EssayEdge.com Admissions Essay Help - Put Harvard-Educated Editors to Work for You! View 300 free sample admissions essays!
FastWeb Free Scholarship Search. Find free money for college or an advanced degree. Search now!
Search Schools
Best Tech Schools
University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America. One university understands how you live today. And where you want to go tomorrow. University of Phoenix. Thinking ahead. Learn more today!
DeVry University
DeVry University offers flexible scheduling and the convenience to study at any of 80+ locations, online or a combination of both. Earn a respected associate degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree from an accredited university. A career-oriented education from DeVry University will put you in a great place to begin or advance in the workplace when you graduate.
Penn Foster
Penn Foster offers affordable, self-paced career-focused distance education programs in fields like business, criminal justice, health services, technology, engineering, paralegal studies and more.
*Programs vary by location. Not all programs available at all locations.
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.
Featured Technician Schools
Ashworth University - Online
- Diploma: Medical and Dental Assisting
-Learn More
Western Career College - Sacramento, San Leandro, and Pleasant Hill, CA
- Diploma: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Western School of Health and Business - 2 PA Campuses
- Diploma: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
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.
Featured Technician Schools
Ashworth University - Online
- Diploma: Medical and Dental Assisting
-Learn More
Western Career College - Sacramento, San Leandro, and Pleasant Hill, CA
- Diploma: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Western School of Health and Business - 2 PA Campuses
- Diploma: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Everest College - CA & WA
- Coursework: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Missouri College - St. Louis, MO
- Diploma: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Apollo College - Multiple Campuses AZ, NM, OR, WA
- Coursework: Dental Assistant
-Learn More
Herzing College - Multiple Campuses FL, GA, WI, Canada and more
- Diploma, Associate: Dental Assistant, Dental Office Administration
-Learn More
Programs vary by location
Use our technician salary calculator to review dental hygienist salaries in your region
Look to the schools listed here in the Technician School Directory to acquire the technical training you need. Browse our directory to find technician schools near you, and request enrollment information today.