Annual Salary
£28,000 to £43,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Dental hygienists give advice and treat tooth decay and gum disease.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; on a rota
There will be
4% more Dental hygienist jobs in 2027.
As a dental hygienist, you'll work with children and adults either on their own or in a group. You'll tell them how to take good care of their teeth and gums.
On a daily basis you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
You could work at a dental practice, in an NHS or private hospital or at a health centre.
You can get into this job through a university course.
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
When you apply for a university course, it might help to have some experience as a dental nurse.
You'll usually need:
To become a dental hygienist, you could start with the Dental Nurse (Integrated) Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
You could also do the Oral Health Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship if you already work in dental care and you're registered with the General Dental Council.
You would then need to complete further training in dental hygiene to become a registered dental hygienist.
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
You'll need to:
You will need to take a course approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) so that you can then register with the GDC.
You can find more information on becoming a dental hygienist and other roles within a dental team at Health Careers.
With experience or more training, you could:specialise in an area, such as children's teeth; become a manager of a dental practice; teach student dental hygienists; move into a related job, such as a dental therapist or a health promotion specialist; become a dental hygienist in the Royal Navy, if you're already registered with the General Dental Council
You'll need: