Dental Hygienist
Treat and prevent a range of oral diseases and advise patients on matters of dental hygiene.
Job opportunities
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Jobs in SEEK right nowJob growth
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5-year projectionSalary
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Typical salaryJob satisfaction
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Job opportunities
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Jobs in SEEK right nowSalary
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Typical salaryJob growth
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5-year projectionJob satisfaction
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On this page
- What's it like to be a Dental Hygienist?
- How to become a Dental Hygienist
- Latest Dental Hygienist jobs
- Top skills and experience for Dental Hygienists
- Is Dental Hygienist the right role for you?
- Dental Hygienist role reviews
What's it like to be a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists treat and prevent oral diseases. They educate patients on how to achieve and maintain the best possible oral health. The services they provide include teeth cleaning, whitening and plaque control. Dental Hygienists interact with members of the public daily and most commonly work in private practices, in consultation with Dentists. Some Dental Hygienists may also work in community health centres, schools, childcare centres, aged care facilities and supported residential facilities.
Tasks and duties
- Removing plaque deposits from teeth.
- Providing educational guidance and instruction to people of all ages in matters relating to oral health, dental hygiene, plaque control and nutrition.
- Providing fluoride therapy.
- Assessing and recording oral health conditions and plan treatments.
- Removing deposits and stains from teeth by scaling, root debridement and tooth polishing.
- Identifying and applying prevention strategies and control mechanisms for tooth decay and gum disease.
- Applying professional tooth whitening agents.
How to become a Dental Hygienist
To become a registered Dental Hygienist, you need to complete an approved qualification in oral health. After graduating, you will need to register with the Dental Board of Australia.
- Complete a qualification in oral health that has been accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC). This could be an Advanced Diploma of Oral Health (Dental Hygiene) (10926NAT) or a bachelor degree in oral health.
- Register with the Dental Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
- Renew registration every 12 months by demonstrating the mandatory continuing professional development (CPD), professional indemnity insurance, and recency of practice.
Compare your salary
Find out how your salary compares with the average salary for Dental Hygienists.Latest Dental Hygienist jobs on SEEK
Be one of the first to discover these recently listed jobs, or browse all Dental Hygienist jobs on SEEK right now.Did you find this helpful?
Skills and experience employers are looking for
Having the right skills and experience can make you an in-demand applicant. Dental Hygienist employers on SEEK are looking for job seekers with expertise in the following areas. Oral Health
Oral Hygiene
Dental Hygiene
Patient Care
Equipment Technology
Dentistry
Hygiene Services
Infection Control
AHPRA Registration
Orthodontics
Source: SEEK job ads and SEEK Profile data
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Latest Dental Hygienist reviews
Oct 2018
Dental hygien is not a great carrier choice anymore
Reviewer's QualificationBachelor of Oral Health
Experience5 – 9 years
Organisation sizeSmall (1-19 employees)
SpecialisationGeneral dental
The good thingsDental hygienists help people to achieve not only better oral health but improved over all health. Seeing patients with gum disease and guiding their healing while getting to know people personally is...
The challengesThe job opportunities are very limited for dental hygienists. The market is flooded with university graduates who can’t find jobs. The dental hygienists value to the dentists dropped significantly sin...
Read more
May 2021
Dental hygiene job is the most important role for long term dental success of any restorative treatment
Reviewer's QualificationDiploma of Dental Hygiene
Experience10+ years
Organisation sizeSmall (1-19 employees)
SpecialisationHygiene
The good thingsDental hygiene profession is a very demanding job.
The challengesPatience is a virtue so you need to have lots of this and dedication
Read more
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SEEK has not verified the truth or accuracy of these comments and does not adopt or endorse any of the comments posted on this page.SEEK collects and posts the comments for what they are worth and for information purposes only to assist candidates to find employment through www.seek.com.au
