It’s often observed that most of the individuals get confused about knowing the difference between dental hygienist and dentist. Are you also among those individuals? You need to know the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist.
Actually, a dentist is a dental doctor. On the other hand, a hygienist isn’t a doctor. Is a hygienist an assistant? No, hygienist isn’t an assistant of a dentist or dental doctor.
A dental doctor examines as well as treats patient’s teeth. On the other hand, a dentist hygienist simply clean patient’s teeth and helps the patient learning how to prevent dental or oral diseases.
Here, you should also remember that a dental assistant usually helps the doctor or dentist but he often helps a dental hygienist.
What Are the Differences between Dental Hygienist and a Dentist?
Being a patient when you visit a dental clinic to get your teeth cleaned or cured, a person who cleans your teeth isn’t necessary be a dentist. Yes, he could be a hygienist.
Here, you need to remember that a hygienist isn’t a dental assistant, but he performs various significant tasks when it comes to oral health and dental treatment.
But it’s also true that a hygienist isn’t a dentist. Actually, a dentist is a real doctor who examines, analyzes and cures oral and dental health issues.
On the other hand, a hygienist simply follows the instructions of a dentist. But still a hygienist plays an important role in making an oral or dental health treatment successful.
Educational and Training Differences
When it comes to pointing the difference between dental hygienist and dentist, you aren’t supposed to underestimate the importance of education and training. Whether you want to be a dentist or hygienist, you need to go through specific education and training.
Actually, a dentist is a kind of dental doctor. He can even perform dental surgery. On the other hand, a dental hygienist isn’t a doctor but a kind of assistant.
A dental hygienist simply performs the left-over works of a dentist such as cleaning teeth, removing plaque and performing other tasks.
A dentist comes with the education of a doctor while a dental hygienist just needs a certification program to be a hygienist. There is much difference between the training of both i.e. a dentist and a dental hygienist.
Core Job Is Different
If you are confused about knowing the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist, you need to focus on their core job. You need to know about their core business activities. Actually, a professional is basically known for his job. So, when it comes to knowing the difference between a dentist and dental hygienist, you need to look at nowhere else but their basic work.
A dentist examines and treats a dental or oral health problem. On the other hand, an oral hygienist performs non-medical activities such as cleaning teeth and completing left-over work of a dentist. So, there is basic difference between the core professional activities of both professionals.
A Dentist Knows How to Examine a Dental or Oral Health Problem
The key activity of a dentist is to examine and detect an oral or dental health problem. Whether it is about knowing cavities or other serious oral health issue, a dentist simply examines and detects the problem.
A dentist knows how to examine the overall health of a patient. On the other hand, an oral hygienist has no idea about the same.
A dentist has education and training regarding how to detect an oral or dental health problem.
The main task of a professional is to detect or identify a health issue in a patient. Since a dentist is a dental doctor, he knows how to detect or identify a particular oral health problem. Obviously, identifying the dental health problem can help a doctor learning how to cure it.
On the other hand, a dental hygienist isn’t authorized to identify an oral health or dental health problem in a patient.
A dental hygienist simply concentrates on accomplishing non-medical activities such as cleaning teeth, removing plaque and guiding a patient about how to keep their teeth healthy.
A Dentist Can Do Surgery While a Dental Hygienist Can’t
One of the key differences between a dental hygienist and dentist is that a dentist can do surgery while a dental hygienist can’t. So, it’s another important difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist.
Since performing surgery on a patient is a complicated task, without experience and adequate training, it can’t be possible.
This is the main reason why only authorized medical professionals i.e. dental surgeons or dentists are authorized to perform surgery. Obviously, a dental hygienist can’t perform surgery.
Conclusion
Having gone through above mentioned points, now you must be capable of knowing the difference between a dentist and a hygienist.
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