Dental Hygienist Salary in Minnesota

Minnesota’s Oral Health Challenges Create Strong Demand

Minnesota is facing significant oral health disparities that create demand for dental hygienists across the state. Six in 10 Minnesota counties are considered Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, with the majority of these being Low-Income Population designations, where 30 percent or more of the population are at 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and lack sufficient access to dental services.

Practice Opportunities for Dental Hygienists

Minnesota offers unique career advancement through its Collaborative Practice model, which allows appropriately qualified dental hygienists who have entered a legal “collaborative agreement” with a licensed dentist to extend preventive dental care to people in need. This progressive approach provides a cost-effective and efficient way to increase access to care and prevent dental problems, especially in underserved rural areas.

Community Health Impact

Working as a dental hygienist in Minnesota means contributing to significant public health initiatives:

• Statewide coordinated school-based dental sealant programs targeting schools with lower-income families and rural communities
• The “Healthy Teeth. Healthy Baby.” initiative promoting dental health in pregnant women, infants and toddlers
• Minnesota has one of the highest dental sealant rates in the country, and most Minnesota residents have access to cavity-fighting fluoridated tap water

This combination of strong demand, competitive salaries, progressive practice opportunities, and meaningful community impact makes Minnesota an excellent state for dental hygienist careers.