Dental Hygienists

Overview

Dental Hygienists has a national median salary of $98,100 per year, with +8% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Support
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Record and review patient medical histories.
• Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
• Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
• Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
• Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.

Work Activities

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Getting Information

Detailed Work Activities

• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for an associate's degree.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Dental Hygienists:

Video Resources