In Quebec, continuing education is part of the professional obligations of dental hygienists. It aims to ensure the maintenance of clinical skills, respect for professional standards and patient safety.
But concretely, how many hours of continuing education does a dental hygienist need each year?
The answer depends on the operation by period of reference, established by the Order.
The official requirements of the Order of Dental Hygienists of Quebec
Continuing education obligations are defined by the Order of Dental Hygienists of Québec (OHDQ), within the framework of the Regulation on compulsory continuing education.
Overall requirement
40 hours of continuing education to be completed by reference period of 2 years
👉 The Order therefore does not reason strictly by calendar year, but by two-year cycle.
How many hours per year, in practice?
Even if the regulation does not set a strict annual minimum, the logical distribution is as follows:
Approximately 20 hours per year, on average
This approach allows:
to avoid the accumulation of hours at the last minute
to better plan your training
to reduce the risks of non-compliance during an audit
Mandatory training categories to respect
Among the 40 compulsory hours over two years, certain categories are specifically required:
2 hours in ethics and professional conduct
2 hours in prevention and infection control
4 hours in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including the use of an AED
2 hours in professional exercise assessment recognized by the Order
These hours are part of the total 40 hours and aim to guarantee essential skills for practice.
What types of training are recognized?
Eligible continuing education activities must:
be directly linked to the practice of hygiene dental
contribute to the maintenance or improvement of professional skills
be documented by proof of participation or a certificate
They may include:
clinical training
conferences and congresses
practical workshops
webinars or training in online, when in compliance with the Order's criteria
The format (face-to-face or online) is therefore secondary: it is the professional relevance and traceability that count.
What is does it pass in the event of an audit?
The OHDQ may ask a dental hygienist to demonstrate that she has respected her continuing education obligations.
It is therefore essential to:
keep all your certificates
be able to demonstrate the relevance of the training completed
keep a clear record of your training hours
Poor management can lead to administrative procedures, or even sanctions.
Centralize your training : an increasingly popular solution
With the diversity of suppliers and formats, many dental hygienists choose to centralize their training on a specialized platform.
Solutions like Dentoflow allow in particular:
access training adapted to dental hygienists
distinguish between mandatory training and professional development
keep your certificates in the same place
These platforms do not replace the requirements of the Order, but greatly facilitate management and compliance.
In summary
🦷 40 hours of continuing education mandatory over 2 years
📅 Around 20 hours per year, on average
📘 Certain categories are mandatory (ethics, CPR, prevention, evaluation)
💻 Online training may be eligible under conditions
📂 Good organization of certificates is essential
For dental hygienists, continuing education is both a regulatory obligation and a key tool for evolving in a modern, safe and practical practice. compliant.
Explore available training
Dental hygienists who wish to combine their continuing education and professional development can create a free account on Dentoflow.