Job Description

Dental Hygienists perform oral health assessments, provide nutritional counseling and promote self-care programs to prevent oral disease. They also treat patients by cleaning teeth and placing dental sealants.

A person in this career:

• Instructs patients on preventive care at home
• Processes X-rays and prepares diagnostic aids
• Removes deposits from teeth and applies sealants and fluoride to prevent decay
• Performs oral cancer and blood pressure screenings
• Places and removes temporary fillings, removes periodontal dressings and removes sutures
• Administers medication prescribed by the dentist
• Records oral conditions
• May administer CPR

Working conditions and physical demands:

• Physical abilities sufficient to move around rooms in the dental environment
• Maneuver in small places
• Work in enclosed spaces
• Sit and work chair-side for long periods, reaching for equipment
• Interact with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds
• Use sharp hand instruments requiring repetitive, coordinated hand movements
• Utilize hands, wrists, neck, shoulders and back for at least eight hours per day

Working in this career involves:

• Communicating clearly enough to be able to be understood by others and understand them
• Seeing clearly enough to see fine details
• Hearing a variety of sounds at various pitches, with background noise present

Work hours and travel:

Regular working hours and limited travel

Salary information:

• Dental Hygienist Salaries in North Carolina
• Occupational Employment Statistics
• Occupational Outlook

Career at a Glance

Salary Range
$57,200 to $74,526

Skills Needed
Enjoy working with people
Enjoy hands-on patient care
Good problem-solving and communication skills
Organized and motivated

Job Duties
Performs oral health assessments
Takes and processes dental X-rays
Provides self–care programs to prevent disease
Provide treatment to patients to include cleaning teeth and placing sealants

Work Locations
Dental offices
Public health departments
Hospitals
Dental clinics