Dental hygienist
Encourage children and adults to keep their teeth and gums healthy, and give people some dental treatments.
Also known as: oral health practitioner
About the job
What it's like
You would encourage children and adults to take good care of their teeth and gums. You’d give people advice and information and show them the best way to brush and floss to keep their teeth and gums healthy.
You’d also do dental treatments to prevent and treat tooth decay and gum disease, using a range of dental instruments.
You would:
Remove plaque
Clean and polish teeth to help prevent gum disease
Apply antibacterial treatments to reduce decay
Give local anaesthetic under the supervision of a dentist
Apply temporary coatings and sealants to protect teeth
Demonstrate good tooth brushing and flossing to individuals and groups
Keep the instruments sterile
Occasionally take x-rays
You could work in general dental practice, the community dental service and in hospitals. A dentist would supervise your work and a dental nurse may support you for some procedures.
You could work for the National Health Service (NHS) or in the private sector.You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the dental hygienist page on the NHS Careers website.
Hours
You would usually work between 8.30am and 5pm, with occasional evening and weekend duties. If you were based at a hospital, you could work shifts or be on call. Part-time hours and opportunities for self-employment are often available.
Environment
If you worked for the community dental service, you would see patients at home and at health centres. As a self-employed hygienist, you would often see clients at a number of locations.
Travel
If you worked for the community dental service, your day-to-day work would usually involve travelling between patients and health centres. As a self-employed hygienist, you would often see clients at a number of locations.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- dental hygiene
- oral health
- oral hygiene
- dental plaque removal
- coronal polishing
- fluoride treatments
- dental histories
- dental impressions
- biofilm
- scaling and root planing
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- time management
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- empathising
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Care
Chemistry
Human Biology
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You would need to do a course approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) such as the BSc in Oral Health Science (Hygiene and Therapy) (SCQF level 9/10).
There are three-year degree courses available at Dundee University, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Edinburgh University offers a four-year honours degree in Oral Health Sciences (Hygiene and Therapy).
To enter a Oral Health Science degree requires National 5 qualifications and a minimum of four Highers at B or above.
Edinburgh University offer the BSc Hons Oral Health Sciences. For entry you require four highers at BBBB including Biology. To enter the Edinburgh University course you would need to gain BBBB before the end of S5 or ABBB/BBBBB in S4-S6 with a minimum of three highers at B achieved in one go. Edinburgh do not require but strongly recommend gaining Advanced Highers or Baccalaureatte qualifications (SCQF level 7) as preparation for university.
You can also apply with:
A relevant Higher National Diploma (SCFQ level 8) in Dental Nursing or other science-based HND qualifications, provided you also have Highers at BB including Biology or Human Biology
Work-based qualifications such as a Modern Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing (SCQF level 7)
If you are returning to education with few or no qualifications you can complete a one-year Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) courses but you should confirm the SWAP course is accepted by the university before applying (the University of the Highlands and Islands lists accepted SWAP courses on their entry requirements)
Qualifications and experience that show understanding of health, wellbeing and care such as:
Foundation Apprenticeship in Social Services and Healthcare (SCQF level 6)
Relevant work experience
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
You may be called to an interview before entering some courses. You may also have to pass a health check and complete a full course of immunisation against Hep B, MMR and BCG.
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