Nature of the Work
Dental hygienists clean teeth and provide other preventive dental care, as well as teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene. Hygienists examine patients' teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities. They remove tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth; apply cavity preventive agents such as fluorides and sealants; take and develop dental x-rays; place temporary fillings and dressings; remove sutures; and smooth and polish teeth. In some states, hygienists administer local anesthetics and anesthetic gas, and place and carve filling materials.
Dental hygienists also help patients develop and maintain good oral health. For example, they may explain the relationship between diet and oral health, inform patients how to select toothbrushes, and show patients how to brush and floss their teeth.
Dental hygienists use hand and rotary instruments to clean teeth, x-ray machines to take dental pictures, syringes with needles to administer local anesthetics, and models of teeth to explain oral hygiene.
Working Conditions
Flexible scheduling is a distinctive feature of this job. Full-time, part-time, evening, and weekend work is widely available. Dentists frequently hire hygienists to work only 2-3 days a week, so hygienists may hold jobs in more than one dental office.
Dental hygienists work in clean, well-lit offices. Important health safeguards include strict adherence to proper radiological procedures and use of appropriate protective devices when administering anesthetic gas. Dental hygienists also wear safety glasses, surgical masks and gloves to protect themselves from infectious diseases. Also, when taking x-rays, they follow strict procedures to protect themselves and patients against radiation.
Employment
Dental hygienists held about 207,900 jobs in 2016. 95% of dental hygienists worked in dentists’ offices with 1% working for the government and in physician’s offices. About half of all dental hygienists usually worked part time in 2016, working a few days a week.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Dental hygienists must be licensed by the state in which they practice. To qualify for licensure, a candidate must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene school and pass both a written and a clinical examination. The American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations administers the written examination that is accepted by all states and the District of Columbia. State or regional testing agencies administer the clinical examination. In addition, examinations on legal aspects of dental hygiene practice are required by most states. Alabama also allows candidates to take its examination if they have been trained through a state regulated on the job program in a dentist's office.
Although some programs lead to a bachelor's degree, most grant an associate degree. The Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited more than 300 dental hygiene programs in 2017.
An associate degree is sufficient for practice in a private dental office. A bachelor's or master's degree is usually required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
Program completion usually requires three years. The areas of study include laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, nutrition, radiography, histology (the study of tissue structure), periodontology (the study of gum diseases), pathology, dental materials, clinical dental hygiene, and social and behavioral sciences.
Dental hygienists must have manual dexterity because they use dental instruments with little room for error within a patient's mouth. Recommended high school courses for aspiring dental hygienists include biology, chemistry, and mathematics.
Job Outlook
Employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow 20% from 2016- 2026, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. With studies showing the importance of oral health, there will be an increasing demand for dental care and the greater substitution of hygienists for services previously performed by dentists.
Demand will be stimulated by population growth, and greater retention of natural teeth by the larger number of middle-aged and elderly people. Also, dentists are likely to employ more hygienists, for several reasons. Older dentists, who are less likely to employ dental hygienists, will leave and be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to do so. In addition, as dentists' workloads increase, they are expected to hire more hygienists to perform preventive dental care such as cleaning, so they may use their own time more profitably.
Earnings
The median annual wage for dental hygienists was $74,070 in 2017. The lowest 10% earned less than $51,180 and the highest 10% earned more than $101,330. Dental hygienists in the top industry worked in private dental offices, with those working in physicians’ offices and for the government following close behind. About half of hygienists worked part-time in 2016, working a few days a week.
Related Occupations
Dental assistants, ophthalmic medical assistants, podiatric assistants, office nurses, medical assistants, physician assistants, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants.
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