Career Options

Dental hygiene program students and graduates often think of clinical practice in a dental office or clinic as a singular career path. For those with a passion for dental hygiene who do not wish to practice clinically, there are many career paths outside of the operatory available in education, research, administration, public health and corporate business. Below is a small sample of available career paths and interviews with dental hygienists who took their careers outside the clinic.

Corporate

Pharmaceutical Sales
Dental Supplies Sales
Dental Office Manager
Corporate Educator 
Dental Insurance Officer 
Hospital/Nursing Home Consultant

Education

Classroom Instructor
Clinical or Didactic Instructor
Laboratory Instructor
Educational Researcher 
Dental Hygiene Program Director
Dean

Public Health

Local/State Dental Public Health Officer
Community Clinic Administrator
National Health Service Corps Member