This section applies to applicants who have graduated from dental hygiene education programs that are not approved by the ACDH Council and have been determined to be NOT 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 a substantially equivalent 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 the Council-approved dental hygiene education program.
If the dental hygiene education program from which the applicant graduates is determined by the ACDH to be not substantially equivalent to a Council-approved program, the applicant may be required to undergo any examination, testing, assessment, education, or training that the Registrar or the Registration Committee considers necessary for the applicant to demonstrate substantial equivalence of their individual qualifications, as per Section 5(2) of the Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation.
For information about substantial equivalency, please refer to the Understanding Substantial Equivalence of Dental Hygiene Education Programs webpage
Application Requirements
The College strongly advises all applicants to read the following documents thoroughly prior to starting the application process and during the process.
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 Not Substantially Equivalent Dental Hygiene Programs document as well as the 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 examination or assessment (i.e. CPEDH) completion information (a clinical exam is not mandatory prior to application but may be required as part of a complete application)
- 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 their program
- 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.