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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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32111.01 – Dental hygienists

Dental hygienists provide dental hygiene treatment and services related to oral health promotion and disease and mouth injury prevention.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Community dental hygienist
  • Dental hygienist
  • Orthodontic hygienist
  • Registered dental hygienist

Core competencies

  • Instructing to instruct patients in care of the teeth and mouth and its importance to prevent requiring significant corrective procedures
  • Social Perceptiveness to provide comfort to nervous patients, build rapport and maintain friendly conversation during appointments
  • Finger Dexterity to manually clean and stimulate the gums with precision instruments to prevent gum disease, remove stains or deposits from teeth to prevent tooth and root decay
  • Near Vision to closely examine patients' teeth to ensure deposits of plaque are completely removed and measure gum coverage to maintain accurate records
  • Attention to Detail to maintain and update patient records of tooth health, x-rays and personal information, ensuring significant changes are identified and investigated
  • Knowledge in Biology to understand signs of dental and oral diseases, and functions of teeth, gums and other oral tissues, to support dentists in the diagnosis of dental conditions and promote good oral health in patients

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Conduct patient screening and oral health assessments, including taking vital signs and documenting patient medical and health history
  • Take dental impressions
  • Take and develop X-rays
  • Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, scaling, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications
  • Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health
  • Consult with dentists on patient care
  • May perform restorative and orthodontic procedures under the direction of a dentist
  • May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions
  • May participate in community- or school-based oral health initiatives such as oral screening.

Additional information

No data has been provided for this section.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
  • Dental technologists and technicians (32112)
  • Dentists (31110)
  • Denturists (32110)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

32 – Technical occupations in health

Sub-major group

321 – Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)

Minor group

3211 – Technical occupations in dental health care

Unit group

32111 – Dental hygienists and dental therapists

Occupational profile

32111.01 – Dental hygienists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 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. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.