Happy Holidays!

Wake Tech is closed December 24 through January 4 for winter break and will reopen January 5. Prospective students can still apply for enrollment online during the break, and continuing students can register for Spring semester classes, which start January 7.

Credit Programs

Dental Hygiene

Career Explorer

Job Description

Dental Hygienists perform oral health assessments, provide nutritional counseling and promote self-care programs to prevent oral disease. They also treat patients by cleaning teeth and placing dental sealants.

A person in this career:

  • Instructs patients on preventive care at home
  • Processes X-rays and prepares diagnostic aids
  • Removes deposits from teeth and applies sealants and fluoride to prevent decay
  • Performs oral cancer and blood pressure screenings
  • Places and removes temporary fillings, removes periodontal dressings and removes sutures
  • Administers medication prescribed by the dentist
  • Records oral conditions
  • May administer CPR

Working conditions and physical demands:

  • Physical abilities sufficient to move around rooms in the dental environment
  • Maneuver in small places
  • Work in enclosed spaces
  • Sit and work chair-side for long periods, reaching for equipment
  • Interact with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds
  • Use sharp hand instruments requiring repetitive, coordinated hand movements
  • Utilize hands, wrists, neck, shoulders and back for at least eight hours per day

Working in this career involves:

  • Communicating clearly enough to be able to be understood by others and understand them
  • Seeing clearly enough to see fine details
  • Hearing a variety of sounds at various pitches, with background noise present

Work hours and travel:

Regular working hours and limited travel

Salary information:

Career at a Glance

Salary Range
$77,500 - $100,000+

Skills Needed
Enjoy working with people
Enjoy hands-on patient care
Good problem-solving and communication skills
Organized and motivated

Job Duties
Performs oral health assessments
Takes and processes dental X-rays
Provides self–care programs to prevent disease
Provide treatment to patients to include cleaning teeth and placing sealants

Work Locations
Dental offices
Public health departments
Hospitals
Dental clinics