The healthcare profession is an incredibly diverse and rewarding field, with so many different paths to explore. Two of the most popular of these paths are nursing and dental hygiene. While they share similarities, they also differ in many ways, from the nature of their job responsibilities to the educational and career requirements needed to work in each field. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the similarities and differences between nursing and dental hygiene, discussing the various education and career requirements in each, and helping you decide which one is the right fit for you. Whether you’re a pre-nursing or pre-dental hygiene student looking for more information, or a career changer considering your options, this post has something for everyone.
What is dental hygiene?
Dental hygiene keeps the teeth, mouth, and gums healthy and clean and offers patients preventive oral care. Keeping one’s teeth clean is important for one’s health because it can help prevent disease. Dental hygienists clean teeth and inspect them for damage. Additionally, they educate patients on the value of maintaining good oral health.
What is nursing?
Giving patients health care requires a highly specialized profession called nursing. It entails evaluating patients to ascertain what they need to maintain or improve their health and working in conjunction with other healthcare professionals like doctors, physical therapists, social workers, and more. Additionally, nursing involves educating the public about health issues. Nurses instruct patients on how to use medical equipment, take their medications, eat healthier, and change bandages on wounds. Additionally, they inspire patients and whenever possible teach them how to take care of themselves. When patients are unable to due to physical limitations, nurses still provide the required care.
What are the differences between nursing vs. dental hygiene?
Here are some distinctions between a nurse’s and a dental hygienist’s jobs:
Education
Typically, registered nurses hold a nursing associate or bachelor’s degree. They can finish a two to three year associate program and a four year bachelor program. Associate degrees help nurses obtain entry-level positions, but working in a hospital requires a bachelor’s degree. Classes in chemistry, anatomy, microbiology, psychology, and nutrition are common for nursing students. To work as a nurse, they must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain a license.
Dental hygienists earn a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Their education can be completed in two to four years. They attend classes, take part in lab exercises, and get practical clinical training. Classes in dental anatomy, oral pathology, community dental health, and oral health education/preventive counseling are all part of the dental hygiene curriculum. Mandatory licensing varies depending on the state in which they work.
Specialization
By completing master’s degree programs or by working in a specific hospital department, such as cardiology or emergency room, nurses can specialize. They have access to many specialization options, including:
Only in certain states can dental hygienists receive additional training to broaden the scope of their practice. They could train to be dental therapists and do the following jobs:
Work environment
Nurses primarily work in hospitals, where they may have overnight, evening, or weekend shifts. They can also work in doctors offices, in-home health care. The workload varies and can involve emergency care.
Most dental hygienists work in dental offices or clinics. Their shift rarely involves nighttime or weekends. Dental hygiene is a systematic job that involves repetitive tasks.
Job duties
To provide patients with medical care, nurses work in conjunction with other healthcare professionals. By providing basic healthcare services and alerting doctors to any potential problems they may notice, they support doctors. Job duties of a registered nurse include:
Dental hygienists work under the direction of dentists and offer patients basic dental care. Depending on the state they work in, the extent of their duties varies. Dental hygienists can diagnose dental conditions in some states without a dentist’s supervision, but not in others. Job duties of a dental hygienist may include:
Emotional investment
While nurses tend to patients’ medical needs, they frequently also give them emotional support. They could assist the patient’s family in comprehending their condition and motivate them to complete their treatment.
In contrast, a dental hygienist’s job doesn’t require the same level of emotional commitment as a nursing job.
Day-to-day
A nursing career can be very varied, with various patients having specific conditions and varying paces every day. Although nurses typically care for six to eight patients at once, they can care for one patient at a time during surgery, for example, depending on their work environment.
Dental hygiene is mostly a systematic job with repetitive tasks. They sanitize the apparatus, welcome the patient they must examine, and give the required care. They usually treat one patient per hour.
Job outlook
NURSING OR DENTAL HYGIENE + BEST HESI/TEAS TEST PRACTICE EVER!!!
FAQ
Why do dental hygienists make so much?
Nurse Salary and Growth Potential. Registered nurses and dental hygienists both earn promising salaries. According to the U. S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses make an average of $75,330 annually. In contrast, the median annual wage for dental hygienists in the US is $77,090.
What is the hardest part of being a dental hygienist?
Because they are qualified professionals working in the dental care industry, dental hygienists are compensated very well. Maintaining good oral health is crucial because neglecting the teeth and gums can result in serious health issues like diabetes and heart disease in addition to dental problems.
