Welcome Internationally Educated Applicants!
The dental hygiene profession is currently self-regulated in all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island. Each province has its own dental hygiene regulatory body with similar requirements for registration. Applicants must contact each province separately to apply for registration in a particular province.
Anyone performing dental hygiene services must register with the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba prior to practicing the profession of dental hygiene.
Education Assessment
All internationally trained applicants must have their education credentials assessed before they can apply for registration with the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba (CDHM) to practice dental hygiene in Manitoba.
Education Assessment
Any applicant who has been trained outside of Canada or from an unaccredited institution must complete an assessment of their education and credentials. To have your credentials assessed you must contact the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC). They will assess your credentials and notify you if they meet requirements or if more education is necessary.
The FDHRC Equivalency Assessment can take up to a month to complete.
Note: At this time, there is no language proficiency test as part of this assessment.
Click here to go to the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC)
National Dental Hygiene Examination
All dental hygienists who work in Canada must complete the National Dental Hygiene Examination. This examination is administered by the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada and the text can only be taken once your education requirements have been assess and approved.
The NDHCE is offered three times a year, usually in January, May, and September. If a Clinical Competency Assessment is required, they are scheduled three times a year.
Note: The NDHCE is available in the two official languages of Canada: English and French.
You are eligible to write the NDHCE if you meet the following:
- Graduated from an accredited* dental hygiene educational program (or be within 4 months of graduating from such program at exam registration time) or,
- Be a graduate of a dental hygiene program that is not accredited but meets all the required criteria necessary to have your educational credentials assessed, which will determine eligibility to write the NDHCE.
*Accredited means: accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) or the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA/CODA)
Click for more information about the National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam (NDHCE)
Clinical Assessment
If you received your dental hygiene education from an accredited institution outside of Canada (other than the United States of America), and you have successfully completed the National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam you may be required to complete a clinical competency assessment. This clinical competency assessment may not be available in Manitoba. Please contact the CDHM office at 204-219-2678 for additional information.
All Assessments Passed
Once you have passed the NDHCE and any other assessment requirements, you may begin the CDHM application process.
The first step is to complete the ‘CDHM Declaration Form for Internationally Educated Applicants’ and return the signed document to the CDHM office via email or regular mail. Ensure you complete the section called ‘Authorization to Collect Information’ section so we can retrieve documentation from the FDHRC to process your application.
Information for Applying to the CDHM
Declaration Form: CDHM Declaration Form for Internationally Educated Applicants
Steps for Applying to the CDHM: Application Process for Internationally Educated Applicants
Fees Associated with Registration: CDHM Fee Schedule – Updated Schedule Coming Soon
You are encouraged to contact the CDHM office at 204-219-2678 with any questions about the application process, and view the CDHM Fee Schedule for fees associated with registration.
Resources
Immigration
Financial Support
There may be financial supports available to you to assist you as you work through the application process. They include the following:
Employment Manitoba
Employment Manitoba delivers a full range of employment and training services to residents of Manitoba. Internationally Educated Professionals in need of assistance to re-enter their professions, may be eligible for financial supports to help pay for costs such as tuition, books and living expenses. To learn more about these supports and the eligibility requirements, please visit an Employment Manitoba Centre in person. Go to www.gov.mb.ca/employment/emp_centre_locations to find the Employment Manitoba Centre nearest you.
Recognition Counts
Recognition Counts is a program that provides supports to skilled immigrants wishing to work in their fields of expertise in Manitoba. The program offers career and financial counseling, as well as the opportunity to apply for a loan to help with the costs associated with gaining employment in a profession or trade. To learn more visit www.recognitioncounts.ca.
Manitoba Student Aid
Manitoba Student Aid is a supplemental financial assistance program for Manitobans who do not have sufficient resources to pay for their post-secondary education on their own. They provide various types of funding on behalf of the Manitoba Student Aid Program and the Canada Student Loans and Grants Programs. This funding includes repayable government student loans and non-repayable grants and/or bursaries. All applications are assessed to determine eligibility and financial need. To learn more visit www.manitobastudentaid.ca.
CDHM Application Process
All registration applications to the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba (CDHM) are completed through an online application process.
Important: Until you have paid your final practicing fee, and your license appears on your account, you will not be permitted to work as a dental hygienist in Manitoba.
There are four different registers recognized by the CDHM which an applicant can apply to:
- Practicing
- Non-Practicing
- Student (University of Manitoba Students Only)
- Temporary
Note: The temporary register is intended for applicants who are practicing RDHs in other Canadian Provinces who require temporary registration as part of a short-term research or health care project that requires them to complete clinical work in Manitoba. If you are looking to apply to the Temporary Register, please contact the CDHM office.
Timeline
Registration Applications can take up to two to four weeks to process from the date that a complete application is received. More time may be needed if more documents/ information is requested by the Board of Assessors.
Application Process
The application process is completed through the CDHM online account portal. Through the online portal there will be options to choose from based on your applicant type.
All registration applications have their own requirements. To see the requirements for each option follow the below links.
Recent out of Province Graduates
Practicing RHDs from another Jurisdiction/Province
Note: If you are planning to return to the dental hygiene profession and have not been practicing for more than 3 years, please follow the below link:
Returning to the Dental Hygiene Profession
Submitting your Application and Application Fees
A registration application is considered submitted once the applicant has clicked the submit button and their application fee has been paid. Once paid the Registration and Administration Assistant will review the application to ensure that all requirements are present.
If further information is needed, they will contact you. Only when all required documentation has been received will the application be considered complete and move to the next step.
Note: Some documents are required to be sent directly to the CDHM from other institutions, please make sure to complete any requests for documents that might take time in advance.
Required Modules
As part of the application process all applicants must complete the following modules before their application can be considered complete:
- Ethics and Jurisprudence
- Health Equity and Cultural Humility
- New Applicant Orientation
- Indigenous Cultural Safety
Mandatory Orientation Session
All applicants for registration must complete a mandatory virtual orientation session with either the Registrar or the Deputy Registrar. These sessions are meant to familiarize you with working as a dental hygienist in Manitoba and to provide important information related to the Manitoba Dental Hygienist Act, Regulations, and annual requirements of the College.
Assessment by the Board of Assessors
All registration applications are assessed by the CDHM Board of Assessors. The Board of Assessors will assess each application on a first come first served basis. If there are any further requirements that prevent your application from being approved, they will send a request for further information or documentation.
Practicing Fees
All registration applications are not considered to be completed until the Practicing Fee has been paid. Once your application has been approved by the Board of Assessors you will receive an email that notifies you that your practicing fee is available for payment on your CDHM account.
Note: Practicing fees cannot be pro-rated depending on the time when the application was submitted. Registrants who had completed their applications in October to December are still required to complete their registration renewals for the next year within the deadline.
Application Complete
Once your practicing fee has been paid you will be permitted to practice dental hygiene in the province of Manitoba.