Dental hygienists provide dental care that promotes good oral health and helps prevent or repair problems with patients’ teeth. A typical day involves examining patients’ teeth and gums for cavities and disease, cleaning and polishing teeth, and teaching patients proper brushing and flossing techniques. Hygienists wear gloves, safety glasses and surgical masks, and follow strict safety procedures at all times. Most take x-rays of patients’ teeth. To be successful in this profession, you must be detail-oriented, and have the ability to work well with your hands. You can expect daily interaction with many different people from all walks of life. While almost all dental hygienists work in dentists offices, about half work part-time. Since dentists often hire hygienists for a few days per week, some hygienists work for more than one dentist to reach full-time hours in the field. An associate’s degree in dental hygiene is required for this profession, and usually takes three years to complete. All states also require dental hygienists to be licensed. In this career, you’ve got your patient’s back… or rather, their teeth!
Sources: Minnesota CAREERwise & CareerOneStop
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Administer anesthetics or sedatives to control pain.
- Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Treat dental problems or diseases.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Adjust dental devices or appliances to ensure fit.
- Fabricate medical devices.
- Examine mouth, teeth, gums, or related facial structures.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Process x-rays or other medical images.
- Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
Typical Working Conditions
- Frequent contact with others.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Working with a group or team.
- Repeating the same physical or mental task without stopping for periods of time.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
Tools & Technology used by Dental Hygienist
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Most Important Skills for Dental Hygienist
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Dental Hygienist
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Chemistry—Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal m
- Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
| Wages Per Hour For Dental Hygienists (MN) | ||
Low$38.91 |
Median$41.51 |
High$47.53 |
Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.
Source: Minnesota DEED Occupational Employment Statistics Tool
Demand
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 2.2% growth new for Dental Hygienist to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
This career is best for those with at least an Associates degree, but most professionals earn a Bachelors or higher. This job requires a license and certifications could aid in showcasing knowledge.
View the local continuing education options from our partners: Central Lakes College & MSTATE
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Learn more about dental basics through this dental assisting lab by Cengage Learning.
Videos
Dental Hygienist (CareerOneStop)
Dental Hygienist (Career Watch)
“Day in the Life” Videos
Dental Hygienist (Carrington College)