It can be confusing to know the difference. A dentist is a doctor who has gone to four years of dental school after their undergraduate degree. A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional who has earned their Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from an accredited college or university.
Although they work together and are both crucial to helping people maintain good oral health, their jobs are different. The dental hygienists job is primarily to help you with preventive dentistry procedures. A dentist can do everything the dental hygienist does, but he can also perform restorative and cosmetic procedures and dental surgeries.