DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

29-2021 Dental Hygienists

Occupational Description:

Clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
Wages Updated to Third Quarter, 2012
					Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	Mean SE*	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
EDR 5 - North Central	120	18	$31.46/hr	$3.01/hr	$24.97/hr	$27.23/hr	$31.61/hr	$35.68/hr	$38.12/hr
Minnesota	4,260	209	$34.36/hr	$0.62/hr	$29.35/hr	$31.50/hr	$34.33/hr	$37.30/hr	$42.95/hr
U S	184,110	2,578	$34.27/hr	$0.21/hr	$22.60/hr	$27.97/hr	$34.03/hr	$40.92/hr	$46.59/hr
*SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate.

Other Regional Data For Dental Hygienists
Geography (click title for details)	OES		Projections
Geography (click title for details)	Employment	Median Wage	% Change -
EDR 11 - 7 County Twin Cities	2,180	$36.06/hr	N/A
EDR 10 - Southeast	410	$32.77/hr	N/A
EDR 3 - Arrowhead	250	$32.80/hr	N/A
EDR 9 - South Central	240	$33.55/hr	N/A
EDR 4 - West Central	140	$33.31/hr	N/A
EDR 5 - North Central	120	$31.61/hr	N/A
EDR 6E- Southwest Central	90	$34.82/hr	N/A
EDR 7E- East Central	90	$32.14/hr	N/A
EDR 1 - Northwest	50	$31.52/hr	N/A
EDR 2 - Headwaters	40	$27.09/hr	N/A
EDR 7W- Central	N/A	$33.35/hr	N/A

Related Occupations
Occupation (click title for details)	OES		Projections
Occupation (click title for details)	Employment	Median Wage	% Change -
Dental Assistants	220	$18.04/hr	N/A
Surgical Technologists	40	$20.68/hr	N/A
Respiratory Therapists	30	$26.90/hr	N/A

Tasks for Dental Hygienists

Cleans calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
Provides clinical services and health education to improve and maintain oral health of school children.
Removes excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
Places and removes rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations.
Feels lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
Examines gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
Administers local anesthetic agents.
Exposes and develops x-ray film.
Removes sutures and dressings.
Makes impressions for study casts.
Places, carves, and finishes amalgam restorations.
Feels and visually examines gums for sores and signs of disease.
Charts conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
Conducts dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.
Applies fluorides and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.