Here’s a comprehensive Canadian immigration guide for dental hygienists. These professionals play a vital role across Canada and are equally significant as dentists. Overall, dental hygienists are regulated and professional occupations in Canada.
Hence, if you look forward to working as a dental hygienist in Canada, you have chosen the right path. However, you must be able to fulfill certain conditions to work as a dental hygienist in Canada, as it is a protected profession.

The Significance of a Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist or oral hygienist is a dental professional with a certification, with the registration and licensing by a dental association or regulatory body functioning in a country.
Furthermore, to become eligible as a dental hygienist, you must have undertaken a clinical and written examination. Additionally, registered dental hygienists must have acquired an Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene through an authorized and accredited college or university. In addition, dental hygienists are chiefly healthcare professionals who work independently.

Moreover, these professionals are educated and well-trained. They even emphasize the prevention, treatment, and management of oral diseases.

Dental hygienists can choose to move to Canada using Express Entry, specifically its Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Provincial Nominee Program.

A Canadian immigration guide for Dental Hygienists: What are the primary duties of a Dental Hygienist?

Dental Hygienists and all other related roles fall under the NOC category of 3222, and they must fulfill the following duties:

  • Execute initial dental evaluations on patients and engage with dentists concerning patient care.
  • Attain dental impressions.
  • Make patients more aware of the oral hygiene procedures.
  • Cleaning and stimulation of gums to protect people from gum infections and diseases.
  • Prevent tooth and root decay through cleaning of stains and sediments.
  • Carry out the fluoride treatments.
  • Get the X-rays done.
  • Implement the orthodontic or restorative processes under the dentist’s supervision.
  • Help supervise dental assistants in their health care operations. 

Dental hygienists or dental therapists must perform the following duties:

  • Conduct regular dental evaluations and consultations with dentists. 
  • Develop dental impressions for the patients. 
  • Take and get the X-rays done. 
  • Help remove the dirt and deposits from teeth to avoid tooth or root decay. 
  • Go ahead with fluoride treatment. 
  • Help patients who are concerned with oral hygiene procedures. 
  • Lead the dental assistants in carrying out their healthcare functions. 
  • Filling and drilling of cavities, extraction, and tooth extraction and replacing portions from the tooth crown. 

A Dental Hygienist’s Job description

The job description for this profession requires the candidate to offer dental treatment and services to promote all aspects of dental hygiene, including disease and mouth injury prevention.

Furthermore, dental hygienists have employment opportunities in different setups, such as dentist’s offices, hospitals, private clinics, educational institutions, public health agencies, and self-employment options.

Dental therapists provide dental treatment and services for restorative purposes. However, these treatments and services have limitations. Also, the federal and provincial governments employ these professionals to further provide services to rural and remote communities.

Here’s a list of dental hygienist occupations:

  • Registered Dental Nurse
  • Registered Dental Hygienist
  • Community Dental Hygienist
  • Dental Hygiene Technician
  • Licensed Dental Therapist
  • Expanded Duty Dental Nurse
  • Periodontal Hygienist
  • Expanded Duty Dental Hygienist
  • Orthodontist Hygienist
  • Restorative Dental Hygienist

Eligibility requirements for Canadian immigration as Dental Hygienists

Canadian employment requirements include the following:

  • As dental hygienists, you must fulfill a college program of one to three years or other equivalent dental hygiene programs within the provincial or territorial regulatory board.
  • A dental therapist in Canada first needs to qualify for a two to three-year college diploma or equivalent credentials. They must get these credentials through an approved dental institution. Additionally, they should complete the dental therapy diploma program of the First Nations University of Canada in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and PEI. 
  • They must also acquire the license through a recognized provincial or territorial regulatory body. This is the essential license for dental hygienists in Canada. 
  • In addition, they must hold a license as a dental therapist if they choose Canadian immigration to provinces such as Yukon, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Some basic requirements for dental hygienists

An aspiring dental hygienist must look forward to calculating their Express Entry points under the Comprehensive Ranking System. Besides this, the general requirements are as follows:

  • Age
  • Educational qualifications
  • French language skills
  • English language proficiency
  • Skills and qualifications of your partner
  • Work experience

In particular, dental hygienists must possess an essential score of 67 points under the CRS system. After applying for Express Entry, if eligible, you might obtain an invitation to apply. Furthermore, you must submit a formal application within sixty days. This will be possible only when you verify all the points concerning certifications, educational qualifications, and skilled worker evaluations.
However, you must ensure that you submit all the accurate documents before obtaining the invitation and that you are eligible to claim your points, as the Express Entry profile will remain valid for one year.

Immigrating to Canada without a job offer

Dental hygienists can move to Canada without an employment offer, provided they have a significant CRS score and can also meet the eligibility requirement of obtaining 67 points to get a Federal Skilled Worker Visa. However, there is no necessary or standard CRS score requirement for the Express Entry profile as a dental hygienist.
Overall, having a job offer will increase one’s CRS score, so it is recommended that one begin this process as soon as possible. The job offer will give the candidate 200 CRS points.

Overall, Canadian immigration as a dental hygienist will offer you ample benefits. You will be able to become a part of an elite community with a great quality of life and the chance to obtain permanent residency. This Canadian immigration guide for dental hygienists has all the vital details to help you successfully move to Canada.

Our immigration representatives at NavaImmigration have immense knowledge related to Canadian immigration. To clarify your doubts or queries, you may write to us at [email protected].