How to hire dental hygienists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills. • Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist. • Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments. • Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease. • Expose and develop x-ray film. • Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease. • Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public. • Record and review patient medical histories. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, speaking, monitoring, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of medicine and dentistry and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $47.16 an hour ($98,100 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for dental hygienists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What dental hygienists do
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Record and review patient medical histories.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for dental hygienists
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +8% over ten years, much faster than average · about 15,000 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay dental hygienists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $132,690 |
| Washington | $131,160 |
| California | $124,930 |
| Oregon | $122,080 |
| Nevada | $115,290 |
| West Virginia | $73,840 |
| Mississippi | $67,280 |
| Alabama | $61,160 |
See dental hygienists pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Dental Assistants
- Surgical Assistants
- Medical Assistants
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Surgical Technologists
- Registered Nurses
- Respiratory Therapists
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Dentists, General
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.