What Does a Dental Hygienist Do: Job Description & Career Information

Most hygienists earn an associate degree in dental hygiene. Training is available at community colleges, trade schools and universities. (This focused training is one of the reasons this career is included in SkillPointe’s list of top jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree.) Students may also earn a bachelor’s degree if they want to go into research, teach or do clinical practice in a public health setting. 

Most dental schools’ programs include time in the classroom and lab plus hands-on clinical practice. 

After graduating from an accredited dental hygiene program, hygienists must pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, a written exam. Hygienists will also need to earn a license from the state dental board, which requires passing a clinical exam. Specific licensing requirements vary by state. SkillPointe provides a licensing database. (See link below.) The American Dental Association (ADA) website provides a directory of state dental boards.

Most employers require hygienists to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Programs typically take three years to complete. With additional training, hygienists can extract primary teeth, place or remove temporary crowns and other restorative services. However, each state regulates which tasks are permitted. The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) maintains a state-by-state list of allowed tasks.

RDH stands for registered dental hygienist. It means the hygienist has passed the national and state exams mentioned above and is fully licensed to practice. 

A dental hygienist is involved with hands-on patient oral care. A dental assistant does administrative tasks and provides support to the patient, the hygienist and the dentist.

There’s plenty of opportunity for a well-trained dental hygienist. Demand for hygienists is expected to grow 11% from 2020 to 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Check out this video from Teeth Talk Girl about other reasons you may want to become a dental hygienist.)

Most work in dentist offices, but they are also needed in public dental clinics, schools, nursing homes and correctional facilities. Many hygienists work part-time, but some work full-time or split their time between two practices. 

Successful candidates tend to have these traits: 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• A calm and reassuring manner
• Detailed-oriented
• Good dexterity for using hand, power and ultrasonic tools
• Good problem-solving skills