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VUMC
Nashville, Tennessee

Dental Hygienist

Dental Top 25% in Dental HygieneFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency1 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world.

It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated.

It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday.

Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization

VMG Dental Assists & Hygienist

Job Summary

Conducts preventive, therapeutic, cosmetic and other dental services for patients with some guidance as prescribed by a dentist. Consults with dentist regarding unusual circumstances..

Key Responsibilities

  • Conducts oral health and hygiene evaluations.
  • Performs dental hygienist duties.
  • Prepares patient for procedure and/or exam.
  • Provides patient with instructions.
  • Maintenance and cleaning of equipment.
  • The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

Technical Capabilities

  • Patient Exam Room Care (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate patient exam room care in practical applications of moderate difficulty.
  • Dental Terminology (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate dental terminology in practical applications of moderate difficulty.
  • Sterilization Preparation (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate sterilization preparation in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.
  • Patient Documentation (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate patient documentation in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

Core Accountabilities

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge:

Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area.

Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively:

Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality:

  • Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications

Responsibilities

Certifications

LIC-Registered Dental Hygienist - Tennessee

Work Experience

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level

Less than 1 year

Education

Graduate of an Approved Discipline Specific Program

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.

EOE/Vets/Disabled.

Requirements

Must be a graduate of an approved discipline-specific program and hold a Registered Dental Hygienist license in Tennessee. Requires less than one year of relevant work experience.

Key Skills

Oral Health EvaluationDental HygienePatient PreparationEquipment MaintenanceEffective CommunicationCompassionate CareQuality AssuranceSafety ComplianceResource ManagementAdaptability

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Dental Hygienist at VUMC a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Dental Hygiene — ranked against 1,813 active Dental Hygiene listings on WeekdayDoc.

Dental Hygiene Career Context

Of the 50 active Dental Hygienist listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 32% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Dental Hygienist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 34 employers

14
<$110k
11
$110k-125k
8
$125k-140k
3
$140k-155k
3
$156k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks28 jobs

401k / retirement match
86% this job
Sign-on bonus
54%
CME allowance
36%
Loan repayment
4%
Relocation assistance
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Dental Hygienist

btyDENTAL WA Group · Everett, Washington

$60-$75/hr
#2

Registered Dental Hygienist

Shelton Dental Excellence · Shelton, Washington

$65-$75/hr
#3

Registered Dental Hygienist

$50-$75/hr
#4

Registered Dental Hygienist

$45 - $70/hr
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 6.6
Higher than about 8 in 10 of 1,813 Dental Hygiene listings

Listing-based score, 0–10. Shaded area = share of comparable listings scoring below this one.

Living in Nashville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$413k
Typical market rent
$1,834/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.3
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026).

BEA 2024 · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

VUMC logo

About VUMC

Hospitals and Health Care
Nashville, Tennessee
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Health insurance
Disability insurance
Retirement plan
Wellness offerings
Professional growth opportunities