Dental Hygienists Are Making an Impact in Expanded Roles

Discussions about expanded roles in dental hygiene often focus on changes to the scope of practice, legislation, or increased clinical authority. While these conversations remain essential, they do not fully reflect what is already happening across the profession. Many dental hygienists are working beyond traditional clinical settings today, using skills they already possess. These roles are not theoretical or dependent on regulatory change. They exist now, but they are not always identified or labeled as dental hygiene positions.

Expanded roles in dental hygiene are best understood as new settings and applications of education, prevention, communication, and leadership. Recognizing these roles allows dental hygienists to identify viable professional pathways without leaving the profession or abandoning clinical practice. In many cases, dental hygienists working in expanded roles continue to practice clinically while also contributing in educational, interdisciplinary, or outreach capacities.¹

Expanded roles are not separate professions or alternative careers. They are extensions of clinical practice in which licensed dental hygienists apply foundational competencies, such as patient education, prevention, risk awareness, and communication, in broader contexts. These roles often appear under general healthcare or education job titles rather than dental hygiene-specific language. As a result, dental hygienists may overlook opportunities that closely match their education and experience simply because the title does not include the words “dental hygienist.”²

Dental hygienists enter the profession with a wide range of experience and educational backgrounds. Some may have decades of clinical experience, while others are still in the early stages of their careers. Educational preparation may range from an associate’s degree to a baccalaureate or master’s degree, and no single path applies to every expanded role. In some cases, existing clinical experience is sufficient. In other situations, dental hygienists may pursue continuing education, certificate programs, or advanced degrees to strengthen skills in areas such as education, public health, communication, or leadership. These decisions are individual and depend on professional goals and readiness rather than a single prescribed pathway.¹

Education and Health Communication Roles

Education has always been a central component of dental hygiene practice. In expanded roles, education extends beyond the operatory and may reach individuals, families, or communities before disease develops. These positions focus on improving health literacy, reinforcing preventive behaviors, and translating clinical information into clear and understandable guidance.³

Dental hygienists working in education-focused roles apply the same communication skills used chairside, but in broader formats such as group education, written materials, presentations, and community-based programs. These positions are commonly found within healthcare systems, public health departments, nonprofit organizations, community clinics, and educational institutions.²

Digital Education and Health Communication

Digital education has become an important extension of health communication in modern healthcare. Many dental hygienists now utilize digital platforms to explain preventive strategies, clarify misinformation, and address common oral health concerns in a clear and accessible manner. In these settings, education may be delivered through written content, recorded presentations, podcasts, or visual media. The purpose remains health literacy and prevention, not entertainment or self-promotion.⁴

Although job postings may not explicitly reference digital platforms, these roles often appear under broader titles such as health communications specialist, education content specialist, or patient education specialist. Dental hygienists are well-positioned for these roles because of their clinical background and experience in translating complex information into patient-centered language.³

Interdisciplinary and Healthcare-Based Roles

Dental hygienists also contribute to interdisciplinary healthcare environments that extend beyond traditional dental settings. These may include medical clinics, community health centers, geriatric care facilities, and integrated care programs. In these roles, dental hygienists focus on prevention, education, and communication rather than direct clinical treatment.

Responsibilities may include identifying oral systemic risk indicators, reinforcing preventive strategies, supporting referrals, and educating patients or healthcare teams about the connection between oral health and overall health.⁵ These roles rely on the dental hygienist’s clinical insight applied within a broader healthcare framework.

Curriculum Development and Educational Support

Some dental hygienists expand their professional roles through curriculum development and educational support. This work contributes to dental hygiene programs, continuing education providers, healthcare organizations, and community initiatives. Dental hygienists in these roles help ensure that educational materials are accurate, clinically relevant, and aligned with prevention-centered care.¹

These positions may involve developing course content, supporting instructional programs, or contributing to continuing education initiatives. While some roles require teaching experience or a graduate degree, many dental hygienists begin their careers through part-time or project-based opportunities.

Why Naming These Roles Matters

One of the greatest barriers to expanded roles in dental hygiene is a lack of recognition. Because many job postings do not include the term “dental hygienist,” qualified professionals may overlook positions that closely match their skills and education. Understanding how dental hygiene competencies translate across healthcare, education, and public health settings enables dental hygienists to identify opportunities that align with their professional goals.²

Expanded roles are not departures from the field of dental hygiene, they are an extension of it. They reflect the profession’s continued emphasis on prevention, education, and patient-centered care in settings where these skills are increasingly valued.

Conclusion

Expanded professional roles in dental hygiene are not speculative or dependent on future change. They exist today across various sectors, including education, healthcare, community outreach, and digital platforms. By recognizing how dental hygiene skills translate into these roles and understanding the titles under which they are posted, dental hygienists can expand their professional reach while continuing to advance the core values of the profession. In practice, these expanded roles are often posted under titles such as clinical or adjunct instructor, program director or manager, patient or health education specialist, sales or professional education representative, policy or advocacy consultant, content or media educator, or independent consultant, including dental hygienist-led consulting, education, or community-based mobile oral health programs.

References

1. American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Dental Hygiene Scope of Practice.
2. United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health Educators and Community Health Workers.
3. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health Conditions.
4. World Health Organization. Oral Health.
5. FDI World Dental Federation. Access to oral healthcare for vulnerable and underserved populations. Int Dent J. 2020;70:15–16.