Continuing Competency

The regulatory colleges’ role is to assure that the public is receiving safe, ethical, effective and high-quality care. All dental hygienists are required to participate in the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario’s Quality Assurance Program.

As self-regulated health professionals, dental hygienists are expected to:

• maintain their professional responsibility to their clients
• apply the College’s standards of practice, code of ethics, and regulations to their dental hygiene practice
• ​improve their level of competency through ongoing education
• ​keep quality assurance records
• ​be accountable for their actions

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The Quality Assurance Committee

The Quality Assurance Committee is responsible for monitoring the continuous competency of dental hygienists.

They do this by:

• doing annual reviews of quality assurance records
• reviewing practices and client care outcomes
• prescribing learning programs if gaps in performance are found