Dental Hygienists

What the job really is

Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-1292
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Record and review patient medical histories.
• Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
• Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
• Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
• Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
• Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
• Expose and develop x-ray film.
• Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
• Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
• Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
• Maintain patient recall system.
• Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.

Tools and technology

Henry Schein Dentrix, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Air abrasion equipment, Air-driven dental polishers, Air/water syringes, Amalgam carriers, Angle formers, Aspirating syringes, Autoclaves, Autoscalars

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Dental Assistants
• Surgical Assistants
• Medical Assistants
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
• Surgical Technologists
• Registered Nurses
• Respiratory Therapists

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Dental Hygienists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.