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What is a dental hygienist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH
introduction image

A dental hygienist is a licensed oral healthcare professional who works with dentists to promote and maintain good oral health. They perform preventative procedures such as cleaning teeth, taking X-rays, and applying fluoride treatments. Dental hygienists also educate patients on proper oral hygiene practices and provide advice on how to maintain healthy teeth and gums. They often work in dental offices, but can also be found in hospitals, schools, and public health clinics.

What general advice would you give to a dental hygienist?

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDHAaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH LinkedIn profile

Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website

In California, it is an exciting time to be a Dental Assistant. The industry has been gradually adding more technologically advanced procedures like 3-D printing, intra-oral scanning, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance. A Dental Assistant needs to possess the traditional knowledge to be able to learn these new advanced procedures. In order to make themselves more competitive, the Dental Assistant must possess the knowledge and hands-on experience of these new procedures.
Also, since in California the minimum wage is increasing beyond the amount that a starting Dental Assistant could potentially earn, learning new advanced techniques is more relevant.
ScoreDental HygienistUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $88,432

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.1

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.50%

Asian 6.27%

Black or African American 3.72%

Hispanic or Latino 12.01%

Unknown 3.64%

White 73.86%

Gender

female 93.08%

male 6.92%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a dental hygienist?

Pros

  • Good salary

  • Flexible schedule

  • High demand

  • Opportunity to help people improve their oral health

  • Positive work environment

Cons

  • Risk of exposure to infectious diseases

  • Requires good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity

  • Can be emotionally taxing when dealing with patients in pain or distress

  • Must maintain strict infection control protocols, which can be time-consuming

  • Can be challenging to manage patient anxiety or fear during procedures

Dental hygienist career paths

Key steps to become a dental hygienist

  1. Explore dental hygienist education requirements

    Most common dental hygienist degrees

    Associate

    70.8 %

    Bachelor's

    24.7 %

    Master's

    1.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific dental hygienist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients29.54%
    Patient Care13.16%
    CPR9.73%
    Medical History4.67%
    Infection Control4.56%
  3. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed dental hygienist usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed dental hygienist in most of states. 43 states require dental hygienists to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    MarylandDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredDENTAL HYGIENIST
    Alabama--Licensed Dental Hygienist
    AlaskaDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredDental Hygienist
    ArkansasDegree requiredState exam requiredDental Hygienist
    CaliforniaDegree requiredBoth state and third-party exams requiredDental Hygienist, Registered
  4. Research dental hygienist duties and responsibilities

    • Assist dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification.
    • Assist front office with eligibility interviews and inputting information of future patients into Dentrix computer system.
    • Perform all the same duties as a dental hygienist under the supervision of a RDH.
    • Enter all services render, treatment plan and suggest into DENTRIX computer system; including clinical charting.
  5. Prepare your dental hygienist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dental hygienist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dental hygienist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable dental hygienist resume templates

    Build a professional dental hygienist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your dental hygienist resume.
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  6. Apply for dental hygienist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a dental hygienist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first dental hygienist job

Zippi

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Average dental hygienist salary

The average dental hygienist salary in the United States is $88,432 per year or $43 per hour. Dental hygienist salaries range between $56,000 and $137,000 per year.

Average dental hygienist salary
$88,432 Yearly
$42.52 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do dental hygienists rate their job?

4/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Dental hygienist reviews

profile
3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

I love being able to help people get back on track with their health. I love to be a part of the process that stops and maintains oral disease.

Cons

It is taxing on your body, especially your neck and back.


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

I love working in Healthcare/Dental and having patients turn into relationships and friendship while doing my job to help them with dental care and hygiene. I liked working in a big office as well.

Cons

I have been a Hygienist for 15 years and I am burnt out of the position. I still love dentistry and being part of a team.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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