Dental Care Hygienist I (#X19A)
$12.08-$22.15 hourly / $2,093.99-$3,838.98 monthly / $25,127.84-$46,067.71 annual

Dental Care Hygienist II (#X19B)
$13.38-$24.53 hourly / $2,318.94-$4,251.39 monthly / $27,827.27-$51,016.65 annual

Positions within this job family are assigned duties and responsibilities which involve professional work in providing dental hygiene services, assisting a dentist in providing dental care and treatment, providing  dental hygiene examinations, or conducting health care education and training programs in preventative dental care and oral hygiene.

The functions within this job family will vary by level, but may include the following:

• Cleans, sterilizes and polishes dental instruments and arranges instruments in cabinets.
• Prepares patients for treatment; prepares trays of instruments and supplies.
• Cleans patients' teeth by removing lime calculus deposits, accretions and stains from exposed surfaces of teeth and directly beneath the free margins of the gum; gives topical caries prevention treatment to the coronal surfaces of the teeth.
• Performs functions such as dental charting, periodontal charting, classifying occlusions, treatment of dry sockets, preparing, placing, and removing peridontal packs, placement of temporary fillings, cleaning of removable prostheses, and removal of overhanging margins under close supervision and with specific direction by a dentist.
• Makes dental inspections; demonstrates, with models and other visual aids, preventive dental care to individuals and groups; participates in in-service training programs; prepares and delivers lectures on dental health before groups of school, civic and professional personnel.
• Plans, implements, and evaluates dental health education or prevention programs; provides consultation in dental care and oral hygiene; participates in the training of dental assistants and others in providing dental care and education.
  

Level I:   
Knowledge of principles and practices of dental hygiene; of the routine terms, instruments, supplies, equipment and procedures used in the operation of dental clinics; of types of sterilization and sterile techniques; of methods of processing and developing x-ray film; of oral anatomy and standards of oral hygiene; of practices of hygiene and nutrition as related to dental health; and of basic techniques of teaching.  Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; to plan, organize and give dental treatment and dental hygiene examinations; and to provide training and instruction in dental care and oral hygiene.

Level II:   
Those identified in Level I plus knowledge of the  prevention of dental disease; of current literature in the area; of education theory and techniques in the field of public health; and of the techniques and uses of visual aids.  Ability is required to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; to supervise and coordinate the activities of others; and to train and instruct groups.

The Dental Care Hygienist job family consists of two levels of work which are distinguished by the depth and breadth of accountability, the expertise required to perform assigned duties and the responsibility assigned for providing leadership to others.

Level I:   
This is the career level where incumbents will be assigned responsibilities at the full performance level, performing duties at all levels of complexity in performing professional dental hygiene work and may provide training or guidance to others in completing various dental care  or education activities.

Level II:   
At this level incumbents are assigned duties and responsibilities which involve  planning, implementing,  evaluating, or supervising  dental health care or  education and prevention programs.

Level I:    
Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of an Oklahoma certificate of eligibility  to practice dental hygiene from the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.

Level II:    
Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of those identified In Level I plus three years of experience as a dental hygienist, one year of which must be in a public health program or in planning and evaluating a dental program or teaching in a dental hygiene program in an accredited school of dental hygiene.