The aim of this study was to assess quality of life (QoL) and related factors among dental hygienists. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of dental hygienists working in the public health service of Goiânia, Central-West Region, Brazil, in 2004. All active dental hygienists received a mailed questionnaire containing the shortened version of the World Health Organization instrument to measure quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), demographic and job-related data, and questions about self-rated general health status and QoL. Response rate was 58.5% (n = 93). Descriptive statistics, simple and multiple logistic regressions were used in the analysis of data. The WHOQOL-Bref instrument revealed that the Social Relationships domain had the highest mean score (70.56), followed by the Physical (65.49), Psychological (61.3) and Environment domains (56.25). Most of the dental hygienists had a high QoL in the Social Relationships domain and a low QoL in the Physical, Psychological and Environment domains. There was an association between self-rated health status and the Physical domain; satisfaction with health and the Physical, Psychological and Social Relationships domain and self-rated QoL and the Psychological and Social Relationships domains. The conclusion is that a low QoL was common among the dental hygienists and has perceptible effects on their perceptions of their health status and QoL.