Registration FAQs

Before you contact the College, please read the information on this page as well as all the information on the pages listed below that may be specific to your situation. There is important information on these pages, including registration requirements and answers to frequently asked questions. 

• New Grads 
• Working DHs 
• Reinstatements and Transfers 
• Courtesy 

Each of the above pages will have a link to click when you are ready to create an applicant profile to start the application process. DO NOT click the purple “Portal Login” button at the top of the website until you have created an Applicant Profile. You will not be able to use the “Portal Login” button at the top of this website until you have created an applicant profile. 

The framework for the process and the requirements for registration are provided by: 

• The Health Professions Act (HPA); 
• The Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation (the DHPR); 
• The Health Professions Restricted Activities Regulation (the HPRAR), and 
• The College Bylaws 

All applicants must pay a non-refundable Application Fee of $350. This is submitted through the online application form. The Permit Fees are currently as follows: 

• $350 for new graduates who have graduated within 12 months of the date their application is complete 
• $350 for registration on the Courtesy Register 
• $599 for all other applicants 

• Fees for initial registration or registration on the Courtesy Register are payable through the online application process. Fees to transfer from the Non-Practicing Register or to reinstate are payable by certified cheque, bank draft, or money order. 

Click here to see the full ACDH Fee Schedule.

General or Courtesy Registration with the College is mandatory if a person intends to practice dental hygiene as a permanent or temporary employee, contractor, volunteer, or practice owner or operator, for any portion of the year – even if it is just for one day. The profession of dental hygiene may be practiced as a clinician, educator, administrator, health promoter, consultant, or researcher and could involve: 

• Providing professional services directly to the public, 
• Manufacturing dental appliances, 
• Teaching the practice of dental hygiene to regulated members or students, or 
• Supervising regulated members who provide professional services directly to the public. 

Reference: Health Professions Act (HPA) – Section 46 

No, you can apply from anywhere. Please be sure to read the requirements for registration. You may have difficulties accessing some required documents depending on where you are located (e.g. obtaining a vulnerable sector check). If this happens to you, please contact the Registration Team. 

There are three main pathways for individuals to apply for General Registration as a registered dental hygienist in Alberta for the first time. Click the links to see the requirements for each of these pathways and information about variations that may suit your particular situation. 

1. As a new graduate of an accredited dental hygiene program 
2. As a registered dental hygienist currently practicing in another jurisdiction 
3. As an internationally-trained dental hygienist

If those pathways do not apply to your situation, the College will also consider applicants who can demonstrate that their education, experience, and practice meet the requirements for registration. 

The College has a Courtesy Register which is available if someone intends to practice dental hygiene in Alberta for a limited amount of time and for specific purposes. Please see the Courtesy Registration page for information about this type of registration. 

Reference: Health Professions Act (HPA) – Section 28(2) 

Reference: Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation – Sections 3-6 

No. Under our legislation, applicants for registration in Alberta must have completed either a Council-approved dental hygiene program, or a program that has been deemed substantially equivalent to the Council-approved dental hygiene program. 

Please refer to the What is a Dental Hygienist page of our website for more information about education, practice, and employment opportunities. 

Reference: Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation – Section 3 

All applicants must provide a completion certificate and completed CPR Certification Declaration for Instructors, which confirms that the CPR course meets the following requirements:  

• Was either a Basic Life Saving or Health Care Provider course (level C is not accepted)
• Was issued in the last 12 months, regardless of the expiration date listed on the certificate 
• Included instruction on the five (5) requirements listed on the form 
• Included theory instruction and assessment and a hands-on component (online courses are not accepted) 

Reference: Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy – Section 2 

Reference: Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation – Section 9 

All applicants must provide evidence of professional liability insurance (an insurance certificate) that meets the following requirements: 

• Provides coverage for the entire permit year, starting November 1 and ending October 31 (multiple certificates may be required). 
• Provides coverage of a minimum of $1,000,000 

• Provides coverage for the applicant as an individual (employer insurance is not acceptable) 
• Provides coverage for the purposes of providing dental hygiene services 
• Have an extended reporting period of at least 24 months 

Reference: Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy – Section 3 

Reference: Health Professions Act – Section 28(1)(c) 

Once your application for registration and the application fee have been received by the College, you will be granted access to the jurisprudence modules via email.

If you do not receive a link to the jurisprudence modules within 5 business days after submitting your application and application fee, please check your email spam/junk folder before contacting the College.

A vulnerable sector check (VSC) is a type of criminal record check which includes a search of the automated criminal records retrieval system maintained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Policy (RCMP) to identify the existence of sex offences for which a record suspension or pardon exists. 

The ACDH Council approved a policy in December 2021 to require all applicants for registration to provide a vulnerable sector check as part of the application. This helps the College to fulfil its mandate to protect public safety and the profession of dental hygiene. 

You can apply for a VSC from the police service or RCMP detachment in the jurisdiction in which you reside. Each agency will have its own process, timelines, and costs, so please contact the appropriate agency for these questions. 

