Healthcare
Dental hygienist CV: example and template
This example is for dental hygienists at clinics, private practices and children's dental practices, and for post-secondary school graduates looking for their first job.
The dentist or clinic manager wants to know which treatments you do on your own, how many patients you see, whether you run preventive care for children and how you keep things aseptic. We show you how to describe this on your CV.
How to write a dental hygienist CV
Professional summary
Write which treatments you do on your own, at what kind of practice and how many patients you see. Add preventive care for children, whitening and work with a periodontist, because clinics look for hygienists who run their own patient schedule. Describe oral hygiene instruction in detail, because it is the part of the work patients remember.
Post-secondary school graduate with a dental hygienist diploma after placements at a clinic. I do scaling and air polishing, give oral hygiene instruction and prepare the surgery. I am looking for work as a dental hygienist at a clinic with many patients.
Experience: duties and achievements
Describe treatments, the number of patients, preventive care for children, whitening and records. Show your work with the dentist and specialists. Add sterilisation and asepsis, because they are required at every practice.
Weaker: Removing tartar.
Better: Scaling, air polishing and polishing, about 10 patients a day.
Weaker: Children.
Better: Fluoride varnish and fissure sealants for children, preventive care in schools as part of the clinic's programme.
Weaker: Instruction.
Better: Oral hygiene instruction and choosing toothbrushes, floss and water flossers.
Skills worth listing
List treatments, preventive care, whitening, measurements, records and sterilisation. In your soft skills show a gentle touch, calm and talking to patients, because many patients are anxious about their visit.
Professional skills
- Scaling
- Air polishing
- Fluoride varnish
- Fissure sealants
- Whitening
- Sterilisation
Personal skills
- A gentle touch
- Calm
- Talking to patients
- Accuracy
- Working with children
Qualifications and training
List your dental hygienist diploma, training in new methods, for example Air Flow, and a first aid course. A hepatitis B vaccination is worth adding, because practices ask about it.
Dental hygienist CV with no experience
Describe your school, placements at practices and the treatments you did under supervision. Give the number of patients on placements if you know it.
Start at a clinic with several dentists and hygienists. Write that you want to train, for example in periodontics or preventive care for children.
Tailoring your CV to the job offer
A clinic with periodontics looks for measurements and work with gum disease, a children's practice for fluoride, sealants and a way with children, and a cosmetic practice for whitening and air polishing. Move to the top what the job ad is about.
Questions and answers
What should a dental hygienist put on a CV?
Your diploma, treatments, the number of patients, preventive care for children, whitening, hygiene instruction, sterilisation and training.
How does a dental hygienist differ from a dental assistant?
A hygienist carries out preventive treatments on their own, while an assistant helps the dentist during treatment.
Can a dental hygienist do whitening?
Yes, when a dentist orders it and supervises it.
Which training is worth listing?
Training in new methods, for example Air Flow, in periodontics and in first aid.