Dental hygienists

NOC

32111

- Dental hygienists and dental therapists

provide dental hygiene treatment and services related to oral health promotion, and disease and mouth injury prevention.

Compare

View Snapshot

Full NOC Description

Dental hygienists provide dental hygiene treatment and services related to oral health promotion and disease and mouth injury prevention. They are employed in a variety of settings including dentists' offices, hospitals, private clinics, educational institutions, public health agencies or they may be self-employed. Dental therapists provide limited restorative dental treatment in addition to dental hygiene services. They are employed by the federal government and the provincial governments to provide services in rural and remote communities.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Dental hygienists

Conduct patient screening and oral health assessments, including taking vital signs and documenting patient medical and health history

Take dental impressions

Take and develop X-rays

Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, scaling, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications

Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health

Consult with dentists on patient care

May perform restorative and orthodontic procedures under the direction of a dentist

May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions.

May participate in community- or school-based oral health initiatives such as oral screening.

Dental therapists

Perform routine dental check-ups, oral cancer examinations and emergency dental examinations

Take dental impressions

Take and develop X-rays

Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications

Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health

Perform routine teeth restorations and uncomplicated extractions and provide post extraction oral care instructions

Refer patients to other dental professionals for care beyond the scope of the dental therapist

Provide oral health promotion activities

May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions

Also Known As

dental hygienist
dental nurse
dental therapist
registered dental hygienist

Requirements

Employment Requirements

Completion of a two- to three- year college dental hygiene program, approved by the governing board within the province or territory of residence, is usually required for dental hygienists.

Dental therapists are required to complete a two- to three- year college diploma from an approved dental institution program.

Licensing by the appropriate provincial or territorial regulatory body is required for dental hygienists.

Licensure is required for dental therapists in Saskatchewan, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Provincial Regulation

Provincially Regulated: Yes

Regulation Body

New Brunswick College of Dental Hygienists (NBCDH)

Employment by Sex

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

98.8%

Female

1.2%

Male

Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

3.6%

15-24

33.7%

25-34

22.9%

35-44

26.5%

45-54

12.0%

55-64

1.2%

65+

Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

0.0%

No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

0.0%

High School, Diploma or Equivalent

0.0%

Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

71.8%

College or University Below Bachelor Level

28.2%

University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

98.8%

Health care and social assistance

N/A

1.2%

All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

19.00%

Northeast

29.80%

Southeast

19.00%

Southwest

21.40%

Central

10.70%

Northwest

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$48,000

Northeast

$52,000

Southeast

N/A

Southwest

N/A

Central

N/A

Northwest

Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Occupational Profiles