Dental Hygiene CV Examples & Template

Format and length

Keep your dental hygiene CV to two pages. Use reverse-chronological order: most recent role first. Open with a credential-stacked headline that front-loads your GDC registration and clinical focus (e.g. "Dental Hygienist | Periodontal Therapy Specialist | GDC Registered | 8 Yrs Experience"). This passes ATS scans and signals scope of practice at a glance.

Section order

1. Contact details and GDC registration line – Name, location, phone, email, LinkedIn. Immediately below, state "GDC Registration: [number] (Active)" and "CPR & First Aid Certified (valid to [date])".
2. Personal statement – 2-3 sentences summarising experience level, clinical strengths and career focus.
3. Skills – 8-12 hard and soft skills using correct dental terminology (see Skills section below).
4. Experience – Reverse-chronological roles with 3-4 quantified achievement bullets per position.
5. Education – Degree(s) in reverse-chronological order.
6. Certifications – GDC registration, radiography, local anaesthesia, sedation, CPR/First Aid, and any specialist courses with dates.
7. Additional information – CPD log summary, professional memberships, languages, volunteering (if relevant).

What to include in each section

Personal statement

Lead with your GDC registration status and experience level, then highlight 1-2 clinical strengths (periodontal therapy, paediatric care, infection control) and your career focus (NHS, private, specialist). Keep it to 2-3 sentences.

Experience bullets

Quantify clinical outcomes, not duties. Use patient volumes, percentages, and measurable impact (see Experience Tips below).

Skills

Use correct clinical terminology: supragingival and subgingival scaling, root planing, periodontal charting, BPE screening, fluoride varnish application. Name the practice software you know (SOE, Dentally, R4, Dentrix). Generic phrasing like "teeth cleaning" or "computer literate" undersells your competence.

Education and certifications

List your degree, then dedicate a separate Certifications section to GDC registration, IRMER radiography, local anaesthesia, sedation, and CPR/First Aid with dates. These are differentiators and ATS keywords.

CPD and revalidation

Include a one-line summary of your GDC Enhanced CPD hours logged for the current cycle (e.g. "GDC Enhanced CPD: 68 hours verifiable CPD logged, 2020-2025 cycle"). This reassures employers you can practise lawfully from day one.

Write outcomes, not duties

Recruiters want to see measurable clinical impact, not a list of tasks. Every bullet should follow the pattern: action + clinical detail + quantified result.

Before and after examples

Use clinical terminology

Avoid lay language. Say "supragingival and subgingival scaling" not "cleaning above and below the gumline". Say "root planing and root-surface debridement" not "deep cleaning". Say "periodontal charting and BPE screening" not "gum checks". Correct terminology signals clinical competence and passes ATS scans.

Quantify everything

• Patient volumes per week, month or year
• Percentages (e.g. "reduced periodontitis progression by 34%", "improved recall adherence to 89%")
• Numbers of referrals, treatments, or cases managed
• Revenue generated (for private/mixed roles)
• Compliance scores, audit results, satisfaction ratings

Action verbs for dental hygienists

Use verbs that reflect clinical precision and patient impact: performed, conducted, delivered, managed, identified, escalated, reduced, improved, achieved, maintained, introduced, designed, led, mentored, collaborated.

Make periodontal therapy explicit

Non-surgical management of gingivitis and periodontitis is the clinical heart of the hygienist role. Show BPE screening, structured perio maintenance programmes, and outcomes (e.g. "reduced moderate periodontitis progression by 34% through structured non-surgical therapy"). This distinguishes you beyond routine scale-and-polish work.

Surface oral health education

Patient counselling on brushing/flossing technique, diet, and any community or schools programmes you ran. Preventative education is core to the role and shows impact beyond chairside scaling. Quantify it: number of patients educated, schools visited, children treated, outcomes achieved.

Education

List your dental hygiene degree in reverse-chronological order. Include the full degree name (e.g. "BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Therapy"), institution, dates, and any honours or distinctions. Mention significant clinical placements if you are newly qualified.

Certifications that matter

UK dental hygienist roles expect post-qualification certifications that extend scope of practice. Dedicate a separate Certifications section and list each with the issuing body and completion date:

• GDC Registration – State your registration number and status (Active). This is the first thing recruiters check.
• IRMER Certification – Intraoral and extraoral radiography. Essential for most roles.
• Local Anaesthesia – Level 4 certification from RCS or equivalent. A major differentiator.
• Inhalation Sedation – Nitrous oxide certification (e.g. SAAD). Valuable for paediatric and anxious-patient roles.
• CPR & First Aid – Include the certifying body and expiry date.
• Specialist courses – EMS Airflow, motivational interviewing, advanced periodontology, infection control. Include dates.

GDC CPD and revalidation

The GDC mandates verifiable CPD for continued registration. Include a one-line summary of your CPD hours logged for the current cycle (e.g. "GDC Enhanced CPD: 68 hours verifiable CPD logged, 2020-2025 cycle, including courses in periodontology, motivational interviewing and air-polishing techniques"). This reassures employers you can practise lawfully from day one and are committed to ongoing professional development.

Professional memberships

List memberships of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), British Society of Periodontology (BSP), or British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) in the Additional Information section. These signal engagement with the profession and access to CPD networks.