NOC 32111: Dental hygienists and dental therapists
What dental hygienists and dental therapists do
Dental hygienists provide dental hygiene treatment and services related to oral health promotion and disease and mouth injury prevention. They are employed in a variety of settings including dentists' offices, hospitals, private clinics, educational institutions, public health agencies or they may be self-employed. Dental therapists provide limited restorative dental treatment in addition to dental hygiene services. They are employed by the federal government and the provincial governments to provide services in rural and remote communities.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Dental hygienists
- Conduct patient screening and oral health assessments, including taking vital signs and documenting patient medical and health history
- Take dental impressions
- Take and develop X-rays
- Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, scaling, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications
- Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health
- Consult with dentists on patient care
- May perform restorative and orthodontic procedures under the direction of a dentist
- May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions.
- May participate in community- or school-based oral health initiatives such as oral screening.
- Dental therapists
- Perform routine dental check-ups, oral cancer examinations and emergency dental examinations
- Take dental impressions
- Take and develop X-rays
- Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications
- Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health
- Perform routine teeth restorations and uncomplicated extractions and provide post extraction oral care instructions
- Refer patients to other dental professionals for care beyond the scope of the dental therapist
- Provide oral health promotion activities
- May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions
Job titles under NOC 32111
14 job titles are classified here, including dental hygienist, dental nurse, dental therapist.
- community dental hygienist
- dental hygiene technician
- dental hygienist
- dental hygienist technician
- dental nurse
- dental therapist
- expanded duty dental hygienist
- expanded duty dental nurse
- licensed dental therapist
- orthodontic hygienist
- periodontal hygienist
- registered dental hygienist
- registered dental therapist
- restorative dental hygienist
Employment requirements
- Completion of a two- to three- year college dental hygiene program, approved by the governing board within the province or territory of residence, is usually required for dental hygienists.
- Dental therapists are required to complete a two- to three- year college diploma from an approved dental institution program.
- Licensing by the appropriate provincial or territorial regulatory body is required for dental hygienists.
- Licensure is required for dental therapists in Saskatchewan, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Dental hygienists and dental therapists wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $32.00/hr | $45.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $33.00/hr | $45.00/hr | $55.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $30.00/hr | $39.00/hr | $46.19/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $43.59/hr | $55.00/hr | $65.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $54.00/hr | $60.00/hr | $81.04/hr |
Edmonton AB | $55.00/hr | $60.00/hr | $62.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $35.00/hr | $45.00/hr | $51.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $43.00/hr | $46.00/hr | $51.50/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $30.00/hr | $39.00/hr | $46.19/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $35.00/hr | $42.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $33.00/hr | $44.00/hr | $53.67/hr |
London ON | $35.00/hr | $40.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $35.00/hr | $38.10/hr | $44.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $45.00/hr | $53.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $26.44/hr | $53.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $26.44/hr | $51.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00/hr | $50.00/hr | $74.27/hr |
Nova Scotia | $35.00/hr | $38.10/hr | $44.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $35.58/hr | $42.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
Quebec | $30.00/hr | $39.00/hr | $46.19/hr |
Ontario | $33.00/hr | $44.00/hr | $53.67/hr |
Manitoba | $43.00/hr | $47.00/hr | $53.97/hr |
Saskatchewan | $26.44/hr | $51.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Alberta | $50.00/hr | $60.00/hr | $75.00/hr |
British Columbia | $43.59/hr | $55.00/hr | $65.00/hr |
Using NOC 32111 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 14 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (NOC 33100)
- Dental technologists and technicians (NOC 32112)
- Dentists (NOC 31110)
- Denturists (NOC 32110)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for dental hygienists and dental therapists?
Dental hygienists and dental therapists are NOC 2021 unit group 32111. Example job titles in this group include dental hygienist, dental nurse, dental therapist, registered dental hygienist.
What TEER is NOC 32111?
NOC 32111 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do dental hygienists and dental therapists earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $45.00/hr, about $88,000 a year full-time, with a range of $32.00/hr to $60.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.