Dental Hygiene Technician Schools, Salaries, and Job Data
Dental Hygiene Technicians Job Overview
Dental hygiene technicians remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene and provide other preventive dental care. In short, they clean teeth and teach clients how to prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. They are a very important part of dental care and their major task is preventative care. They discuss general health issues with patients and update dental charts. Dental hygiene technicians use dental instruments to clean plaque and various stains from teeth in preparation for the dentist, which may include applying numbing agents to a patient's gums. Some hygienists are licensed to administer local anesthesia as well. Dental hygiene technicians also perform work on certain procedures so that dentists can move on to the next patient.
Dental Hygiene Technicians Schools and Degrees
The basic requirement to enter into a dental hygiene program is a high school diploma and college entrance test. Most of the programs available at technical schools, colleges and dental schools take two years to complete and earn an associate degree. There are also four-year programs which grant bachelor’s or master’s degrees. These programs teach anatomy, radiology, nutrition and also the operation of dental tools and equipment. During training, hands-on experience working with patients in a clinic is given. The Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited 286 dental hygiene programs in 2006. A bachelor’s or master’s degree usually is required for research, teaching or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
Job Requirements
Dental hygiene technicians should be able to work well with others as they have to work closely with dentists, dental assistants and even deal directly with patients occasionally. They also need good manual dexterity while using dental instruments within a patient’s mouth. They need to feel and visually examine gums for signs of disease, update charts to track patients' oral health, take and develop x-rays, remove stitches, gauze and rubber dams following dental procedures and also take part in community dental health programs.
Nature of Work
Dental hygiene technicians work in clean, well-lit offices. They need to strictly adhere to proper radiological procedures and use appropriate protective devices when administering anesthetic gas. They need to wear safety glasses, surgical masks and gloves to protect themselves and patients from infectious diseases. Work schedules are flexible and are available in full-time, part-time, evening and weekend shifts. Dentists frequently hire hygiene technicians to work only 2 or 3 days a week so hygienists can attend more than one dental office. Most of them work part time.
Dental Hygiene Technicians Jobs and Outlook
According to research in 2006, dental hygiene technicians held about 167,000 jobs in the US. This number is expected to grow by 30% in the next ten years. Employment is the highest in the following industries:
Employment Services
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
Offices of Dentists
Offices of Physicians
Outpatient Care Centers
The mean hourly wage for dental hygiene technicians in the US is about $31.21, while the mean annual wages are around $64,910.
Job Numbers and Growth
How many dental hygiene technicians are there? About 167,000 in all. Workers can most likely expect a very low rate of unemployment. Note that 1% of employees were without work in 2008.
Area Job Conditions
Santa Cruz (California), Leominster (Massachusetts), and Corvallis (Oregon) boast the most employees for their size population. Farmington (New Mexico), McAllen (Texas), and Lafayette (Louisiana) have the fewest.
The highest salaries for dental hygiene technicians are in and around Santa Rosa (California), San Francisco (California), and Oakland (California). The lowest-paying areas are Gadsden (Alabama), Decatur (Alabama), and Florence (Alabama).
Training and Education
Expect to get an associate degree for this occupation. The share of employees with a bachelor's degree or higher is 33%. About 64% of dental hygiene technicians got additional education after high school, but did not have to get a college degree. There was no need to go beyond high school for 3% of workers. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
It is estimated that 59% of dental hygiene technicians work less than full time.
Dental Hygiene Technicians by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.