Health Workforce

Minnesota Dental Hygienists Facts and Data 2004

Each year when dental hygienists renew their licenses, the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care asks them to answer questions about their employment status and the nature of their practices. Response to the survey is voluntary and does not affect license renewal.

NOTE: In the tables below, “urban” is defined to include seven Twin City metropolitan counties (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington) and the cities of Duluth, Rochester and St. Cloud.

• Numbers of Dental Hygienists

In January 2005, there were 4,296 dental hygienists with Minnesota licenses. Some were retired or not working as dental hygienists, and many lived or practiced in other states. The Board of Dentistry received an estimated 4,126 license renewals due January 1, 2004.

The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care received survey responses from 3,456 dental hygienists during 2004. At the time of license renewal, 2,724 of these said they working at least part time at a primary practice site in Minnesota.

The exact number of dental hygienists actually practicing in Minnesota is not known. Survey respondents represented approximately 84 percent of all dental hygienists renewing licenses in 2004. If active Minnesota-based dental hygienists responded to the survey at about the same rate as all dental hygienists renewing their licenses, the estimated total number of dental hygienists working at least part time in Minnesota would be about 3,240. If active Minnesota dental hygienists were more likely to respond to the survey, the estimated number of active Minnesota dental hygienists would be somewhat lower. Using the July 1, 2004 population estimate for Minnesota, 3,240 dental hygienists equate to 64 active dental hygienists per 100,000 people.

Because of different data sources and definitions, this estimate of 64 active dental hygienists is not directly comparable to other reported data. The Bureau of Health Professions in the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration reported that Minnesota had 3,410 practicing dental hygienists in 2000, or 69 dental hygienists per 100,000 people, exceeding the national number of 50. This federal data appears to include licensed dental hygienists practicing in states other than the state in which licensed.

All data reported below is for dental hygienists who work at least part time at a primary practice site in Minnesota, according to the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care survey of dental hygienists renewing licenses for 2004.

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• Age and Gender of Dental Hygienists Active in Minnesota by Location

At 99.1 percent female, dental hygienists are the most female-dominated health profession in Minnesota. Nearly all hygienists are female in both rural and urban areas, as well in every major kind of practice setting.
The dental hygienist workforce is relatively young, with a median age of 41.
Nearly 30 percent of hygienists are under age 35.

Age Group	Statewide n = 2,724 respondents	Urban n = 1,906 respondents	Rural n = 818 respondents
Less than 35	29.3%	28.1%	32.3%
35-44	31.5%	30.7%	33.1%
45-54	32.2%	33.1%	30.3%
55-64	6.2%	7.1%	3.9%
65 and older	.8%	1.0%	.4%
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

• Primary Practice Settings by Location-Dental Hygienists Active in Minnesota

Most dental hygienists are employed in private solo or group dental offices.

Practice Setting	All Dental Hygienists	Urban	Rural
N=respondents	2,724	1,906	818
Solo private	51.5%	48.8%	57.9%
Group private	40.4%	41.1%	38.8%
Educational	1.8%	2.2%	1.0%
Clinic (non staff HMO)	1.9%	2.6%	.5%
Hospital (acute care)	.1%	.1%	.1%
Institutional	.4%	.4%	.6%
Public health facility	1.0%	.9%	1.1%
Staff model HMO	2.2%	3.1%	-0-
Other	.6%	.8%	2.4%

• Primary Professional Activities and Duties

Patient care is the primary professional activity for 97 percent of dental hygienists working in Minnesota.
Most dental hygienists are responsible for infection control and taking or developing radiographs. Other common duties include laboratory procedures, and handling waste materials and soiled work garments.

Dental Hygienists Duties	Percent
Performing infection control measures	98.2%
Taking or developing radiographs	97.5%
Handling or transporting waste	45.0%
Handling or transporting soiled garments	35.5%
Laboratory procedures	35.4%
Sending out biopsy specimens	3.7%
None of the above	1.3%

Race and ethnicity

The dental hygienist workforce is overwhelmingly white. Small numbers of racial and ethnic minorities work in urban locations.

Race/Ethnicity	Rural	Urban
White	99.3%	97.2%
Black or African American	-0-	.4%
Asian	.1%	1.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native	.1%	.1%
Spanish/Hispanic/Latino	.2%	.4%
Other	-0-	.4