Education and Examination Requirements
Education requirements
All dental hygienists registering with CDHPEI for the first time must have successfully completed an accredited post-secondary diploma program or baccalaureate degree program at a Canadian post-secondary educational institution in dental hygiene, or have substantially equivalent training or qualifications approved by the Council.
The currently accredited dental hygiene programs in Canada can be found on the Commission of Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) website.
Examination requirements
Certification examinations
All dental hygienists registering with CDHPEI for the first time must have completed:
In addition to the NDHCE, dental hygienists who completed a dental hygiene program that is not accredited by CDAC (in Canada or abroad) but is approved by the Council must also complete:
CPR certification
All dental hygienists registered with CDHPEI must hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.
The level of CPR certification must include, at a minimum, classroom instruction and practical experience related to:
- one and two-person rescuer chest compressions for adults, children and infants;
- one and two-person rescuer adult, child and infant bag-valve mask technique and rescue breathing;
- relief of choking in adults, children and infants; and
- use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
To assist you in understanding which CPR meets the list of requirements set by the Council, a summary is provided below based on each organization's current offerings and levels.
| St. John Ambulance | |
|---|---|
| Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR | If you take the course at a St. John Facility, you should receive your CPR Certification immediately after successful completion of the course. If you take this program through a contractor, you should also receive your certification immediately following successful completion of the course but it is your responsibility to confirm this at enrollment. |
| Red Cross | |
| BLS for Healthcare (HCP) | Red Cross will provide you with a 30-day temporary certificate after successful completion of the course and require you to log in to their website to download official certification later. The 30-day temporary certificate is NOT acceptable for licensure. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate certification prior to the registration deadline. |
| Heart and Stroke Foundation | |
| Basic Life Support (BLS) | After successful completion of the BLS course, you must log in to the Heart and Stroke Foundation website to access your certificate. |
| PEI Lifesaving Society | |
| CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) | After successful completion of the course, the Lifesaving Society will mail you a hard copy of your certificate/card. |
| Lifestart First Aid & Safety Training | |
| CPR/AED HCP | All certificates through Life Start are issued digitally at the end of every class and available on your certificate portal. Certificates can be printed or emailed after completion. |
Special authorization for the reserved activity
A dental hygienist holding a general registration with CDHPEI, or an applicant for general registration, may request special authorization to perform the reserved activity of administering a local anesthetic drug by injection.
Dental hygienists may not legally practise the reserved activity of administering local anesthesia by injection without special authorization from CDHPEI.
The College has determined eligibility for special authorization based on the member’s education and training in administering local anesthesia, the length of time passed since the member has received that education and/or the length of time passed since the member has last practised the competency or skill of administering local anesthetic by injection.
A request for special authorization can be submitted through the online registration system in the member profile, under Education.
For more information, please refer to the CDHPEI Policy: Special Authorization for the Reserved Activity.
Jurisprudence exam
The jurisprudence exam assesses a registrant's knowledge and understanding of specific rules and regulations for dental hygienists practicing in PEI.
All CDHPEI registrants, except those with limited-time special registration, must pass the jurisprudence exam by their first registration renewal.
The content of the Jurisprudence Examination is pulled from the Regulated Health Professions Act, the Dental Hygienists Regulations, and the College's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
