dental hygienist

American  

[den-tl hahy-jee-nist, hahy-jen-ist] / ˈdɛn tl haɪˈdʒi nɪst, haɪˈdʒɛn ɪst /

noun

dental hygienists plural

1. a person who is trained and licensed to clean teeth, take dental x-rays, and provide related dental services and care, usually under the supervision of a dentist.

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dental hygienist British  

noun

1. Also called: oral hygienist.  a dentist's assistant skilled in dental hygiene

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dental hygienists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dental hygienist

First recorded in 1920–25; dental hygiene + -ist

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dental hygienist

Described here as a TV "showgirl", Minetti is also a qualified dental hygienist who in 2009 treated Berlusconi after he was physically attacked at a Milan rally.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Andrea was a dental hygienist and a mother-of-one, Nicola - a poisons information specialist and toxicologist - had two children and Morgan was an assistant supermarket manager and trainee firefighter.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025

After he divorced Jerry Hall, the model and ex-wife of Mick Jagger, in the summer of 2022, he became engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a retired dental hygienist, in the spring of 2023.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024

Carol worked as a dental hygienist and real estate agent, and Jon was the general manager of Chicago’s Union League Club.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2024

Maybe he was sitting in the diner with the dental hygienist.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo