ORAL HEALTH MONTH 10
APRIL 2026 • SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS
“OUR DATA SHOWS THE OVERALL OUTLOOK IS GOOD.” – ONDINA LOVE
STRONG DEMAND FOR HYGIENISTS EXPANDING ROLES STRENGTHEN MANITOBA’S ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE BY TONY ZERUCHA
Manitobans considering dental hygiene as a career will find a profession which offers increasingly diverse opportunities. Thanks to the Canadian Dental Care Plan, demand for hygienists should remain strong in the years ahead. While the industry’s organizing bodies acknowledge there are some issues, they say strategies are in develop- ment to address them. To become a dental hygienist in Manitoba, students can obtain a three- year diploma from the University of Manitoba’s School of Dental Hygiene. Upon graduation, they must complete a national exam and provide a criminal record check, proof of identity, current CPR certification and pro - fessional liability insurance. They must also answer character declaration questions, according to Dr. Kyle Fraser, registrar and executive director of the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba. Should an experienced dental hygienist from another Canadian prov - ince wish to practise here, Fraser said they must provide a letter of good standing from their previous provincial regulator. Those who have taken time off may have to take refresher courses. Once practising, dental hygienists in Manitoba must take 75 hours of continuing competency classes every three years. Overall, the Canadian dental hygiene profession is healthy, according to Ondina Love, CEO of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. The
CDHA represents more than 24,000 of the 35,000-plus dental hygienists in Canada. It provides advocacy, education and public recognition. “Our data shows the overall outlook is good,” Love said. “There are more graduates than there are people planning to leave the profession.” That’s a solid foundation, but Love said there is an unbalanced distri- bution of hygienists across Canada, with shortages in rural and remote communities, including in Manitoba. She credited the federal govern - ment with addressing this by forgiving up to $15,000 in student loans over five years for dental hygienists who practice in rural and remote communities. Love said that her conversations with Manitoba educators suggest that student loan forgiveness has more students considering careers in those regions. “That’s the whole goal of it,” Love said. “There has to be some national incentive to work in those rural and remote communities.” Love said dental hygiene students are joining an evolving profession with new opportunities. While 91 per cent of dental hygienists practise in traditional office settings, more are pursuing mobile practices or joining community-based initiatives. Some are practising in long-term care homes. “They’ve really expanded in providing access to care,” Love said.
April 4-10 was National Dental Hygienists Week in Canada.
Powered by FlippingBook