Dental Hygienist Resume—Sample, Template, and 25+ Tips

You’ve seen what neglecting dental hygiene does to people’s oral health—Don’t neglect your career path. 

Lean on our skills as you take the next step. Show employers you’ve got what it takes with a dental hygienist resume that really hits a nerve.

In this guide:

• A dental hygienist resume sample better than most.
• How to create the perfect dental hygienist job description for resumes.
• How to write a resume for dental hygienist jobs that stands out.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a dental hygienist job.

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Looking for a different kind of medical resume? Looking to change careers? There are just some of our guides:

• Career Change Resume
• Caregiver Resume
• Dentist Resume
• Medical Assistant Resume
• Medical Receptionist Resume
• New Grad Nursing (RN) Resume
• Nursing Resume
• Nursing Student Resume
• Phlebotomist Resume
• Physician Assistant Resume
• Recent College Graduate Resume

Your job is not on the list? See our full list of resume examples.

Dental Hygienist Resume Sample

Now here’s how to write a dental hygienist resume they’ll love:

1. Choose the Right Format for Your Dental Hygienist Resume

Picture this: Your dream clinic, after hours. The hiring manager at her desk. She’s getting up, a pile of resumes in hand with yours on top... And putting them in the recycling.

It just didn’t look like a very professional dental hygienist resume. Make your resume format clean and organized. Here’s how:

Dental Hygienist Resume Format

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format to show your most recent stuff first.
• Pick a clean-looking resume font like a Noto in 11–12 pt.
• Leave the margins of your resume at one inch and leave plenty of bright white space.
• Submit a one-page resume. Two-page resumes are fine if you have 20 years or more experience.
• Include at least these sections: Resume Header, Profile (Object or Summary), Experience, Education, and Skills.

When it comes to saving and sending your resume always check the job ad for a preferred resume file format before going with PDF.

Some companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) that can’t process PDF and will therefore ask specifically for a Word Doc or another file format. 

2. Start With a Winning Smile of a Dental Hygienist Resume Objective or Summary

The best way to start a resume for dental hygienist jobs? With a quick, concrete, and convincing resume profile.

Been working as a dental hygienist for a year or more? Write a resume summary for your profile. It’ll let you make the most of that experience.

Use:

1. One adjective (dedicated, reliable, friendly)
2. Job title (Dental Hygienist)
3. Years of experience (1+, 3+)
4. How you’ll help (provide excellent dental care)
5. Two or three of your most relevant achievements (exposed and developed 100+ dental radiographs using both traditional and digital radiographic technologies, created spreadsheet-based systems for setting and monitoring monthly treatment production goals, increasing throughput by 5–10% over 18 months)

These dental hygienist resume examples show how:

Dental Hygienist Resume Samples—Resume Summary

Dedicated dental hygienist with 5+ years’ experience, skilled in patient anxiety management. Seeking opportunity to provide excellent patient care at ABC Dental. At Allied Health, saw 13% more patients than the three other dental hygienists and achieved a 93% treatment acceptance rate.

Dental hygienist with 5 years’ experience. Seeking opportunity to join an easy going and supportive team at a clinic that offers a decent benefits package. At Allied Health, maintained a full patient schedule and designed and implemented individual treatment plans.

The first of those dental hygienist resume samples does two things really well. It puts numbers to duties, basically turning them into accomplishments and it limits itself to discussing what the candidate can do for the employer, not what they expect to get from the employer.

Writing an entry-level dental hygienist resume with little or no experience? Write a resume objective for your profile and talk up achievements from non-dental hygienist jobs that prove your skills.

Dental Hygienist Resume Objective—Examples

Passionate dental hygienist with 10+ months’ experience, skilled in patient anxiety management. Seeking opportunity to provide excellent patient care at ABC Dentists. At Chair Side Dental, instructed patients on oral hygiene, achieving 65–75% adherence to recommended oral care regimes and administered 330+ topical fluoride treatments.

Very little experience working as a dental hygienist, but it’s already clear that I’m pretty good with patients. Looking for something close to home, can’t do Tuesdays.

That first dental hygienist resume example really impresses, masses of experience or no. It’s OK to estimate the numbers associated with your achievements—Just make sure you keep it realistic and be ready to explain your estimates.

Struggling to get your resume profile just right? Leave it for now and come back to it right at the end. It’ll be much easier once you have your job descriptions and skills done.

