dental hygienist

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of dental hygienist

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

Example Sentences

"We have figures that suggest only about 17% of the UK population is aware of mouth cancer," said dental hygienist Alison Brown from the charity.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 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

First, dental hygienist Elizabeth Valdivia, who runs the program, sat down to talk about prevention strategies with Nelson, while Armani played with a wooden activity cube.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2023

The daughter of a Japanese immigrant father and second-generation Japanese American mother, Warashina moved from Spokane to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, planning on becoming a dental hygienist.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023

“My father ran away. He ran away with a dental hygienist named Lee Ann Dickerson, and he isn’t coming back.”

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo