Dental Hygienist Overview

Dental hygienists will clean a patient's teeth, removing tartar, stains and plaque as they brush, floss and scrape. Dental hygienists are also involved in educating patients on the best ways to brush and floss teeth, as well as which products to use.

The majority of the more than 200,000 dental hygienists work in dental offices alongside dentists. Think of a dental hygienist as an insurance agent. "You see dentists when you have a problem," says Kelli Swanson Jaecks, president of the American Dental Hygienists' Association. "But you see dental hygienists for preventative health care."

Along with technical know-how, dental hygienists should have excellent communication skills. "The client's head is in their lap basically," Swanson Jaecks says. "They should know how to read a client and relate to a client." She also says good hand-eye coordination is a must, as are critical-thinking skills, since dental hygienists are on the front lines of assessing a client's oral health.

"More and more dental hygienists will be hired to do this preventative health care," but Swanson Jaecks says that physicians' offices, emergency rooms and medical clinics are increasingly hiring dental hygienists to provide their patients with more holistic health care. These professionals can also be hired in academia and in research.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 19.7 percent employment growth for dental hygienists between 2016 and 2026. In that period, an estimated 40,900 jobs should open up.

Dental Hygienists made a median salary of $74,070 in 2017. The best-paid 25 percent made $88,820 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $61,230.

According to the American Dental Hygienists Association, there are more than 330 dental hygiene programs offered in the U.S. Most hygienists have at least an associate degree, but some get bachelor's degrees in dental hygiene – and even master's degrees to further their careers. To practice, dental hygienists also have to obtain a state-specific license. Although the requirements vary state to state, most require graduation from an accredited program and the completion of a written and practical exam.

Many of the courses you take in a dental hygiene program will be applicable for a dental program, and the training and experience could help when sitting for the Dental Acceptance Test to gain admission to dental school. But working as a dental hygienist isn't a shortcut to becoming a dentist. Hygienists who choose to pursue a D.D.S. will still have the same length of study plus years of residency, even if they have a professional background in dentistry.