Technician Programs

Dental Hygienists

Dental hygienists now execute many of the tasks once performed by licensed dentists. As a result, those entering the dental hygiene field can expect exciting work and increasing pay.

Dental Hygienist Salary Range
Dental hygienist salaries range from $52,260 to $69,881, nationally, according to Salary.com. In 2002, the median hourly wage for a dental hygienist was $26.59, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17.34, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $39.24 an hour. The current average dental hygienist salary is $64,932, according to Salary.com.

Starting Dental Hygienist Salaries
The average starting dental hygienist salary, nationally, is $27 per hour, according to the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Certification and Dental Hygienist Salaries
All 50 states have credentialing requirements for dental hygienists. As a result, salary levels are affected most by a person's experience, workplace, and state of residence.

Career Description
As previously mentioned, the responsibilities of dental hygienists have increased in the past several years. Today, they not only assist dentists, but also perform some of jobs that dentists used to do, such as teeth cleanings and taking x-rays.

Duties also include examining teeth and gums, recording the presence of disease or other abnormalities, and educating patients about proper dental care. Some dental hygienists will even perform orthodontic and restoration procedures under a dentist's supervision.

Educational Requirements
To work as a dental hygienist, you must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene school and pass both a written and clinical examination. The American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations administers the written test, while a state or regional testing agency oversees the clinical exam.

Students receive training in dental equipment, cleaning teeth, taking x-rays, mastering sterilization procedures, and preparing dental adhesives and anesthesia. Areas of study include anatomy, clinical dental hygiene, dental materials, nutrition, pathology, periodontology, pharmacology, and radiography.

Use our technician salary calculator to review dental hygienist salaries in your region