the overall health of your teeth, gums and the jaw bone.
- Patient Education – if your dental hygienist feels that you or any on else in your family are not taking good care of your dental health, he or she will give you detailed instructions on how to brush and floss your teeth properly. In addition, you will also be educated about importance of looking after your diet in maintaining an excellent dental health.
Understanding the Role and Responsibilities of a Dentist
On the other hand, dentists mostly focus on the “therapeutic” side of the dental business. They take care of the following things:
- Teeth Fillings – your dentist will restore your crooked and stained teeth by filling them with a suitable filling material. The purpose of a filling is to remove the infected tooth structure and prevent further progression of cavities.
- Replacing your Missing Teeth – dentists will design suitable prostheses, such as dentures, bridges and implant supported prostheses to replace your missing teeth. These will not only help you in getting your smile back, but you also feel more comfortable while speaking and eating.
- Treatment of Dental Infections – dentists are also responsible for treating dental infections. If a tooth’s pulp has become irreversibly infected, a root canal treatment will be required to remove the infected soft tissue. Similarly, treatment of infected gums and periodontal ligament will require scaling, debridement and anti-biotic therapy.
- Orthodontic Treatment – another major role of dentists is to provide orthodontic treatment to those patients who have misaligned and crooked teeth. Teeth are straightened with the help of various functional, removable and fixed appliances.
- Extracting Teeth – despite your dentist’s best efforts to restore your teeth, sometimes they need to be extracted. Dentists are also trained in extracting teeth, either due to their hopeless prognosis or due for orthodontic purposes.
Differences in Qualifications & Education of a Dentist and a Dental Hygienist
Both dentists and dental hygienists are licensed healthcare providers. However, a dentist needs to study much longer than a dental hygienist. To become a dentist, you need to attain a Bachelor’s degree, followed by four years of training at a dental school. On the other hand, a dental hygienist only needs to attend a 2-year course to get certified and licensed in his or her respective state of residence.
Differences in Their Titles
After successfully passing out from a dental school, dentists become authorized to write the name of their dental degree (D.D.S or D.M.D) after their names. On the other hand, dentist hygienists can write the initials “RDH” after their name once they have passed the Boards. The RDH boards can be taken once the student has completed one of the properly accredited dental hygiene schools in California.
Difference in Salaries
Since dentists have undergone a lot more training and studies, they get paid much more than the dental hygienists. This also means that hygienists will charge lesser in comparison to dentists for the procedures they have been authorized to perform.
Keeping in view the multiple responsibilities and duties that have been entrusted with them, the dental hygienist salary continues to increase year over year. At the same time, each member of the dental team has a role to play without which, you cannot expect to successfully run a dental business. So, the next time you visit your dentist, don’t forget to thank each dental team member for their amazing services!
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