Reference: Registration and Practice Permit Renewal Policy – Section 4 

Reference: Health Professions Act – Sections 28(1)(e), (h), (l) 

Reference: ACDH Bylaws – Section 10 

The ACDH does not have a specific form available for each police service. Please provide the service with this letter: ACDH VSC Letter. If they won’t accept this letter, or if they require an agency code, please contact the College. 

The CPEDH is the Canadian Performance Examination in Dental Hygiene. It’s a clinical exam administered by the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC). Visit the FDHRC's CPEDH webpage to find more information about the exam. 

If you are a new graduate from a non-accredited Canadian or American dental hygiene program, if your dental hygiene program is not considered substantially equivalent, or if you are an internationally trained dental hygienist, you will have to provide evidence of successful completion of the CPEDH as part of your complete application for registration. Otherwise, completion of the CPEDH is not a requirement for registration in Alberta. 

If you have made efforts to obtain a verification of registration from a previous regulatory body and can provide evidence of these efforts, the College will work with you to find an alternate arrangement. Please contact the College to discuss your situation. 

Authorization to administer local anaesthesia is not a requirement for registration as a dental hygienist. However, if you would like to administer local anaesthesia as part of your practice of dental hygeine, you must obtain additional education and apply for authorization from the College prior to doing so. Please see the Applying for Advanced Restricted Activities webpage for more information. 

The process used by the College to assess each application is as follows: 

 Reference: Health Professions Act – Sections 29-30 

Every application is reviewed and considered on an individual basis and no application takes precedence over another. The College works to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. The process generally takes four (4) weeks after an application is considered complete but may take longer if additional information is required to make a decision or if an application is received between August and November, which is the College's annual renewal period. 

Due to the high volume of renewal applications to be processed during the College's annual renewal period (September to November), any application for registration, reinstatement, or transfer received after September 30th will be processed for the next permit year, beginning November 1st. 

The application process starts when you submit your online application form, including the non-refundable application fee through the Applicant Portal.  

Your application will be deemed complete and ready for final consideration when all required information, documentation, and fees are received by the College. Additional information or supporting documentation may be requested at any stage during the application process. 

There are some factors that can impact the time it takes to process an application for registration. These factors include:

• The time of year an application is made;
• What, if any, documentation is missing from the application; or
• If there are additional assessments needed to make a decision on the application.

Once the College has received all the information needed to make a decision on your application, it can take up to 4 weeks for a decision to be made on your application. 

It is strongly recommended that you submit your application well in advance of any pre-arranged employment or when you anticipate you will start working. Due to the high volume of renewal applications to be processed during the College's annual renewal period (September to November), any application for registration, reinstatement, or transfer received after September 30th will be processed for the next permit year, beginning November 1st. 

There is no mechanism to “fast track” applications. However, your application may move through the process quickly if you: 

• Review the requirements and make sure the documents you have to upload are correct and meet the requirements. 
• Ensure that you have arranged to have the required documents sent to the College either before you submit your application, or around the same time you submit. 
• Respond to all emails from the College quickly. 
• Check your junk or spam folders for emails from the College and respond promptly when required. Make sure registration@acdh.ca and the domain acdh.ca is added to your safe senders list. 

Each application is reviewed by College staff and assessed on a case-by-case basis. This means that even if two situations seem similar, there may be differences that will affect the timeline (e.g., different documentation requirements). To protect applicant privacy, the College will not discuss application information, including content or status, with anyone other than the applicant. 

If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact the Registration Team. 

No. Applicants are not permitted to practice dental hygiene in Alberta until they receive notification that their application has been approved and they have been added to the General Register. This includes temporary assignments or working interviews. 

All applications for registration are reviewed by the Registration Team. Once an application is complete, it is put forward for decision by the Registrar, a delegate, or the Registration Committee. The Registrar, delegate, or Registration Committee may: 

• Approve an application, with or without conditions; 
• Defer registration; or 
• Refuse registration. 

In each case, the College and the Registrar are guided by an assessment of what is in the best interest of the public. 

Reference: Health Professions Act – Section 30 

If you receive a registration decision by the Registrar or Registration Committee that you don’t agree with (approved with conditions, deferred, or refused), you may request a review of the decision by Council. Requests must be provided in writing to the Registrar within 30 days of when you receive notification of the decision and include the reasons why the application should be approved, with or without conditions, and the required fee as approved by Council and listed in the ACDH Fee Schedule. The Registrar will share the request with Council. 

Within 30 days of receiving the written request and fee, the Registrar will notify you of the date, time, and place that the Council will conduct the review. 

The review will start no later than 60 days after the request is received by the Registrar.  

An applicant and the Registrar or Registration Committee may appear with or without legal counsel and make representations to the Council during the review. 

After reviewing the decision and any additional documentation or representations, the Council may: 

• Confirm, reverse, or vary the original decision; 
• Refer the matter back to the Registrar or Registration Committee to make a further assessment and decision, and 
• Make any further order the Council may deem necessary for the purposes of carrying out its decision. 

Any decision made by the Council, along with the reasons for its decision, must be provided to the applicant and the Registrar or Registration Committee as soon as reasonably possible. 

Reference: Health Professions Act – Sections 31 & 32