About the role
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.