How to Become a Dental Hygienist in Québec – QC

Dental hygienist training in Québec is available in both French and English, as one must be bilingual in order to become licensed in the province. Programs for dental hygienists typically last about three years. There are certain prerequisites for admission into dental hygienist programs in Quebec, including a secondary school diploma, with completion of the following courses: a second language, mathematics, physical science, chemistry, history of Québec and Canada, and environmental science and technology.

Courses that are usually found in dental hygienist programs in Québec include anatomy and physiology, dental anatomy, humanities, dental microbiology, head and neck examination, prosthodontics, detection of oral disease, English, and French. In addition, most dental hygienist programs in Québec incorporate a field placement experience into their curricula, in which the dental hygienist student gets the chance to put into practice the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom. Before graduation, most college programs require students to pass a Comprehensive Assessment in Dental Hygiene exam. To become a registered, licensed dental hygienist in Quebec, one does not need to take a national certification examination, but must maintain membership in the Ordre des hygienists dentaires du Québec (the professional governing agency of dental hygienists working in the province).