Northwest Michigan Health Services logo
Northwest Michigan Health Services
Traverse City, Michigan

Registered Dental Hygienist

DentalFull-Time

Listed compensation

$39-$45/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Dental Hygienist – Leave the Pressure of Private Practice Behind

Traverse City, Michigan | Full time or Part-Time Opportunities Available

Are you a Dental Hygienist who loves patient care but is tired of the production pressure, limited benefits, and demanding schedule of private practice?

At Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. (NMHSI), you can focus on what brought you to dentistry in the first place—helping people improve their health and quality of life.

For more than 50 years, NMHSI has served communities across Northwest Michigan as a nonprofit community health center, providing compassionate, high-quality care to patients who may otherwise go without. We're seeking a caring and skilled Registered Dental Hygienist to join our Traverse City dental team.

Why Make the Move to NMHSI?

Mission-Driven Work Make a meaningful impact by serving individuals and families who truly need access to quality dental care.

Work-Life Balance Looking for fewer days each week? We offer flexible scheduling options that may be ideal for hygienists seeking part-time work and greater balance.

Excellent Benefits Unlike many private practices, NMHSI offers a comprehensive benefits package available 30 days after employment.

Collaborative Healthcare Environment Work alongside dental, medical, and behavioral health professionals who share a commitment to whole-person care.

Focus on Patient Care, Not Production Spend your time educating, preventing disease, and improving health outcomes—not worrying about sales goals or production quotas.

What You'll Do

As a Dental Hygienist, you'll provide preventive and therapeutic dental services while helping patients build lifelong oral health habits.

Responsibilities Include

  • Prophylaxis and periodontal therapy
  • Fluoride and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) applications
  • Oral cancer screenings and dental screenings
  • Oral hygiene instruction and patient education
  • Nutrition and tobacco cessation counseling
  • Treatment plan and appointment education
  • Accurate documentation, ICD-10 coding, and UDS compliance
  • Infection control, sterilization, and OSHA compliance
  • Participation in quality improvement and continuing education activities
  • Collaboration with integrated healthcare teams to support total body health

What We're Looking For

Required

  • Current Michigan Registered Dental Hygienist license
  • Current CPR certification
  • Up-to-date continuing education requirements
  • Knowledge of OSHA, infection control, sterilization, PPE, and safety protocols
  • Strong communication and patient education skills
  • Compassion for serving diverse and underserved populations

You'll thrive here if you're patient-focused, culturally sensitive, community-minded, and committed to helping individuals overcome barriers to care.

Outstanding Benefits

Eligible Employees Enjoy

  • Medical coverage through BCBS or BCN
  • Health Savings Account with employer contribution
  • Employer-paid life insurance
  • Employer-sponsored disability coverage
  • 11 paid holidays
  • Generous Paid Time Off
  • 401(k) with Roth option and employer match

Join a Team That Makes a Difference

At NMHSI, every patient interaction is an opportunity to improve lives. If you're ready to leave behind the stress of private practice and join a supportive, mission-focused organization that values both its patients and its employees, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and discover a career where compassion, community, and quality care come first.

Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Responsibilities

The Registered Dental Hygienist will provide preventive and therapeutic dental services, including prophylaxis, periodontal therapy, and oral cancer screenings. They will also educate patients on oral hygiene, nutrition, and tobacco cessation while maintaining accurate clinical documentation and compliance with safety protocols.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a current Michigan Registered Dental Hygienist license and current CPR certification. Strong communication skills and a commitment to serving diverse populations are required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Fluoride applicationNutrition counselingTreatment planning

Dental Hygiene Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Michigan is 96.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$87k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $91k in an average-cost state. 61.8% of Michigan clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Dental Hygienist listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 23% have no call, 78% require no weekends.

Top Dental Hygienist Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution32 jobs · 22 employers

12
<$100k
6
$100k-115k
7
$115k-130k
5
$130k-145k
2
$156k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks29 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
90% this job
CME allowance
52% this job
Sign-on bonus
41%
Loan repayment
10%
Relocation assistance
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Dental Hygienist

Independence Dental Services LP · Chicago, Illinois

$75/hr
#2

Dental Hygienist

Platinum Dental Services · Colorado Springs, Colorado

$65-$75/hr
#3

Dental Hygienist (RDH)$10,000 Sign On Bonus!

$60-$65/hr
#4

Dental Hygienist

$60-$65/hr
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 2.8
Better work-life than 40% of Dental Hygienist listings

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

  • On-site

Living in Traverse City

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$441k
Typical market rent
$1,888/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
93.4
State income tax
Up to 4.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Traverse City, MI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Northwest Michigan Health Services logo

About Northwest Michigan Health Services

Hospitals and Health Care
Traverse City, Michigan
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Coverage (BCBS or BCN)
Health Savings Account with Employer Contribution
Employer-Paid Life Insurance
Employer-Sponsored Disability Coverage
11 Paid Holidays
Generous Paid Time Off
401(k) with Roth Option and Employer Match
Flexible Scheduling