Dental Hygienist resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A dental hygienist resume that shows a full hygiene schedule, strong periodontal care and patients who come back — with the license, clinical and software keywords dental offices look for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Dental Hygienist resume example.
Emily Carlson
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
Denver, CO · emily.carlson@email.com · (303) 555-0156
Summary
RDH with 6 years in general and periodontal practices. I run a full hygiene schedule, explain treatment in plain words and help patients stay on track with periodontal maintenance.
Experience
Registered Dental Hygienist, Front Range Family Dentistry · May 2022 – Present
- • See 8–9 adult and child patients a day for prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance, fluoride and sealants
- • Take and review dental radiographs and record periodontal charting and oral cancer screening findings in Dentrix
- • Raised the practice's hygiene recare rate from 61% to 78% by booking the next visit before patients left the chair
- • Give local anesthesia for scaling and root planing patients under my Colorado permit
Dental Hygienist, Aspen Hollow Periodontics · Jul 2020 – Apr 2022
- • Provided periodontal maintenance for 6–8 patients a day in a 2-periodontist practice
- • Wrote a take-home guide for patients new to periodontal therapy as part of patient education at every recall
- • Followed OSHA bloodborne pathogens rules and CDC infection control guidance for instrument processing and operatory setup
Education & certifications
A.A.S. Dental Hygiene, Pikes Ridge Community College (CODA-accredited), 2020 · RDH license, Colorado · Local anesthesia permit, Colorado · BLS
Skills
Prophylaxis · Scaling and root planing · Periodontal charting · Dental radiographs · Local anesthesia · Fluoride and sealants · Oral cancer screening · Patient education · Infection control · Dentrix · Eaglesoft
Emily Carlson
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
emily.carlson@email.com · Denver, CO
(303) 555-0156
Summary
RDH with 6 years in general and periodontal practices. I run a full hygiene schedule, explain treatment in plain words and help patients stay on track with periodontal maintenance.
Experience
Registered Dental Hygienist — Front Range Family Dentistry
May 2022 – Present
• See 8–9 adult and child patients a day for prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance, fluoride and sealants
• Take and review dental radiographs and record periodontal charting and oral cancer screening findings in Dentrix
• Raised the practice's hygiene recare rate from 61% to 78% by booking the next visit before patients left the chair
• Give local anesthesia for scaling and root planing patients under my Colorado permit
Dental Hygienist — Aspen Hollow Periodontics
Jul 2020 – Apr 2022
• Provided periodontal maintenance for 6–8 patients a day in a 2-periodontist practice
• Wrote a take-home guide for patients new to periodontal therapy as part of patient education at every recall
• Followed OSHA bloodborne pathogens rules and CDC infection control guidance for instrument processing and operatory setup
Education
Pikes Ridge Community College (CODA-accredited)
A.A.S. Dental Hygiene · 2020
Certifications
RDH license, Colorado
Local anesthesia permit, Colorado
BLS
Skills
Prophylaxis, Scaling and root planing, Periodontal charting, Dental radiographs, Local anesthesia, Fluoride and sealants, Oral cancer screening, Patient education, Infection control, Dentrix, Eaglesoft
Why it works
It puts license and permits where a dentist checks first, shows the daily schedule and procedures in plain clinical terms, and proves value with a recare number — the measure practice owners care about most.
Use this as your starting point
Opens in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details and download a PDF or Word file free.
Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- New graduate
Newly licensed RDH from a CODA-accredited program, with clinical rotations treating children, adults and periodontal patients. Passed the NBDHE and my state's clinical exam in 2026.
- Experienced
RDH with 6 years in general and periodontal practices. I see 8–9 patients a day and raised the hygiene recare rate from 61% to 78%.
- Lead hygienist
Lead hygienist with 12 years in multi-provider practices who trains new hygienists, set up the office's periodontal protocol and coordinates schedules for 4 hygiene chairs.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Recare
Instead of: Scheduled patients
Write: Raised the hygiene recare rate from 61% to 78% by booking the next visit before patients left the chair
Periodontal care
Instead of: Did deep cleanings
Write: Performed scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance for 6–8 patients a day in a periodontal practice
Assessment
Instead of: Charted patients
Write: Recorded full periodontal charting and oral cancer screening findings at every recall in Dentrix
Radiographs
Instead of: Took X-rays
Write: Took bitewing, periapical and panoramic radiographs and flagged findings for the dentist's exam
Patient education
Instead of: Taught patients to floss
Write: Wrote a take-home guide for new periodontal patients that the practice now gives at every first visit
Infection control
Instead of: Cleaned instruments
Write: Followed OSHA and CDC infection control guidance for instrument processing and operatory setup
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for dental hygienists.
These come up often in dental hygienist job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
- RDH license
- Prophylaxis
- Scaling and root planing
- Periodontal maintenance
- Periodontal charting
- Dental radiographs
- Local anesthesia
- Fluoride
- Sealants
- Oral cancer screening
- Patient education
- Infection control
- OSHA
- Recare
- Dentrix
- Eaglesoft
- BLS
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for dental hygienists.
Put license and permits up top
RDH, your state, and any local anesthesia or nitrous oxide permits should be easy to find in your headline or right under it.
Show your schedule
Patients a day and the mix — adults, children, periodontal — tell an office manager how you'll fit their book.
Use a practice number
Recare rate, periodontal treatment acceptance or reappointment rate show your value to the practice.
Name the software
Dentrix, Eaglesoft and Open Dental are common in job posts; list the ones you've charted in.
Keep it clinical and clear
Use the standard terms — prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance — rather than "cleanings" alone.
How does your dental hygienist resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Dental Hygienist resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Emily's cover letter, annotated
What do I need for a dental hygiene license?
In general: graduation from a CODA-accredited program, a passing score on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, a clinical exam your state accepts and the state board's application. Check your state dental board for its exact rules.
Should I list local anesthesia and nitrous oxide permits?
Yes, if you hold them. States differ on whether hygienists can give local anesthesia or nitrous oxide and what permit they need, so name the permit and the state.
What should a new grad hygienist resume include?
Your program, graduation date, license status and clinical experience — the patient types you treated and procedures you performed. Earlier dental assisting or front-office work also helps.
Should I put my license number on my resume?
Usually not. List RDH and the state; offices verify the license with the state board. Add the number only if the posting asks.
How long should a dental hygienist resume be?
One page. License and permits at the top, then a short list of jobs with your daily schedule and one or two practice results.