Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)

Dental HygienistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$32-$42/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Southwest Virginia Regional Dental Center | Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS)

Pay: $32.00–$42.00 per hour

Are you a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) looking for a position where you can build meaningful relationships with patients, practice high-quality preventive dentistry, and make a difference in the health of your community?

Southwest Virginia Regional Dental Center, part of Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS), is seeking a compassionate and dependable Dental Hygienist to join our dental care team.

At SVCHS, our hygienists are an important part of an integrated healthcare organization committed to improving access to high-quality care throughout Southwest Virginia. You will work alongside dentists and other healthcare professionals in a collaborative, patient-centered environment while helping patients achieve better oral and overall health.

Why You'll Want to Work at SVCHS

Working at SVCHS means joining a healthcare organization with a strong community mission and a team dedicated to serving the people of Southwest Virginia.

As an SVCHS Dental Hygienist, You Will Enjoy

  • Competitive pay of $32.00–$42.00 per hour (based on experience)
  • A comprehensive employee benefits package for eligible employees
  • A supportive, collaborative dental team
  • Meaningful, patient-centered work with a diverse patient population
  • The stability of an established community healthcare organization
  • Opportunities for continued professional growth and development
  • The opportunity to make a measurable difference in access to oral healthcare in Southwest Virginia
  • A workplace focused on quality, safety, teamwork, and service to our communities

If you are looking for more than just your next dental hygiene job—and want your work to have a genuine impact—we would love to hear from you!

What You Will Do

As a Registered Dental Hygienist, you will provide preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services while educating and supporting patients in achieving optimal oral health.

Key Responsibilities Include

Perform routine dental hygiene services, including scaling, polishing, periodontal charting, root planing, and preventive care within the scope of Virginia law.

Conduct clinical assessments and document caries, periodontal pockets, and other abnormal oral conditions to assist the dentist with diagnosis and treatment planning.

Take accurate dental radiographs (X-rays) and apply cavity-preventive agents as prescribed.

Provide individualized oral hygiene education, home-care instruction, preventive education, and nutrition counseling.

Review and update patient medical and dental histories and obtain blood pressure and pulse readings as appropriate.

Administer local anesthesia and/or nitrous oxide when appropriately trained, certified, and authorized under Virginia requirements.

  • Maintain accurate, timely, and complete documentation in the patient's dental record.
  • Follow infection prevention, sterilization, OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogen, and universal precaution requirements.
  • Maintain clean, safe, organized, and patient-ready treatment areas.

Assist with dental hygiene supplies, equipment maintenance, sterilization processes, patient recall, and scheduling workflows.

Communicate professionally and compassionately with patients, families, dentists, and other members of the healthcare team.

  • Support dental hygiene students participating in clinical training when applicable.
  • Participate in team meetings and quality improvement activities.

Provide dental hygiene services under direct, general, or remote supervision when permitted and appropriate under Virginia Board of Dentistry requirements.

What We Are Looking For

Required Qualifications

  • Current Dental Hygienist license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • Current BLS or ACLS certification.
  • Ability to provide dental hygiene services consistent with Virginia Board of Dentistry requirements.
  • Strong clinical, communication, documentation, and patient-education skills.
  • Commitment to patient safety, infection prevention, quality care, and teamwork.

Preferred Qualifications

At least one year of dental hygiene experience.

Certification or authorization to administer local anesthesia and/or nitrous oxide, or willingness and ability to obtain applicable credentials.

Experience working with diverse patient populations or in a community health, public health, or safety-net healthcare setting.

A Career With Purpose

At Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, our mission extends beyond treating individual conditions. We work to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve by expanding access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare.

As a member of our dental team, you will have the opportunity to use your clinical expertise to help patients who may otherwise experience barriers to receiving essential preventive and restorative dental care.

Ready to bring your dental hygiene skills to a team where your work matters? Apply today to join Southwest Virginia Regional Dental Center and SVCHS.

Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal Employment Opportunity & E-Verify Statement

Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and to applicants and employees with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law.

Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems participates in the E-Verify program. All newly hired employees are required to complete Form I-9 and will have their employment eligibility verified through E-Verify in accordance with federal law.

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, all individuals hired must provide documentation establishing identity and authorization to work in the United States. SVCHS does not use E-Verify to pre-screen applicants and will not take adverse action against an individual based solely on tentative non-confirmation results.

Applicants requiring assistance with the application process due to a disability may contact Human Resources for support.

Key Responsibilities

The Registered Dental Hygienist will provide preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services, including scaling, polishing, and periodontal charting. They will also educate patients on oral health, document clinical findings, and assist the dental team in maintaining a safe and organized clinical environment.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a current Dental Hygienist license in the Commonwealth of Virginia and possess current BLS or ACLS certification. Strong clinical, communication, and documentation skills are required, with a preference for at least one year of experience.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Local anesthesia administrationNitrous oxide administrationPatient documentationClinical assessmentBlood pressure monitoring

Dental Hygiene Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$77k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $76k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Dental Hygienist listings this role was benchmarked against, 53% have no call, 48% require no weekends.

What does the Dental Hygienist market look like in Virginia?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$67k–$87kDental Hygienist median $130k (middle half $114k–$135k)22 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$76k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Dental Hygienist listings in Virginia180 active5,777 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 53% no call · 48% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia healthcare professional listings: 32% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 16% offer loan repayment180 active listings, Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Dental Hygienist Jobs

24 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

24 jobs · 17 employers
9
<$120k
7
$120k-145k
4
$145k-170k
4
$183k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs · 17 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
74%
Sign-on bonus
57%
Loan repayment
13%
Relocation assistance
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Dental Hygienist - Stillwater

Park Dental · West Lakeland, Minnesota

$60-$88/hr
#2

Licensed Dental Hygienist - Edinbrook

Park Dental · Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

$60-$88/hr
#3

Licensed Dental Hygienist - Riverdale

$60-$88/hr
#4

Licensed Dental Hygienist - Champlin

$60-$88/hr
+ 22 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 1.5
Better work-life than 20% of Dental Hygienist listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,151 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems logo

About Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems

Hospitals and Health Care
Meadowview, Virginia
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive employee benefits package
Supportive, collaborative dental team
Meaningful, patient-centered work
Opportunities for continued professional growth

Living in Saltville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$145k
Median resident rent
$645/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
86.4
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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