Dental Hygienist Resume Samples (Guide & 20+ Examples)

Ready to clean the mouths of dental patients as if you’re in Victorian England and they just said a bad word? This guide shows you how to write the best dental hygiene resume ever.

Christian Eilers, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated 11/24/2023

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When you were a kid, one day while brushing your teeth, you stopped and thought: ‘Man, I hope I can make a career out of this!’

And you did. Nowadays, you not only know everything about dental hygiene, but you also help patients smile more brightly. You have every right to work with people who value your skills! It’s time to get a job at the best dental offices out there. Just write a dental hygienist resume that will put a bright smile on the recruiter’s face.

This guide will show you:

A dental hygienist resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a dental hygienist resume that will land you more interviews.
Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a dental hygienist resume.
How to describe your experience on a resume for a dental hygienist to get any job you want.

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Here are a few other resume examples related to dental hygiene:

Above was our version of the perfect dental hygiene resume example.

Dental Hygienist Resume Sample

Phillip Taylor

NYS Licensed & Certified Dental Hygienist

phillip.taylor@gmail.com

(347) 888-9517

linkedin.com/in/philliptaylor

Summary of Qualifications

Friendly and effective dental hygienist with over 3 years performing oral hygiene procedures and assessing oral health. NYS licensed and certified. Reduced patient stress by 50% through alternative chair-side procedures. Seeking to continue building dental skills by growing with Isthmus Dental as the lead dental hygienist.

Work Experience

Dental Hygienist
May 2017–June 2019
Happy Smiles, Astoria, NY

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Screened patients and assessed oral health and dental hygiene methods.
Provided routine cleaning and teeth polishing procedures during regular dental checkup visits.
Mentored and counseled dental patients on the importance of proper oral hygiene maintenance.
Performed deep cleaning and scaling procedures as necessary.

Key Achievements

Awarded the 2017 ”Best All-Around Dental Hygiene Procedure” from the Dental Hygiene Association of New York.

Junior Dental Hygienist
April 2016–May 2017
White Chompers Associates, New York, NY

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Reviewed patients’ oral health history and made appropriate dental hygiene recommendations.
Removed plaque and calculus from patients and performed periodontal debridement and root planing as required.
Used x-ray machine to take photographs giving a clearer understanding of patients’ tooth concerns and requirements.

Key Achievements

Implemented new chair-side dental cleaning method which reduced patient oral stress by 50%.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

New York University, New York, NY

Completion: 2016

Relevant Coursework: Periodontics, Dental Hygiene Procedures, Advanced Oral Hygiene, Dentistry & Public Health, Pharmacology, Dental Materials, History of Dental Health.

Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene

New York University, New York, NY

Completion: 2014

Relevant Coursework: Oral Anatomy, Principles of Dental Hygiene, Chemistry for Allied Health, General & Oral Pathology, Oral Embryology & Histology, Oral Communications, Pain Management, Radiology, Anatomy & Physiology.

Key Skills

Oral Hygiene Instruction & Recommendations
Periodontal Therapy
Intraoral Radiographs / X-Ray
Pain Control & Anxiety Management
Plaque & Calculus Removal

Licenses & Certifications

New York State Licensed & Certified Dental Hygienist
New York State Dental Hygiene Restricted Local Infiltration Anesthesia Certification
New York State Nitrous Oxide Analgesia Certification

Awards

2018 “Best All-Around Dental Hygiene Procedure” Award by DHANY

Memberships

American Dental Association (ADA)
National Dental Hygienists' Association (NDHA)
American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA)
Dental Hygiene Association of New York (DHANY)

Languages

Portuguese: Limited Working Proficiency

Time to cut your teeth on your own—

Here’s how to write a resume for dental hygienist jobs:

1. Choose the Best Format for Your Dental Hygiene Resume

You’ve got the skills, experience, and education to be an award-winning dental hygienist.

But none of that matters—

If you don’t format your resume in a way that keeps the dental office partner interested.

Follow these dental hygiene resume format rules:

Start with a phone number and contact info on a resume in the professional header.
Use visible headings to differentiate the various sections on a resume.
Use the chronological resume layout, as it is usually the best resume format.
Pick the best font to use for a resume, something legible and easy to parse.

Pro Tip: Should you send your resume in PDF or Word format? Unless the dental job ad requests one specifically as a Microsoft Word doc, PDF is always the better choice.

2. Write a Dental Hygienist Resume Objective or Summary

To start the written portion of your dental hygiene application, you need a compelling professional profile at the top.

Also called dental hygiene resume objectives or summaries, these are intro paragraphs of around 3–4 sentences, an elevator pitch, if you will. They give dental office managers insight into your oral hygiene experience and dental skills.

