What the work involves, what it pays, and real lines you can start from. Answer a few small questions and leave with a resume.
Also called hygienist, licensed dental hygienist, oral hygienist and pediatric dental hygienist.
$98,100
Median pay a year
222,740
People do this work
6
Resume lines ready for you
Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Dental Hygienist resume, filled in
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Dental Hygienist
1 certification
Summary
Dental hygienist administering oral hygiene care, assessing patient needs, maintaining health records, and advising on oral health maintenance while providing advanced treatments and conducting community dental health clinics
Experience
Dental Hygienist
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Cleaned calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth using dental instruments
Examined gums using probes to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease
Charted conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist
Exposed and developed x-ray film for diagnostic purposes
Conducted dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist
Skills
Core Skills
Examining facial structures, Treating dental problems, Recording medical histories, Attending training sessions, Maintaining current knowledge, Sterilizing medical equipment, Fabricating medical devices, Processing medical images, Operating medical instruments, Maintaining medical equipment
Tools and software
Henry Schein Dentrix
Education
Certificate Your training program, Year
Certifications & Licenses
State license for this work Your state board, Year
Yours will not say this. It will say what you did, in your own words, and Rung writes it with you one question at a time.
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What to put on a Dental Hygienist resume
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What did you do each day?
Choose what fits, or say your own.
Recorded and reviewed patient medical historiesExamined gums for sores and disease signsCleaned teeth and gums using dental instrumentsProvided health education to improve oral healthCharted conditions of decay for diagnosisMaintained and sterilized dental instruments
becomes
On your resume
Recorded and reviewed patient medical histories to ensure accurate treatment planning
Cleaned teeth and gums using dental instruments, promoting optimal oral health
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Show what improved once the medical histories were recorded
The line
Recorded and reviewed patient medical histories, leading to fewer treatment errors after thorough reviews
Show what improved once the medical histories were recorded
Pick one that fits
Fewer treatment errors occurred after thorough reviewsPatients received more personalized care based on historiesTreatment plans were more effective and targeted
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
Mention if you educated patients on oral care during cleanings
The line
Cleaned teeth and gums using dental instruments, promoting optimal oral health
Mention if you educated patients on oral care during cleanings
Pick one that fits
I provided tips on daily oral hygieneI explained the importance of regular check-upsI guided patients on proper brushing techniques
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
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What it is made of
Skills for a Dental Hygienist resume
What this work is made of. Rung offers these and keeps the ones you claim.
What are you good at?
Examining facial structures
Treating dental problems
Recording medical histories
Attending training sessions
Maintaining current knowledge
Sterilizing medical equipment
Fabricating medical devices
Processing medical images
Operating medical instruments
Maintaining medical equipment
Administering anesthetics or sedatives
Directing healthcare delivery
The work itself
What a Dental Hygienist does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Dental Hygienist make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$83,570
Median
$98,100
75th percentile
$108,480
About 222,740 people do this work in the United States.
This page is about the occupation Dental Hygienists. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.