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New Graduates of Substantially Equivalent Dental Hygiene Programs

This page is for newly graduated applicants who have received their dental hygiene education from programs that are not Council-approved but that are substantially equivalent.

This section applies to applicants who have graduated from dental hygiene education programs that are not approved by the ACDH Council but have been determined to be substantially equivalent to the Council-approved program through a Substantial Equivalency Program Review. The University of Alberta (U of A) Dental Hygiene Program is currently the only Council-approved program in Alberta. 

This section does not apply to applicants who graduated from a Council-approved program or who are registered as a dental hygienist in another jurisdiction.

Section 5(1) of the Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation states that an applicant’s qualifications must be determined by the Registrar or the Registration Committee to be substantially equivalent to the competence requirements of a graduate from a Council-approved dental hygiene education program.

If you require additional information about substantial equivalency, please refer to the information on the Understanding Substantial Equivalence of Dental Hygiene Programs webpage.

As part of the required online application form, applicants will be required to enter information and/or upload supporting documentation for the items listed below. Details about these requirements can be found in the Registration Information for New Graduates of Substantially Equivalent Dental Hygiene Programs document as well as the ACDH Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy.

  • Personal information, including contact and demographic information
  • Dental hygiene education program information
  • Current or previous regulated health professional registration information
  • NDHCE completion information
    • Must upload their NDHCE completion certificate
  • Post-graduate clinical exam or assessment (i.e. CPEDH) completion information (a clinical exam is not a mandatory requirement in this situation)
    • If applicable, a completion certificate or documentation must be uploaded
  • Primary language information
  • Information about the advanced restricted activities they may be eligible to apply for
  • Additional post-secondary education information
  • Completion information from the "Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct" e-learning course (available on the Applicant Portal)
    • Must upload the e-Learning course completion certificate
  • Current CPR certification information
  • Professional Liability Insurance information
    • Must upload Professional Liability Insurance certificate(s)
  • Agree to complete the jurisprudence examination modules (available on the Applicant Portal)
  • Responses to good character and fitness to practice declarations
  • Verification that a vulnerable sector check has been requested and will be provided to the College
  • Two (2) pieces of valid, acceptable identification
    • Must upload 2 pieces of government-issued identification
  • The applicant's full name will be entered as an electronic signature and agreement to the Statutory Declaration

Applicants will also be required to arrange for the following documents to be sent to the College, either electronically or by mail:

  • An official transcript sent directly from the institution or an online document provider (e.g., MyCreds)
  • A vulnerable sector check
  • A completed Verification of Registration/Certification/Licensure form sent directly from any other regulatory bodies they were registered with (if necessary)
  • Official English language scores sent directly from the testing service (if necessary)

Please note: all uploaded documents and information provided must be verifiable by the College. The College may contact third parties such as regulatory bodies or agencies or educational institutions to verify documentation or the information provided in an application for registration.

Applicants are required to submit the non-refundable application fee when they submit their application for registration. 

When an application for registration is approved, the applicant must pay the permit fee before the College can enter their name on the General Register and issue a unique registration number and practice permit.

All fees are non-refundable and are not pro-rated.

Please refer to the Fee Schedule webpage for a list of fees. 

If you have read through the documents linked in the sections above, as well as the requirements for registration, you are ready to start an application for registration. Please click the button below to create an applicant profile.

Create an Applicant Profile

DO NOT click on the "Portal Login" button at the top of the webpage before you have created an applicant profile.