Which one to use?

A resume summary statement is for veteran dental hygienists. Here, you “sum up” your previous dental hygiene job experience and skills.

A resume objective statement is for newbies and those fresh out of dental school. With this one, you give your career goals in dentistry to replace your lack of experience.

Whichever one you use, give a key numbered accomplishment from your past to prove you’re a top candidate.

Pro Tip: Your resume objective or summary statement goes at the top of your resume right under the contact information. However, write it last. It’s an important statement to write, and this way you can determine what items to mention there as you complete the rest of your resume.

3. Create the Perfect Dental Hygienist Job Description for a Resume

Whether you’ll work at a small local dental practice or a large national chain, know how to describe work experience on a resume.

So—

Here’s how to add your dental hygienist job description to a resume:

Start with your most recent job and go backwards from there.
Put business position titles above dates of employment, the dental practice name, and up to 6 bullet points detailing your dental work history.
Use power verbs (e.g., administered, prepared, etc.) to start each duty.
Show off quantifiable achievements to verify your level of knowledge.

Pro Tip: Know how to tailor a resume to a job posting. Dentist employers hate generic resumes as much as the rest of them.

4. Make Your Dental Hygiene Resume Education Section Shine

One of the requirements for dental hygienist jobs is that they complete a dental hygiene specialized program, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree.

So—

Don’t go easy on your resume educational background.

Here’s how to nail the academic section on a resume for dental hygiene:

Like the work history, start with your most advanced degree and go back from there.
Include your degree, completion date, school name and place, and relevant coursework.
To really impress them, add extras such as Latin honors, minors, and publications.
Since you need to have completed a degree, don’t add a high school entry on your resume.

Pro Tip: Have a dental hygiene externship to add to your resume? Add it here in your education section, since it was part of your studies, rather than in your work experience section.

5. Highlight Your Dental Hygienist Skills for a Resume

Dental hygiene jobs will grow by 20% between 2016 and 2026 in the United States, alone.

That’s 41,000 new candidates fighting for your job.

So—

Show them you’ve got what it takes with the best dental hygienist skills resume section.

Here are several soft skills and hard skills you'll need as a dental hygienist:

Soft Skills and Hard Skills for a Dental Hygienist Resume

Prepare Patients for Oral Surgery
Oral Hygiene Assessments
Periodontal Therapy
Intraoral Radiographs
Anxiety Management
Perform Panoramic and Diagnostic X-Rays
Pain Control
Plaque Removal
Calculus Removal
Topical Fluoride
Provide Prophylaxis Treatment
Attention to Detail
Periodontal Charting
Dental Therapeutic Methods
Interpersonal Skills
Decision-Making Skills
Time Management Skills
Communication Skills
Technical Skills

But—

Instead of copying those skills right into your dental hygiene resume:

Make a list of skills (soft skills and hard skills) you have related to dental hygiene job positions.
Open up the original job ad for the dental hygiene role you’re applying for.
Find the best resume keywords to use by highlighting skills they’re searching for from the job requirements.
When you have a match between something you highlighted and one of the original skills you listed, put that on your dental hygienist resume.

Pro Tip: Dental care is changing. By 2040, researchers say that dentistry will probably become more integrated with general medical care. So, if you have medical skills outside of dentistry, it could benefit your chances at scoring the dental hygiene job interview.

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6. Add Other Sections to Your Dental Hygienist Resume

Every dental hygiene candidate has those above sections, as they should.

However—

It means you won’t be so unique if that’s all you include.

So, stand out from the rest of them by adding extra dental hygiene resume sections.

Here are a few ideal choices on a resume for dental hygiene jobs:

7. Attach a Dental Hygiene Cover Letter to Your Resume

Are cover letters important for dental hygiene jobs?

Absolutely.

Most employers want a resume, going so far as saying they’ll reject an application missing one for that reason alone.

Here’s how to write a cover letter for dental hygienist jobs that’ll put a smile on their face:

Sort out the format for a cover letter before you start writing.
The cover letter first paragraph should be a compelling introduction.
Explain any career gaps when talking about your experience and skills.
Throw in a few numbered achievements here, as well.
The cover letter closing paragraph should have a strong call to action.

Also, check out our posts on how long should cover letters be, best cover letter tips, and what to include inside a cover letter to really make a winning application.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget that following up on a job application might just be the thing that gets you the call for an interview. Speaking of which, get ready for the big day with our best interview tips!

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Got any questions on how to write a dental hygiene resume? Not sure how to talk up your dental skills, required certifications, or hygienic achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

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