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City of Kansas City
Joplin, Missouri

Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)

Dental HygienistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Job Type: Staff

Job Description

Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine seeks a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in Joplin, Missouri. The RDH will be responsible for general clinic administrative work, maintenance and support of the clinical faculty, dental students and performance of clinical dental hygiene procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Practices clinical dental hygiene according to the Missouri Dental Practice Act

Administers Local Anesthesia and Takes of Radiographs

Maintains patient records using an electronic health record, including documenting examination findings, procedures, and clinical recommendations

Sterilizes dental instruments and equipment, restock treatment areas, and maintain materials and supplies as needed

  • Participates in maintenance of patient safety and quality assurance measures
  • Serves as educator and mentor to students
  • Delivers all levels of clinical instruction and supervision for pre-doctoral students
  • Teaches, oversees, and assesses students in the clinical and community settings
  • Coordinates and maintains patient flow through the oral health screening process
  • Educates patients, parents, guardians and school personnel on various oral health topics
  • Conducts and supervises oral health screenings and delivers screening results
  • Participates in the advancement of the Score 1 for Health Program and other oral health community outreach programs
  • Ensures adherence to all regulatory governance, universal precautions, and/or standard protocols
  • Makes certain safety protocols are followed and with federal regulations

Qualifications

Active Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) licensure in the state of Missouri that includes permits for infiltration and block anesthesia as a registered dental hygienist by the Missouri Dental Board

  • Bachelor's degree in dental hygiene required
  • Clinical dental hygiene experience for 3-5 years, and a nitrous oxide permit
  • Education in addition to the dental hygiene degree to include public health, community engagement, or other relevant training preferred
  • One-year experience as an RDH in a pediatric and/or community health clinical environment
  • Must be knowledgeable and skillful in age-appropriate health promotion, guidance, and primary care skills
  • Demonstrated ability to decipher and interpret information and able to respond/react effectively and appropriately
  • Able to adapt to different health literacy levels when interacting with a variety of individuals

Demonstrated ability to interact professionally and appropriately with patients, parents, and school/program administrators

Must be able to function as a team leader to effectively oversee screenings [instructions, training, charting, etc.]

Must have excellent customer relations skills for decision making and problem solving

Equal Opportunity Employer

KCU is committed to promoting an equal employment opportunity workplace. Equal opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information (GINA), physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, ancestry, military and/or veteran status, and/or any other status protected by applicable Federal, state or local law.

Annual Security Report

KCU is committed to providing a safe campus for students, faculty, and staff. Our annual campus security report lists campus crimes and statistics for the campus and public areas around campus for the last three years, in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

Thank you for your interest in a career at KCU!

Key Responsibilities

The Registered Dental Hygienist will perform clinical dental hygiene procedures, maintain patient records, and ensure adherence to safety and regulatory protocols. Additionally, the role involves educating and mentoring pre-doctoral students while coordinating oral health screenings in clinical and community settings.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an active Registered Dental Hygienist licensure in Missouri with permits for infiltration and block anesthesia, along with a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene. A minimum of 3-5 years of clinical experience, including experience in pediatric or community health environments, is required.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Local anesthesia administrationRadiograph takingElectronic health recordsPatient educationStudent mentorshipSterilizationInfection controlTeam leadership

Dental Hygiene Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Missouri is 90.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.1% of Missouri clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Dental Hygienist listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 48% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

What does the Dental Hygienist market look like in Missouri?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedDental Hygienist median $109k (middle half $97k–$112k)10 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingMissouri index 90.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Dental Hygienist listings in Missouri140 active5,776 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 48% no call · 56% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedMissouri healthcare professional listings: 19% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 4% offer loan repayment140 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

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

30 jobs · 28 employers
7
<$100k
5
$100k-110k
7
$110k-115k
6
$115k-140k
5
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

31 jobs · 28 employers
401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
58%
Sign-on bonus
35%
Loan repayment
13%
Relocation assistance
6%

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

Dental Hygienist | $40,000 in Tuition Reimbursement

$70-$75/hr
#4

Dental Hygienist| $40,000 Tuition Reimbursement

$65-$75/hr
+ 34 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.

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About City of Kansas City

Government Administration
Kansas City, Missouri
1,001-5,000 employees

Living in Joplin

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$206k
Typical market rent
$1,173/mo
Residents’ average commute
18 min
State income tax
Up to 5.3%
Sources & methodology

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

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