Whether you are a seasoned professional or a fresh graduate out of college, it can be challenging to get a job in a high-paying organization. The job market is saturated with people who are looking for better opportunities which makes it harder for everyone to stand out.
Even though social media platforms have made a great difference for professionals, websites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed, resumes are still the best starting point to gear up for the dream job.
Dental hygiene can be a lucrative career choice for professionals who are inclined toward the profession and have the necessary skills to match their intent. Like other medicine, it is a necessity for many so there will never be a shortage of demand.
In this post, we will touch on the overall job responsibilities and obligations in the industry as well as a couple of resume samples to give professionals a clear idea of what is expected from them by recruiting managers.
The Responsibilities of Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists assist dentists in conducting the initial screening of a patient’s oral cavity. They are also responsible to carry out procedures to clean their teeth and helping them come up with a regimen. Ultimately, they are expected to educate and train people in proper teeth and overall oral care routine to lead healthy lives.
Here is a rundown of the details that are expected from a dental hygienist in a clinical setting:
- Making clients comfortable before and during the examination
- Sterilizing dental equipment and tools after every use
- Conducting preliminary oral screening and going through the history of the patients
- Identifying underlying problems with a patient’s oral cavity such as gingivitis, caries, periodontitis, and more
- Keeping patients’ teeth clean, either by removing plague through dedicated apparatus or by applying fluoride
- Demonstrating and educating all patients to keep a healthy oral cleaning routine, for instance when to brush teeth and how to do it
- Instructing patients before and after major procedures, like surgery
- Taking X-rays or dental impressions for diagnostics or sizing needs
- Assisting dentists in all matters, including recommending appropriate treatments for diseases
- Maintaining patient-related paperwork
This gives a gist of the responsibilities and duties that dental hygienists are entrusted with. Professionals should go through them and see what they can fulfill and what they need to work on. Ultimately, they have to perform them in an often high-paced environment.
Professional Skills & Experience
For many, it does not sound like much, but the assistive nature of the dental hygienist role needs the professionals to be on top of the developments and issues related to customer betterment and oral health.
In this light, many organizations, both public hospitals and private dental clinics, need people with a certain set of skills to perform all the duties.
In this section, we will take a bird’s eye view of the skills and requirements that employers prefer in their dental hygienists.
- Proven experience in a dental hygienist capacity and other related roles
- Both hands-on and operational knowledge of health and safety regulations
- Quite at home with maintaining and preparing dental equipment
- Superb communications skills, both written and verbal
- A friendly and accommodating personality
- Keen eye with attention to details
- At least a diploma in dental hygiene. Higher degrees are a plus
- Valid license to assist and practice senior dentists
This list can also be treated as a checklist. Professionals should go through it and see how many points they can easily mark off.
How To Create A Winning Dental Hygienist Resume
As mentioned in the earlier sections, even if professionals have all the necessary education, experience, and skills, they need to have a solid but succinct representation on a paper. This is where a winning dental hygienist resume comes into play.
The resume market is a cut-throat one, to say the least. Recruiters give no more than a couple of seconds to a resume before discarding it for good. That’s why aspirants need to have a solid resume on their side to make a case for them.
To help professionals better understand the nature and efficiency of a dental hygienist’s resume, this section is dedicated to the individual parts or components of a resume. If you are planning to research and write on your resume, it is best to start from here.
The Perfect Formatting
The formatting of a resume involves everything a resume stands for, from its overall structure and content to how it is all presented on the paper. This part of the dental hygienist resume is so important that nothing else matters in it unless this is done right.
Here are the key highlights to remember before starting to compose a resume:
- The header: It is the starting point of a resume. It has the name of the candidate, contact information, and address, if applicable
- Before moving on to other sections, it is necessary to differentiate between them through bold and clear headings
- There are many formats used in designing and writing a resume. Mostly, the chronological resume is favored by resume experts as it gives all the necessary information in an easy-to-follow manner
- Last but not the least, font size, style, and margin size. They are maybe the aesthetic part of the equation but they are important. The font size should be standard, 11 or 12 pt. The font style should be easy to read and nothing fancy or outrageous, unless you want to make a bold statement. Resume margins are standard at one inch for both horizontal and vertical margins
A Dental Hygienist Resume Objective or Summary
This is the bread and butter of a resume as most hiring managers go through it before shortlisting a candidate for a position. Resume objectives or summary should be compelling and thought-provoking. After reading those couple of well-researched and superbly-composed sentences, recruiters should be wooed.
This portion can be different for professionals based on where they are in their career trajectory. Those who have some years of experience in the field should go with a summary statement as it will summarize what they did and how they did it. For those who are still fresh out of college, a solid objectives statement would be a great way to go.
No matter which one you go for, you need to compose it in a convincing way to show the recruiters that you are the best candidate for the job.
The Perfect Job Description
Job description or work experience is a must for a dental hygienist position as it will give you the space to showcase what and how you have done in your previous role.
