Dental Hygienist Job Description

What is the job description of a Dental Hygienist? What are the duties and responsibilities of a Dental Hygienist? What does a Dental Hygienist do?

Job description of a Dental Hygienist

Dental Hygienists are generally responsible for providing basic dental care tasks, mostly focused on keeping patients' teeth and gums clean. They usually work under supervision and management of a licensed dentist.

This Dental Hygienist job description example includes the list of most important Dental Hygienist duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific Dental Hygienist profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

Dental Hygienist Duties and Responsibilities

Dental Hygienist job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

  • Using dental instruments
  • Clean accretions, calcareous deposits, and stains from teeth and gums
  • Examine for indications of oral cancer
  • Managing dental equipment
  • Performing x-ray films
  • Sterilizing and preparing dental instruments
  • Noting and reviewing patient medical history
  • Recording dental disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist
  • Providing health education and advice to patients

Dental Hygienist Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

Dental Hygienist job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

  • Associate’s degree from an accredited Hygiene program
  • Hygiene license
  • Current CPR certificate
  • Current on Hepatitis B vaccination
  • Ability to administer local anesthetic agents
  • Great interpersonal and communication skills
  • Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Comfortable using computers for a variety of tasks
  • Sense of ownership and pride in your performance and its impact on company’s success
  • Team player
  • Good time-management skills

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Dental Hygienist starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Dental Hygienist job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a Dental Hygienist may also reference it in preparation for the interview.