The dental hygiene landscape is shifting amid legislative changes, salary inflation and workforce shortages.
Here are seven recent updates for dental leaders to know:
1. Dentist hygienist was ranked as the best dental job in 2026 by U.S. News and World Report.
2. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that would allow hygienists to practice without the supervision of a dentist.
3. The average nominal average wage for dental hygienists has increased from $18.40 in 1990 to $47.80 in 2024, according to data from the American Dental Association.
4. Barry Lyon, DDS, dental director for Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics and Dental Care Alliance, spoke with Becker’s about how a “multipronged approach” can alleviate hygiene shortages.
5. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association is pressing for dental hygiene to become a self-regulating profession.
6. Petoskey-based North Central Michigan College unanimously approved a dental hygiene degree, the school’s first for-credit dental offering.
7. Maine Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio prefiled a bill for the 2026 legislative session that would expand the scope of practice for independent dental hygienists.
