Healthcare Practitioners
Dental Hygienists
Also called: Dental Hygienist, Hygienist, Licensed Dental Hygienist, Pediatric Dental Hygienist
US median pay
$98,100
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+8%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
15,000
225,300 employed
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
- Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
- Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Persuasion3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Operations Monitoring2.9/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry4.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Psychology3.0/5
- English Language2.8/5
- Education and Training2.6/5
- Computers and Electronics2.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): Associate's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Associate's degree75%
- First professional degree13%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.