Career Tips & Advice

What is the Difference Between DA & DH?

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated December 7, 2017. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
dental assistants

Both Dental Assistants (DA) and Dental Hygienists (DH) are important to team members in a dental office. But, there are differences in education and duties allowable by license between the two fields.

We wanted to dig deeper into these contrasts, so we enlisted the expertise of one of our resident Concorde authorities on the subject - Diane Osso, Dental Hygiene Program Director at our campus in Aurora, Colo. Here's what she had to say on the topic.

 

Differences in education between Dental Assistants and Dental Hygienists

 

Dental Assistants learn on the job or spend eight months in a certificate program, such as the diploma program offered at all 16 of our Concorde campuses. There is no licensure required and no certified education requirement, Osso said.

She said Dental Hygienists are required to complete a 17-month associate's degree program (Concorde offers that at eight campuses). They must pass a national didactic exam and regional clinical exam and complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

 

Job duties of Dental Assistants

 

Dental Assistants work under the supervision and direction of a dentist, Osso said. They set up operatories for dental procedures and break down after the procedure.

Dental Assistants take patient vitals - blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiration. They take most radiographs on patients.

Many DA programs teach the application of dental sealants, after a dentist's diagnosis. They are responsible for sterilizing instruments and are often responsible for tracking and placing office supply orders.

Dental Assistants also can assist the dentist during operative procedures, with handing instruments, suctioning and patient management. They also often assist Dental Hygienists with setting up, break down, oral hygiene instruction, X-rays, polishing and fluoride treatments.

 

Job duties of Dental Hygienists

 

Osso said Dental Hygienists can perform any and all of the procedures listed above. In addition, they can perform periodontal data collection, including probing gingiva. They can diagnose dental hygiene issues and plan for treatment.

Dental Hygienists can scale below the gum line for non-surgical periodontal therapy with both hand and powered instruments. They can apply local anesthesia injections for pain control during therapy, as well as deliver nitrous oxide, under a dentist's supervision.

They can write prescriptions for fluorides and other prevention products, as well as perform oral cancer screenings.

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  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.