CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Dental Hygienists

The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants. Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
 
Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
 
Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
 
Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
 
Apply fluorides and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
 
Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
 
Expose and develop x-ray film.
 
Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
 
Make impressions for study casts.
 
Administer local anesthetic agents.
 
Conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.
 
Remove sutures and dressings.
 
Place and remove rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations.
 
Record and review patient medical histories.
 
Provide clinical services and health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients and the general public.
 
Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
 
Maintain patient recall system.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
Medicine and Dentistry Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
 
Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
Psychology Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
 
Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 
Sales and Marketing Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 
Biology Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
 
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
 
Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
 
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
 
Science Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
 
Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
 
Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
 
Persuasion Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
 
Finger Dexterity The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
 
Written Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
 
Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
 
Selective Attention The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
 
Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
Flexibility of Closure The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
 
Perceptual Speed The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
 
Extent Flexibility The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
 
Far Vision The ability to see details at a distance.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Tools/Technology Example Product Category
Dental billing software Accounting software
 
Dental charting software Medical software
 
Dental clinical records software Medical software
 
Dental digital radiology software Medical software
 
Dental imaging software Medical software
 
Dental intra-oral imaging software Medical software
 
Dental office management software Medical software
 
Email software Electronic mail software
 
Henry Schein Dentrix software Medical software
 
Inventory management software Inventory management software
 
Scheduling software Calendar and scheduling software
 
Voice-activated perio charting software Medical software
 
Web browser software Internet browser software
 
Word processing software Word processing software
 
Air abrasion equipment Dental laboratory air abrasion units
 
Air-driven dental polishers Teeth cleaning devices or accessories
 
Air/water syringes Teeth cleaning devices or accessories
 
Amalgam carriers Amalgam carriers
 
Angle formers Dental cutting or separating discs
 
Aspirating syringes Dental syringes or needles or syringes with needles
 
Autoclaves Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
 
Autoscalars Dental scalers or accessories
 
Bite wings Dental bite blocks or wings or tabs
 
Calculus explorers Dental probes
 
Caries detection aids Dental lasers
 
Caries explorers Dental probes
 
Cavitron equipment Dental scalers or accessories
 
Computer scanners Scanners
 
Cotton pliers Dental tongs
 
Dental chairs Dental examination chairs or related parts or accessories
 
Dental curettes Dental scalers or accessories
 
Dental lasers Dental lasers
 
Dental needles Dental syringes or needles or syringes with needles
 
Dental polishers Teeth cleaning devices or accessories
 
Dental x ray development equipment Dental film processors
 
Dental x ray machines Dental x ray units
 
Digital cameras Digital cameras
 
Digital dental x ray units Dental x ray units
 
Electronic blood pressure units Electronic blood pressure units
 
Electronic calculus detectors Dental hygiene instruments
 
Film badges Medical radiation films or badges
 
Hand scalers Dental scalers or accessories
 
Hollow handle scalars Dental scalers or accessories
 
Impression trays Dental impression trays
 
Instrument sharpening devices Dental instrument sharpening accessories
 
Intraoral dental cameras Digital cameras
 
Lead aprons Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
 
Manual blood pressure cuffs Mercury blood pressure units
 
Matrices/matrix retainers Dental matrices or sets
 
Mechanical mixers Dental amalgamators
 
Mechanical stethoscopes Mechanical stethoscopes or accessories
 
Mercury blood pressure units Mercury blood pressure units
 
Microscope slides Microscope slides
 
Motor-driven dental polishers Teeth cleaning devices or accessories
 
Nabers furcation probes Dental probes
 
Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG dental lasers Dental lasers
 
Nitrous oxide administration equipment Oxygen therapy delivery system products accessories or its supplies
 
Notebook computers Notebook computers
 
Oxygen administration equipment Oxygen therapy delivery system products accessories or its supplies
 
Panoramic dental x ray units Dental x ray units
 
Periapical films Dental radiology film
 
Periodontal probes Dental probes
 
Personal computers Personal computers
 
Portable dental x ray units Dental x ray units
 
Pulp testers Dental pulp or vitality testers
 
Retraction cords Dental operatory retraction cords
 
Rotating caps Attachments or replacement parts for dental instruments
 
Rubber dams Dental dam supplies
 
Saliva ejectors Dental saliva ejectors or oral suction devices or supplies
 
Solid handle scalars Dental scalers or accessories
 
Suctioning equipment Dental saliva ejectors or oral suction devices or supplies
 
Ultrasonic scalers Dental scalers or accessories
 
Ultrasonic sterilization units Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
Required Level of Education Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
 
On-Site or In-Plant Training None
 
On-the-Job Training None or short demonstration
 
Related Work Experience None
 
Related Work Experience Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
 
Required Level of Education Bachelor's Degree
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Dental Hygienist
Dental Nurse
Hygienist
Oral Hygienist
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Health Care
Job Family: Dental
Benchmark Title: Dental Hygienists
 
 
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