What is the Difference Between a Dentist & a Dental Hygienist?

When you go to a dentist's appointment, you expect to see the dentist. However, many times, you might wind up being seen by a dental hygienist. It's not's always easy to tell the two apart, but there are significant differences in their education levels and skills.

Education

• Once a prospective dentist has earned a bachelor's degree (sometimes it may be a two-year predental degree), he or she must get into a dental school, which requires another four-year course of study. Following graduation, the dentist must pass a written and practical exam in the state he or she wants to practice in to be licensed. A dental hygienist needs to earn only a two-year associate's degree in dental hygiene. He must also pass a written and practical exam to be licensed to work.

Functions

• A dental hygenist is usually the first person who works with your mouth during an office visit. According to the Department of Labor, "Dental hygienists remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene, and provide other preventive dental care. They examine patients' teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities." Dentists will come in afterwards and can examine the cleaned teeth and diagnose any problems. They can also examine the X-rays, repair teeth, apply plastic sealants on children's teeth, perform corrective surgery, take measurements for dentures, prescribe medicine and anything else that requires a higher degree of skill but not the skill of a specialist.

Benefits

• It is more cost-effective for you and for the dental office to have a hygienist work with you before the dentist sees you. Since hygienists make less money, you aren't paying as much for the time it takes them to clean your teeth. Working this way also allows the dentist to see more patients in a day, so it is theoretically easier for you to get a timely appointment.

Job Availability

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008, there were 85,910 dentists in the United States. The states that have the highest percentage of dentists employed are Arizona, Utah, Michigan, Idaho and New Jersey. There were 173,090 dental hygienists in the United States during the same period. The states that have the highest percentage of dentists employed are Vermont, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maine and Oregon. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks dental hygienists as one of the fastest-growing occupations.

Pay

• On average, a dentist earned $154,270 or an hourly wage of $74.17, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The states that pay their dentists the most are Alaska, Delaware, North Carolina, North Dakota and Maine. On average, a dental hygienist earned $66,950 a year, or an hourly wage of $32.19. The states that pay their dentists the most are Alaska, Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada.