Dental Hygienist Employment Contract for Dental Practices

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Assess patients within verified hygiene scope.
• Deliver approved preventive and periodontal care.
• Record consent, findings and treatment accurately.
• Follow instrument and infection controls.
• Provide evidence-based oral-health advice.
• Refer concerns outside the employee's authority.

A realistic working scenario

During a periodontal appointment, the hygienist identifies a lesion outside the expected presentation. They document the finding, explain the need for further assessment without diagnosing beyond competence and arrange review through the practice's clinical referral route.

Outputs to agree

• safe preventive and periodontal treatment
• complete contemporaneous clinical notes
• clear oral-health advice and appropriate clinical referrals

Records and evidence

• Assessment, charting and treatment notes.
• Consent and medical-history updates.
• Instrument and decontamination traceability.
• Referral, image and follow-up communication.
• Dental clinical records.
• Treatment notes.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Principal Dentist, Clinical Director or Practice Owner. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• The hygienist may deliver treatment for which they are trained, competent and authorised. Diagnosis or treatment beyond that scope, unexpected pathology, medical risk and material consent concerns must be referred to the clinical lead or treating dentist.
• Obtain approval before committing expenditure, changing contractual commitments or making regulated or staffing decisions outside the assigned role.

Tools and systems

• Dental clinical systems.
• Patient record systems.
• Dental equipment where authorised.
• Decontamination records.
• Secure practice communication tools.

Workplace context

• Dental surgery, decontamination areas and associated consultation rooms.

Training and certification

• Complete employer-required safeguarding training.
• Complete employer-required health and safety training.

Contract priorities

• professional registration and indemnity
• clinical scope and appointment diary
• patient confidentiality and records
• decontamination and sharps controls

Information the employer should prepare

• the practice sites and hygiene services
• the appointment and session pattern
• the clinical scope and supervision
• the equipment and instrument workflow
• the pay and cancellation arrangements
• the registration and indemnity provisions