CDHM has developed and gathered resources for dental hygienists who are practice owners/operators or who are considering owning/operating their own practice. Please note that the College does not provide accounting, legal, or other advice/consulting related to the setup and operation of your business. Contact the appropriate professionals for guidance.
Practice Owner/Operator Guide and Declaration
Registered Dental Hygienists who own a business entity (sole proprietorship or partnership) that provides registered dental hygiene services, or who act as an independent contractor responsible for the collection, use, disclosure, security, retention, destruction, and access (trustee) of personal health information are considered self-employed by the College.
This means you must disclose your self-employed practice to the College prior to seeing your first client (CDHM Bylaw 2.4). Self-employed Registered Dental Hygienists are accountable to all federal, provincial, and municipal laws. This includes being accountable to The Dental Hygienists Act, Regulations, Practice Resources, and the Code of Ethics.
Prior to becoming a dental hygiene practice owner/operator, assess your gaps in knowledge and skill set and then select appropriate professional development to ensure you are knowledgeable and competent in all areas related to owning/operating a dental hygiene practice.
- Practice Owner/Operator Guide
- Practice Owner/Operator Notification and Declaration for Opening, Changing or Closing a Practice
First Nations Communities
In response to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action #19 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) # 23 the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba is working with the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC) and the Southeast Resource Development Council (SERDC) to bring dental hygiene services to these First Nation Communities:
- List of First Nations Communities Approved as Oral Health Programs
- Map of Approved First Nations Communities
*Contact the CDHM office for more information about providing care in these Communities
Other Owner/Operator Resources
The resources on this page are not inclusive of all business requirements that dental hygiene practice owners/operators will encounter. There are many things to consider and review before opening/operating a dental hygiene practice in Manitoba. These resources will be updated regularly. Please ensure you are always referring to the most up-to-date version of resources.
- MDHA Dental Hygiene Services Fee Guide 2024
- CDHA Independent Practice Network (IPN)
- Example of “Settings” Letter and Consent from Dentist for Providing RDH Care
- Practice Direction for Advertising
- Practice Direction for Social Media and Electronic Communication
- CDHM Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) Practices; MDA – In effect as of January 2, 2023
- Practice Direction for IPC for Mobile Delivery of Services
- The Personal Health and Information Act (PHIA)