The Health Professions Act (HPA), Dental Hygienist Profession Regulation (the "Regulation") and the college Bylaws provide the framework for the process and requirements for registration with the ACDH.
The Health Professions Act (HPA), Dental Hygienist Profession Regulation (the "Regulation") and the college Bylaws provide the framework for the process and requirements for registration with the ACDH.
All applications for initial registration that are currently in progress will be transferred into the online system. New applicants will be required to use the online process for initial application. The College will stop accepting paper-based applications for initial registration after 4pm (MT) on June 15, 2023. Any paper-based applications received after this date will be returned.
Under section 46 of the Health Professions Act (HPA), General or Courtesy Registration with the College is mandatory if a person intends to practice dental hygiene as an 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 practice of dental hygiene could be as a clinician, educator, administrator, health promoter, consultant, or researcher and could involve:
The Health Professions Act (HPA) sets out the basic process and requirements for registration, but the detailed requirements that must be met for registration are included in the Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation (the “Regulation”). The HPA provides three pathways for individuals to apply for General Registration as a registered dental hygienist in Alberta for the first time:
Click the button for more information about initial registration with the ACDH.
If your previous registration with the ACDH (or CRDHA or ADHA) was cancelled, you may apply for a reinstatement of your registration. If you are currently on the Non-Practicing Register and would like to transfer back to the General Register, you must apply to transfer your registration. Click the button for more information about reinstating a cancelled registration or transferring from the Non-Practicing Register to the General Register.
Under section 28 of the Health Professions Act (HPA) and the Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation, the College is responsible for setting the standards of practice, including entry-to-practice requirements, in order to ensure the safe, ethical and competent practice of the dental hygiene profession in Alberta.
The following is required from all applicants:
"Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct"
CPR Certification Declaration Statement for Instructors
The following documentation may be required from applicants, depending on their circumstances:
Additional requirements may be necessary based on your pathway of registration. Please see the specific application pathways for more information and read the relevant application information document carefully and in its entirety to ensure that you have submitted all required documentation.
With every application, the College works to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. The process generally takes four to six (4-6) 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 your signed and notarized application form is received by the College. An application for registration will not be considered complete and ready for final consideration until 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.
The process used by the College to asses each application is as follows:
Applicant Action |
College Action |
College Timeline (approx.) |
Submits a registration application through the Applicant Portal, including payment of the non-refundable application fee. |
•The College sends an email to the applicant confirming receipt of the application form and that an initial review has been started |
Within 5 business days |
•The College sends an email to the applicant advising them that the initial review has been completed and if the application is not complete, the email will list the items that are outstanding. •The College provides log-in information to access the Jurisprudence Examination by email. |
Within 10 business days |
|
Collects outstanding documentation and completes the Jurisprudence Examination |
The College process is on hold until the required documentation is received and the Jurisprudence Exam is successfully completed. |
|
Successfully completes the Jurisprudence Exam |
•The College receives evidence of the applicant’s successful completion of the jurisprudence exam. •The College sends an email to the applicant notifying them that their application is in the final review stage. |
Within 5 business days |
•If the final review finds that additional information is required, an email is sent from the College to the applicant listing the items that are required. |
Within 10 business days |
|
Collects outstanding documentation |
The College process is on hold until all the required documentation is received. |
|
All outstanding documentation has been provided to the College |
•The Registrar or their delegate reviews the application and supporting documents and makes a decision. |
Within 30 business days |
•An email is sent from the College to the applicant to notify them of the Registrar’s decision and next steps. |
Within 2 business days |
The Registrar may approve an application, with or without conditions; defer registration; or refuse registration. In each case, the College is guided by an assessment of what is in the best interest of the public.
An applicant for registration may not practice dental hygiene in the province of Alberta until they have received notification that their application has been approved and they have been added to the ACDH General Register. This includes temporary assignments or working interviews.
It is strongly recommended that the registration process is started well in advance of any pre-arranged employment. The College works to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible, however there are 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.
An applications for registration must be made on the current and required online form. All applications will be reviewed on an individual basis. No application will take priority over another.
Click the buttons below and read each Registration Policy to determine which pathway fits your circumstances. Once you have determined which policy you should apply under, make sure you complete the full application package and double check the Application Checklist to ensure you have included all required documentation.
Authorization for Advanced Restricted Activities must be applied for separately from your registration application. Click the button below for more information about applying for Authorization for Advanced Restricted Activities.
Advanced Restricted Activities
Documents that must be sent directly to the College from other organizations can be mailed to:
The Alberta College of Dental Hygienists
Suite 302, 8657 - 51 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6E 6A8
Any documents that do not need to have an original signature, notarization, or official seal can be emailed to registration@acdh.ca.
Sections 31 and 32 of the Health Professions Act (HPA) set out the requirements and process for a review of a decision by the Registrar or Registration Committee.
An applicant whose application for registration has been approved with conditions, deferred, or refused by the Registrar or Registration Committee may request a review of the decision by Council. A request for review must be provided in writing to the Registrar within 30 days of the applicant being given a copy of the decision. The request must 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 the applicant 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:
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.
If you have any questions, email the Registration Team at registration@acdh.ca or click the button below.