Dental Hygienist

What it pays in the U.S.

Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

What the work actually is

• Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
• Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
• Expose and develop x-ray film.
• Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
• Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
• Maintain patient recall system.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

• Certified Dental Technician - Orthodontics

  National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology · Specialty

• ADEX Dental Hygienist

  CDCA-WREB-CITA (ADEX) · Advanced

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.