Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Dental Hygienists
Dental Hygienists clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.
Table of contents
What they do
Dental Hygienists clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums using dental instruments.
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Dental Hygienists clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments. They record and review patient medical histories.
A typical day for a Dental Hygienist will also include:
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by the dentist.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Feel lymph nodes under the patient’s chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate the presence of oral cancer.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Dental Hygienists also remove excess cement from the coronal surfaces of teeth. They may also administer local anesthetic agents.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Dental Hygienists make impressions for study casts. They might also maintain a patient recall system.
In addition, they place and remove rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them remove sutures and dressings.
To some Dental Hygienists, it is also their responsibility to conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment the services of dentists.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
79% said they were satisfied with their job and 78% said they found their job meaningful.
My name is Calandra Farley. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist and have been for over 10 years now. I work clinical 4 days per week as a Dental Hygienist and I run a blog about dentistry HygienistOpinion.com. I have an associates of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene, but one can also obtain a bachelor’s … Read More
I’ve been a registered dental hygienist for 15 years. I’m currently a stay at home mom of 3, but before the pandemic, I worked 4 days a week. Most dental hygienists work part-time. I worked 2, 8-hour days and 2, 5-hour days, which is 26 hours a week in total. The nature of the work … Read More
I always knew I wanted to help people, and the medical field was always interesting to me but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a nurse, because of how deeply emotional their cases can be. I stumbled across the dental hygiene program at my college and knew this would be a great fit for … Read More
I am a hygienist working in NYC at Sutton Place Dental Associates. I work as an independent health professional in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Salim at Sutton Place Dental Associates. My task is not only to ensure patients’ good dental hygiene during my interactions with them, but I also focus on the prevention of pathologies … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Short working hours (Less than 40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Dental Hygienists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $54,200 to $65,440 per year or $26 to $31 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $104,420 | $50 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $91,620 | $44 |
| Median | $77,090 | $37 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $65,440 | $31 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $54,200 | $26 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Dental Hygienists based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Hospitals | $80800 | $38.85 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $80470 | $38.69 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $79550 | $38.25 |
| Offices of Dentists | $78320 | $37.65 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $77980 | $37.49 |
| Offices of Physicians | $77810 | $37.41 |
| Employment Services | $76000 | $36.54 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $73680 | $35.42 |
| Individual and Family Services | $73550 | $35.36 |
| Facilities Support Services | $73540 | $35.36 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Dental Hygienists work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Dental Hygienists including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Dentists | 183280 | $78320 | $37.65 |
| Employment Services | 2950 | $76000 | $36.54 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2410 | $77810 | $37.41 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1640 | $77980 | $37.49 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 860 | $65970 | $31.72 |
| Local Government | 700 | $70920 | $34.10 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 660 | $73470 | $35.32 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 590 | $68930 | $33.14 |
| State Government | 540 | $63910 | $30.73 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 310 | $79550 | $38.25 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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