No matter where you are applying, it could be a small dentist shop or it could be large national healthcare organization, you need to be careful while creating this section.
Here are some fine points to help you breeze through this section of the resume:
- At first, comes the most recent role and then you will work your way back
- For every experience point, place the position title above the dates of working and the organization you worked for
- No more than six bullets for each role to describe your duties and obligations
- Using power verbs and rigorous language instead of squinting modifiers
- Rely on quantifiable achievements instead of mere description. For instance, show recruiters what you have achieved in a specific role instead of what your responsibilities were
The Education Section
Dental hygienists are expected to have a baseline diploma or degree in the relevant academic field before they can be considered for a role. Since most professionals have that on top of a couple of years of work experience, they must have a diploma in a specialized program, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree.
No matter how simple or straightforward this portion may seem to you, you need to make the best of it.
- Always start with the most recent or relevant academic qualification and then move from there
- Never forget to include the program, completion date, school, and coursework
- If you have accolades and honors under your belt, never be too shy
- No need to mention your GPA if it is below 3.5 scores
This will aptly cover your education section for the dental hygienist resume.
The Skills & Certifications Sections
There are many skills that dental hygiene professionals should have if they want to succeed in the market. In this section of the resume, they need to highlight everything that can make them a more suited candidate for the job.
Usually, a healthy blend of both core and soft skills can make all the difference.
Core Skills:
- Patient Preparation for Surgery
- Oral Hygiene Assessment
- Periodontal Therapy & Intraoral Radiography
- Diagnostic Skills
Soft Skills:
- Punctuality & Time Management
- Friendly Demeanor
- Conflict Resolution & Mediation Skills
- Strong Verbal & Written Communication Skills
The Cover Letter?
Just like resumes, many believe that cover letters have become an old-fashioned thing. This could not be farther from the reality as the majority of recruiting managers and hiring professionals prefer resumes that are accompanied by cover letters.
A cover letter essentially covers what is described in a resume, but in more depth and heft, thanks to its format. Candidates can better showcase their experiences and aspirations which will help them make their cause for the vacancy.
Here are some important tips for creating a solid dental hygienist cover letter:
- Choose the best format and overall style for the cover letter before you start writing
- The first paragraph should be the introduction of the candidate
- If there were any professional gaps or time offs in your career span, describe them here with reasons
- The concluding paragraph should have an impressive CTA for recruiting managers
Many online sources in this regard can help you with researching and writing a winning cover letter.
Dental Hygienist Resume Samples
To show candidates how they can compose a dental hygienist resume of their own, here are two different samples.
Entry-Level Dental Hygienist Resume
Header
Necessary contact information (Full Name, Email, Phone, Address)
Objectives Summary
A highly motivated and result-driven dental hygienist with strong foundations in the best practices. Provides superior client services with a friendly demeanor and improves the overall experience. Ambitious and excited for highly challenging roles to contribute toward the better oral health of clients resulting in more business for the employer.
Education
Associate of Dental Hygiene
Denver Community College
2017 – 2019
Denver, CO
Work Experience (Dental Office Receptionist @ Mighty Dental)
- Improved professional experience by attending seminars and workshops with interactive segments
- Investigated customer oral hygiene history and offered them better solutions
- Verified insurance credentials of clients for smooth billing and other financial obligations
Interests & Hobbies
I am interested in reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, and learning a new craft. Recently, I am trying my hand at carpentry and made several pieces for my family and friends.
Registered Dental Hygienist Resume
Header
Necessary contact information (Full Name, Email, Phone, Address)
Summary Statement
Experienced and highly driven dental hygienist with over 12 years of hands-on experience in the industry. Utilized modern dental practices to provide timely and reliable diagnoses and treatments. Possesses proven interpersonal skills to help clients feel at ease throughout the process. Eager to join a dynamic role to further improve my skillset and learn new techniques in the trade.
Education
Associate of Arts
Dental Hygiene
North Seattle Community College
2006 – 2008
Seattle, WA
Work Experience
(Junior Dental Hygienist @ Brandon Dental Care)
- Assessed and treated around 8 patients each day, including procedures and dental planning and execution
- Evaluated clinical findings and dental records to help patients with improved dental plans, resulting in a 17% boom in oral health
- Adjusted and optimized dental plans for patients with the assistance of senior dentists
(Senior Dental Hygienist @ Seattle Metropolitan Dental)
- Treated and provided dental hygiene to over 10 patients while meeting the quality standards of the clinic
- Identified oral health issues in patients from all age groups and advised them on appropriate regimens and treatments
- Awarded Employee of the Year for efforts in improving the patient satisfaction index, from 85% in 2019 to 97% in 2021
Concluding Remarks
A dental hygienist job can be extremely lucrative if a professional is highly trained and possess all the core and soft skills for the job. In this post, we have gone through all the major points of the journey, especially resume building with two distinct samples to chalk out all the details.
Before you start working on your resume, it is best to go through this guide to better understand each section of the resume as well as the big picture.
