Dental Hygienist Resume Example That Passes ATS Screening
Dental hygienist resumes don't get enough attention, and that's part of the problem. Most hygienists submit resumes that could belong to anyone with the same license. But clinics care about more than your RDH credential. They want to know your patient volume, your retention numbers, how comfortable you are with periodontal cases, and whether you contribute to practice growth. This annotated example breaks down what a competitive hygienist resume looks like in a tight job market.
Full Resume Sample
Brianna Torres
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
Professional Summary
Registered dental hygienist with 6 years of clinical experience in general and periodontal care. Comfortable managing a full schedule of 8-10 patients daily while maintaining a 92% patient retention rate. Experienced with digital radiography, intraoral cameras, and laser-assisted periodontal therapy. Known for thorough patient education that improves home care compliance and reduces periodontal disease progression.
Experience
Dental Hygienist
Aspen Dental · Charlotte, NC · May 2021 - Present
- Provide prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, and periodontal maintenance for 8-10 patients daily across a mix of general and periodontal cases
- Maintain a 92% patient retention rate by building rapport and delivering consistent, comfortable care experiences
- Increased fluoride varnish and sealant acceptance rates by 28% through chairside education tailored to each patient's risk profile
- Trained 3 new hygienists on the practice's digital workflow, including Dentrix charting, digital radiography, and intraoral camera protocols
- Identified early-stage oral pathology in 4 patients during routine screenings, leading to timely specialist referrals and positive treatment outcomes
Dental Hygienist
South Park Family Dentistry · Charlotte, NC · Aug 2019 - Apr 2021
- Performed comprehensive periodontal assessments, prophylaxis, and patient education for a private general practice seeing 600+ patients monthly
- Implemented a recall system improvement that reduced no-show rates by 20%, helping the practice recover approximately $45K in annual revenue
- Assisted with practice transition to digital radiography, training front office and clinical staff on new imaging workflows
- Managed instrument sterilization protocols and maintained compliance with OSHA and CDC infection control guidelines during heightened COVID-19 safety requirements
Dental Hygienist
Community Health Center of Charlotte · Charlotte, NC · Jun 2018 - Jul 2019
- Provided preventive dental care to underserved populations including pediatric, geriatric, and medically compromised patients
- Treated 10-12 patients daily in a high-volume community health setting with diverse clinical needs and limited appointment times
- Conducted oral health education workshops in local schools, reaching 200+ children with cavity prevention messaging
Education
Associate of Applied Science, Dental Hygiene — Central Piedmont Community College, 2018 (Dean's List, Clinical Excellence Award)
Skills
Clinical Procedures: Prophylaxis, Scaling and Root Planing, Periodontal Maintenance, Sealant Application, Fluoride Treatments, Oral Cancer Screening
Technology & Equipment: Digital Radiography, Intraoral Cameras, Cavitron/Ultrasonic Scalers, Diode Laser Therapy, Dentrix, Eaglesoft
Patient Care: Patient Education, Behavior Management, Medical History Review, Treatment Planning Support, Anxious Patient Management
Compliance & Safety: OSHA Regulations, CDC Infection Control, HIPAA Compliance, Instrument Sterilization, Radiograph Safety
Certifications
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), North Carolina State Board · Local Anesthesia Certification · Nitrous Oxide Monitoring Certification · CPR/BLS Certified (American Heart Association) · Laser Safety Certified
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Check Your ATS Score Free →Why This Resume Works
Daily patient volume establishes productivity expectations. Dental practices run on patient throughput. Stating '8-10 patients daily' and '10-12 patients daily' tells a hiring dentist exactly what pace you can handle. Most hygienist resumes skip this, which forces the hiring manager to ask during screening calls - or worse, to assume you can't keep up with their schedule.
Retention rate directly addresses a dentist's biggest concern. A 92% patient retention rate speaks to both clinical skill and chair-side manner. Patients who return are patients who trust their hygienist, and for practice owners, patient retention is one of the main revenue drivers. This single metric does more work than a paragraph about 'excellent interpersonal skills.'
Revenue-linked contributions show business awareness. The recall system improvement that recovered $45K in annual revenue and the 28% increase in fluoride varnish acceptance show this hygienist thinks about practice health, not just clinical procedures. Dentists who own their practices are small business owners, and they hire people who understand that.
Community health experience adds depth beyond private practice. Working with underserved populations in a high-volume community setting demonstrates adaptability and clinical versatility. It also signals that the candidate can handle diverse patient needs and challenging clinical situations, which is attractive to any practice dealing with a varied patient base.
Section-by-Section Writing Tips
Professional Summary
Open with your RDH license, years of experience, and daily patient volume. Then mention your specialty areas (periodontal, pediatric, geriatric) and one metric that differentiates you. Dental practices get dozens of applications from licensed hygienists, so your summary needs to answer 'why this one?' quickly.
Experience Section
Quantify everything you can: patients per day, retention rates, acceptance rates for recommended treatments, and any revenue impact. Dental hiring managers are used to seeing resumes that just list duties. The ones that include numbers stand out because they show you track your own performance and care about the results.
Skills Section
Split clinical skills from technology and compliance. Many practices are transitioning to digital workflows, so listing specific systems (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, digital radiography) is important. If you have laser certification or local anesthesia authorization, make sure those appear in both your skills and certifications sections.
Education Section
An AAS in dental hygiene is the standard credential. If you graduated with honors or received clinical awards, include them briefly. Continuing education courses in periodontics, laser therapy, or specialized populations can be listed under certifications if they resulted in a credential.
ATS Keywords for Dental Hygienist Resumes
ATS systems scanning Dental Hygienist applications look for these terms. The resume above weaves them in naturally rather than listing them outright.
Common Dental Hygienist Resume Mistakes
Hiring managers reviewing Dental Hygienist resumes flag these problems repeatedly. Each one can knock your ATS score or land your application in the rejection pile.
- Writing a resume that reads like a generic dental hygienist job description with no personalized metrics or outcomes.
- Forgetting to list your state license and license number, which most dental practices verify before scheduling an interview.
- Not mentioning the practice management software you know, which matters because training someone on Dentrix or Eaglesoft takes time.
- Leaving out patient volume numbers that help the hiring dentist understand your pace and productivity.
- Omitting expanded-function certifications like local anesthesia or nitrous oxide monitoring that set you apart from other candidates.
- Failing to show any contribution to practice growth, patient retention, or treatment acceptance rates.