dental hygienist

American

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

noun

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.

dental hygienist British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dental hygienist

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When I was accepted into graduate school at UCLA, I retired as a dental hygienist and moved in with Clark.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 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

Laframboise closed her phone and got on with her day, where she works as a dental hygienist in Montreal, Quebec.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2023

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

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023