OSCA 269131: Dental Hygienist
Assesses, diagnoses, treats, manages and educates to prevent oral disease, and promotes healthy oral behaviours. This may include non-surgical periodontal or gum treatment, preventative services and other oral care. This record sits in Dental Hygienists, Prosthetists and Therapists. Related ANZSIC industry links are included for faster classification cross-checking. Skill level 1 is attached to this occupation record.
Should you use OSCA or ANZSCO?
OSCA 2024 is the current Australian occupation classification for storing, organising and reporting occupation information. Use this OSCA record for current Australian statistical and analytical classification work.
Some migration and administrative programs still specify ANZSCO 2022. Check the exact system named by the agency or form rather than replacing the code automatically.
Official ANZSCO correspondence
Role overview
Assesses, diagnoses, treats, manages and educates to prevent oral disease, and promotes healthy oral behaviours. This may include non-surgical periodontal or gum treatment, preventative services and other oral care.
Use this page to confirm the official title, the parent unit group, the task list and the related ANZSIC industry context before using the occupation in classification, reporting or migration-adjacent workflows.
Occupation facts
- Skill level
- 1
- Major group
- 2 Professionals
- Sub-major group
- 26 Health Professionals
- Minor group
- 269 Miscellaneous Health Professionals
- Unit group
- 2691 Dental Hygienists, Prosthetists and Therapists
Tasks
- Assesses, diagnoses, treats, manages and records patients' oral health status
- Performs dental cleaning to remove plaque and calculus from teeth
- Applies fluoride treatments and dental sealants
- Takes dental radiographs (X-rays) to assist in diagnosis
- Provides oral hygiene instructions and education to patients
- Performs non-surgical periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing) to treat gum disease
- Collaborates with other dental practitioners to ensure optimal patient care
Skill level guidance
Skill level helps place the occupation inside the ABS hierarchy. Use it as a classification cue, then check the actual task list and occupational context before making a decision for HR, visa or reporting work.
How to use this occupation page
Start with the official OSCA title and task list. Then confirm the parent unit group and compare the related occupations on this page if the job title is broad, overlapping or used differently across employers.
The ANZSIC links are there to help when the same occupation appears across several industries and you need the business-side classification as well.
Related occupations
Industry context
Alternative titles
No alternative titles are currently attached.
Compare before choosing
Compare OSCA 269131 with related occupations
Compare roles in the same OSCA unit group by their official definition, skill level, tasks and recognised alternative titles.
| Comparison point | Current code269131 Dental Hygienist | 269132 Dental Prosthetist | 269133 Oral Health Therapist or Dental Therapist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official role definition | Assesses, diagnoses, treats, manages and educates to prevent oral disease, and promotes healthy oral behaviours. This may include non-surgical periodontal or gum treatment, preventative services and other oral care. | Assesses, treats and manages patients for patient-removable prostheses, including implant-retained overdentures and flexible mouthguards for sport. | Assesses, diagnoses, treats, manages and prevents oral health disease, and promotes positive oral health among individuals and the community. |
| Skill level | Skill Level 1 | Skill Level 1 | Skill Level 1 |
| Key tasks |
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| Alternative titles | Not stated |
| Not stated |
Comparison uses occupation definitions, skill levels, tasks and title variants from the ABS OSCA data files.
Compliance risk score
4 of 4 factors passing
In this section
Frequently asked questions
What does OSCA 269131 do?
Dental Hygienist is the current ABS occupation record used to describe a specific occupation. It sits in the OSCA hierarchy and carries skill-level context plus related titles and tasks.
How should I read the skill level?
The skill level tells you the educational or training depth that the ABS associates with the occupation. It is a classification signal, not a salary band or a qualification checklist on its own.
Why is industry context shown on an occupation page?
Industry context helps when the title is common or ambiguous. It shows where the occupation is typically employed so you can compare it with the right ANZSIC family.
Source and trust
- Official source
- ABS OSCA 2024 release and correspondence tables
- Last reviewed
- 2026-04-17
This site is an independent reference resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the ABS, ATO or any Australian Government agency.
Please verify critical classification decisions with the official authority before using them for tax, payroll, licensing, immigration or compliance work.