3. Create the Perfect Dental Hygienist Job Description and Skills Sections

Don’t bother listing your duties. Employers already know what a dental hygienist does. Instead, focus on what you were able to achieve for your previous employer.

Make your resume work experience section a showcase of dental hygienist accomplishments.

How to write a job description for dental hygienists:

1. Take a minute to re-read the job ad.
2. Spot the dental hygienist skills and duties.
3. Think over times you used those skills to impress your employer.
4. Write resume bullet points that put numbers to those times.

These dental hygienist resume examples show how:

Dental Hygienist Resume Example: Job Description

Dental Hygienist

Allied Health, Astoria, NY

July 2019–present

• Maintained a full patient schedule, seeing 13% more patients than the three other dental hygienists.
• Designed and implemented individual treatment plans, achieving a 93% treatment acceptance rate.
• Scheduled appointments and coordinated treatment plans for up to 12 patients per day.
• Used x-rays to identify at least 97% of cases requiring urgent medical attention.

Dental Hygienist

Allied Health, Astoria, NY

2019–present

• Maintained a full patient schedule.
• Designed and implemented individual treatment plans.
• Scheduled appointments and coordinated treatment plans.
• Used x-rays to identify cases requiring urgent medical attention.

A list of accomplishments is always going to be more effective than a list of duties.

Don’t have the work history to pull this off? Introduce relevant accomplishments from non-dental hygienist jobs.

Before you move on, it’s time to select skills to put on a resume. But flooding the page with dental hygienist skills is not the way to go: Quality trumps quantity every time. Aim to cover all the skills alluded to in the job ad.

Dental Hygienist Skills for a Resume

Hard skills

• Oral hygiene assessment
• Anxiety management
• Dental health evaluation
• Anatomy and physiology
• Calculus removal
• Advanced oral care
• Intraoral radiology
• Periodontal charting
• Plaque removal
• Scheduling return visits

Soft skills

• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Record keeping
• Critical thinking
• Compassion
• Attention to detail
• Decision making

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4. Turn Boring Education Into a Reason to Hire You

The road to becoming a dental hygienist takes years and varies state-to-state. Do it justice—No resume for dental hygienist jobs is complete without it.

First, list degrees (with majors), schools, and graduation years. Then, add bullet points that prove key skills. Save state and federal certifications and things like your anesthesia certification for another section.

This dental hygienist resume example shows how:

Sample Dental Hygienist Resume—Education Section

Bachelor of Science in Applied Science (Dental Hygiene)

York University, Astoria, NY

2011–2015

• Pursued a passion for anatomy and physiology coursework.
• Graduated with a 3.88 GPA.

Short on dental hygienist experience?

Lengthen your education section to encompass projects, classes, and accomplishments that show dental hygienist traits like interpersonal skills and attention to detail.

5. Inject Your Dental Hygienist Resume With Added Sections

Standing out and getting ahead is going to be difficult if you limit yourself to just experience, education, and skills sections.

So add one or two extra sections, like:

• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Classes Taken
• Awards
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering
• Certifications
• Professional References

These two dental hygienist resume examples show yes vs no:

Dental Hygienist Resume Template—Extra Sections

Professional Memberships

• American Dental Association (ADA)
• Dental Hygiene Association (DHA)
• American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA)

Languages

• English – native proficiency
• German – communicative

Professional Memberships

• ADA, DHA, ADHA

Hobbies and Interests

• Collecting antique soda bottles
• Making hard candy
• Reviewing chewing tobacco

Hobbies and interests can make for a great addition to a dental hygienist resume, but every single thing you add has to be directly relevant to the job ad.

Nearly there, one last thing: Have you been asked not to include a cover letter?

If not, then your dental hygienist resume is likely to be ignored without one. Learn how to write a cover letter that shows off your determination and experience, and the job is bound to be yours. 

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Key Points

For a dental hygienist resume that gets interviews:

• Use the dental hygienist resume template up top. It’s as clean and organized as a pristine dentist’s office.
• Put dental hygienist achievementsin your resume profile, work experience, and education sections to show you’ve got a proven track record.
• Pick the right dental hygienist skills. There’s no need to guess what those might be—just check the job ad, it should all be laid out right there.
• Write a dental hygienist cover letter. Use it to put your passion for the work out there while you make a strong case for being invited for an interview.

Not sure how to make sense of all these dental hygienist resume samples? Got some advice for those just getting started? Leave your comments and questions down below.

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