Scribd
Upload
661 views3 pages

Compare and Contrast Essay

Kyndal Giddens compares and contrasts the roles of dental hygienists and dental assistants. Dental hygienists typically require an associate's degree and their duties involve directly working with patients to clean teeth and take x-rays. Their average annual salary is $75,000. Dental assistants do not require a degree and have roles like scheduling, paperwork, and assisting the dentist during procedures. Their average annual salary is lower at $38,000 due to less education requirements. While both jobs involve dentistry, dental hygienists take on more clinical responsibilities and have higher earning potential due to their associate's degree and certification requirements.

Uploaded by

api-488717408
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
661 views3 pages

Compare and Contrast Essay

Kyndal Giddens compares and contrasts the roles of dental hygienists and dental assistants. Dental hygienists typically require an associate's degree and their duties involve directly working with patients to clean teeth and take x-rays. Their average annual salary is $75,000. Dental assistants do not require a degree and have roles like scheduling, paperwork, and assisting the dentist during procedures. Their average annual salary is lower at $38,000 due to less education requirements. While both jobs involve dentistry, dental hygienists take on more clinical responsibilities and have higher earning potential due to their associate's degree and certification requirements.

Uploaded by

api-488717408
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Kyndal Giddens

Comp 1

Mcgriff

October 7, 2019

Compare and Contrast Essay

Have you ever struggled on choosing a job you feel is right for you? Looking at

the differences and benefits of the jobs you will choose is very important. You will want

to choose something you are interested in and will love to do, not just for the money. I

feel this way about either being a dental hygienist or being a dental assistant. The

differences between a dental hygienist and a dental assistant is the degree you are

required to have, the duties, and the salary.

Dental hygienists typically require an AS degree. The program usually takes

about two years to complete. However, you can choose to advance your career to a

bachelor’s or master’s degree. They are usually required for teaching, research, or

clinical practice in school health programs. You are required to take programs that must

cover the areas of general education, biomedical sciences, dental sciences, and dental

hygiene science. You will complete supervised clinical experience over the course of

your program.
Dental hygienists clean teeth, examine gums, take x-rays, collect medical history,

etc. They use tools such as scrapers and polishers to remove tartar and plaque. They

usually work alone on the patient unless they need help.

The annual salary for a dental hygienist is approximately $75,000. The salary

varies, though, depending on the degree you earned and the setting of where you

choose to work. You will earn more money through a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

You will earn more money working in a general dentist office other than a physician’s

office or for the government.

Unlike dental hygienists, dental assistants do not require an AS degree. Some

assistants only have a highschool diploma with some on the job training. They are

usually required to take a Certified Dental Assistant certification (required by 38 states).

They must have a minimum of 3,500 hours of work experience also.

In contrast to a dental hygienist, dental assistant’s roles are typically more of just

scheduling appointments, keeping records, sterilizing the equipment, handing

instruments to the dentist during procedures, managing payments, etc. Most of the time,

they are working side by side with the dentist to provide extra help.

Dental assistants make less money than dental hygienists, due to not as much

education and certifications. The annual salary for a dental assistant is around $38,000.

Working for the government as a dental assistant typically makes more than being in an

ordinary dental office.

As you can see, dental hygienists and dental assistants may have the same

conception, but they have their differences in salary, duties, and education as well. I am
rooting towards a dental hygienist because of the higher salary and it interests me

more. Improving someone else's smile makes me smile!

You might also like