BETA
Updated: Feb 6
BETA
Updated: Feb 6
Stable
Last Update: 11/21/2025
Your role’s AI Resilience Score is
78.9%
Median Score
Changing Fast
Evolving
Stable
What does this resilience result mean?
These roles are expected to remain steady over time, with AI supporting rather than replacing the core work.
AI Resilience Report for
Dental Hygienists
They clean teeth, check for dental issues, and teach people how to take care of their teeth and gums.
Summary
The career of a dental hygienist is labeled as "Evolving" because AI tools are starting to handle routine tasks like appointment scheduling and analyzing X-ray images. However, the personal, caring parts of the job, like examining patients and performing cleanings, still rely on human skills and empathy.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoSummary
The career of a dental hygienist is labeled as "Evolving" because AI tools are starting to handle routine tasks like appointment scheduling and analyzing X-ray images. However, the personal, caring parts of the job, like examining patients and performing cleanings, still rely on human skills and empathy.
Read full analysisContributing Sources
AI Resilience
All scores are converted into percentiles showing where this career ranks among U.S. careers. For models that measure impact or risk, we flip the percentile (subtract it from 100) to derive resilience.
CareerVillage.org's AI Resilience Analysis
AI Task Resilience
Stable85.8%
85.8%
Microsoft's Working with AI
AI Applicability
Stable84.3%
84.3%
Anthropic's Economic Index
AI Resilience
Stable99%
99%
Will Robots Take My Job
Automation Resilience
Evolving57.0%
57.0%
High Demand
Labor Market Outlook
We use BLS employment projections to complement the AI-focused assessments from other sources.
Learn about this scoreGrowth Rate (2024-34):
7.0%
Growth Percentile:
85.7%
Annual Openings:
15.3
Annual Openings Pct:
63.2%
Analysis of Current AI Resilience
Dental Hygienists
Updated Quarterly • Last Update: 11/21/2025
State of Automation & Augmentation
In dental offices, many computer tools already handle routine tasks. For example, AI-driven scheduling software can send appointment reminders and automatically book patients, freeing staff from repetitive calls [1]. Digital X-rays are now common, and AI programs can flag spots that might be cavities or gum disease on those images [2].
Voice-recognition and charting software can help fill out medical records too [1]. However, the hands-on parts of a hygienist’s job remain mainly human. Checking the neck for swollen glands or probing gums for pockets requires a gentle touch and judgment that machines don’t have.
In short, AI helps with paperwork and image analysis [1] [2], but the personal exam and care – the part where the hygienist needs skill and empathy – are still done by people [2] [2].
Sources
AI Adoption
How fast this tech spreads depends on costs, benefits, and trust. Many dental practices are small businesses, so the price of new AI tools matters. Surveys find that about 59% of dentists worry about the cost of buying and updating AI systems [3].
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association also notes that paying for AI tech is a common concern [1]. By comparison, hiring a hygienist is expensive too – the typical U.S. hygienist earns about $94,300 a year [4] – so offices compare the cost of AI versus paying staff. Some clinics are already using AI: one Swiss study found about 22% of dentists were using AI tools at least weekly [3].
Other factors matter too. Professional groups are setting standards to make sure AI is used safely. For instance, the American Dental Association has issued guidance on AI use in imaging and patient records to ensure accuracy, transparency, and fairness [5].
In practice, patients and hygienists still trust the human touch: experts emphasize that AI should assist the dental team, not replace personal care [5] [2]. Overall, simple tasks like reminders or data entry may become more automated, but the skilled, caring work of a dental hygienist – talking with patients, doing gentle cleanings, and using tools by hand – remains central to good care [2] [5].
Sources
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More Career Info
Career: Dental Hygienists
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$94,260
Jobs (2024)
221,600
Growth (2024-34)
+7.0%
Annual Openings
15,300
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
2
Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
3
Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
4
Administer local anesthetic agents.
5
Remove sutures and dressings.
6
Expose and develop x-ray film.
7
Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
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