mos.directory

Navy NEC · Medical

L35A Dental Hygienist

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

A Navy Enlisted Classification: a skill designation sailors hold in addition to their rating.

Browse Navy

Overview

A dental hygienist provides comprehensive dental hygiene services under the direction and supervision of a dental officer, including infection control, patient data gathering, assessments, treatment planning, and periodontal care. The hygienist exposes and processes radiographs, provides oral health and nutrition education, cleans removable appliances and prostheses, polishes restorations, and applies sealants, fluorides, and chemotherapeutic agents.

Minimum clearance: Secret

Core Skills

  • Periodontal scaling and root planing
  • Dental radiograph exposure and processing
  • Pit and fissure sealant application
  • Oral health behavior and nutrition counseling

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Dental Hygienists

Your military experience providing periodontal treatment, dental hygiene assessment, and preventive education under a dental officer's supervision closely matches civilian dental hygiene work.

How to prepare: Ask the intended jurisdiction's dental board and prospective employer to assess your existing education, licenses, and credentials against their requirements, including the permitted scope of pain-control services.

What the civilian work involves
  • Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
  • Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
  • Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Dental charting software
  • Dental digital radiology software

Dental Assistants

Your military experience with clinical infection control and dental radiography transfers directly to important dental assisting tasks.

How to prepare: Ask the target state's Board of Dental Examiners to compare your existing training and credentials with its dental assisting requirements, especially radiography authorization. Some states require an accredited program and an exam or licensing, registration, or certification for particular duties, while others allow on-the-job training.

What the civilian work involves
  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
  • Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Henry Schein Dentrix

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (4 documents)
  1. NAVPERS 18068F Vol II (NEOCS, Jul 2026 edition): NEC L35A

    [1] NEC entry "L35A - Dental Hygienist"; cached text line 8122; NAVPERS 18068F Vol II, 2026-07 edition

    Supports: Periodontal scaling and root planing, Dental radiograph exposure and processing, Pit and fissure sealant application, Oral health behavior and nutrition counseling, Dental Hygienists (O*NET 29-1292.00), Dental Assistants (O*NET 31-9091.00)

  2. O*NET: Dental Hygienists

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Dental Hygienists (O*NET 29-1292.00)

  3. O*NET: Dental Assistants

    [3] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Dental Assistants (O*NET 31-9091.00)

  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dental Assistants

    [4] How to Become; Education and Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations; updated August 27, 2026, checked September 23, 2026

    Supports: Dental Assistants (O*NET 31-9091.00)

Defense contractor jobs for L35A

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

Report an error on this page