Do dental assistants perform cleanings, or is that the job of the dental hygienist?

I'm interested in this as a career.

Do dental assistants perform cleanings, or is that the job of the dental hygienist?
Hi,I have been a dental hygienist 20 years.Dental assistants duties they can perform by law vary state to state.In my state,Louisiana,a EDDA or expanded duty dental assistant can polish teeth,but cannot scale or remove calculus(tartar).Your best bet is to contact your state board of dentistry and find out what an expanded duty dental assistant can do.Most pediatric dental offices mainly employ EDDAS and not hygienists because most pediatric dental patients have little if any tartar and they just need a polish and fluoride treatment.EDDAs can also apply pit and fissure sealants,make temporary crowns,etc..The EDDA course is usuallly just a weekend course and well worth your time to take it if you plan on being an assistant.Since hygienists scale calculus,do deep scaling and root planing and in my state can administer local aneshtesia our pay scale is quite higher than an assistant,but you can work your way up the pay scale in assisting pretty quickly.Let me know if you have more questions.
Reply:They can depending on the size of the clinic... but usually the hygenist does that
Reply:Dental hygenist - they are trained for the job, hence the title.
Reply:a dental assistant is the one that sits in the dentist while he performs his work. They are the ones that squirt the water in your mouth, prepare the work area.
Reply:either position are qualified
Reply:Dental assistants cannot remove tarter from teeth... this job can be done only by the Dental Hygienist or the Dentist himself. However, in most states, a dental assistant can perform coronal polishing, floss, take xrays and administer fluoride treatments .... all of which are other aspects of the dental cleaning.