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Standards of Practice & Guidelines

Standards of Practice & Guidelines

The CRDHA is now operating as the ACDH. Some documents may still contain the CRDHA name and logo.

Standards of Practice

It is the responsibility of all Alberta registered dental hygienists to comply with ACDH's Standards of Practice. This includes the Practice Standards (2019) and all specific Standards of Practice listed below. Dental hygienists must apply these Standards of Practice in their practice of dental hygiene, regardless of practice setting or area of responsibility. 

In 2022, the College revised and developed new Standards of Practice with consultation from registered dental hygienists and the public. These new Standards of Practice went out to the Government of Alberta for consultation in early 2023.

Practice Guidelines

Practice Guidelines are dynamic and intended to reflect current best practice in relation to specific areas of dental hygiene care.  In some cases, Practice Guidelines have the same force and effect as Standards of Practice and must be complied with.  Guidelines that use terminology such as “must” or similar wording mean that compliance with a Practice Guideline is mandatory.

Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines have been developed as a collaboration between the Alberta College of Dental Hygienists, the College of Alberta Dental Assistants, the College of Alberta Denturists, and the College of Dental Technicians of Alberta and have been approved by the Councils of all four Colleges. The IPC Guidelines went into effect  June 1, 2022. Registrants of all the involved colleges are expected to understand and adhere to the guidelines.

IPC guidelines

IPC FAQs