Healthcare practitioners
Dental hygienist
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.
Median pay
$98,100
Growth to 2035
+8%
faster than average
Openings a year
15,000
Time to qualify*
2.2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Dental hygienist
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
- Required
- NBDHE board exam · Regional clinical exam · State license
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Dental hygienist: 4% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
- 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.
Also called: Dental Hygienist · Hygienist · Licensed Dental Hygienist · Pediatric Dental Hygienist · Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
Outlook and AI
Dental hygienists held 225,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 243,200 by 2035 (+8%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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