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🦷 Advocacy in Action: CDHA is Your Voice |
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At CDHA, we hear your concerns—and we’re taking action. From monitoring media and social platforms to meeting with government officials, we are working every day to protect our profession and promote oral health across Canada. |
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🔍 Key Issues We're Tackling |
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🍁 Canada is Not the U.S. |
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Dental hygienists in Canada are self-regulated professionals—not governed by dentists. CDHA strongly opposes U.S.-style models like oral preventive assistants that threaten standards and autonomy. |
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📉 Workforce “Shortages” – Let’s Talk Facts |
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Claims of dental hygienist shortages lack solid evidence. The real issue? Maldistribution of professionals. CDHA is pushing for a data-driven, needs-based workforce model and funding research to get the facts straight. |
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🌍 Internationally Trained Dentists (ITDs) |
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We oppose allowing unlicensed ITDs to work as dental hygienists without meeting Canadian standards. This threatens public safety and devalues our profession. CDHA is actively engaging on this issue. |
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💼 The Real Challenge: Workplace Conditions |
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Our 2023 survey revealed that 6 in 10 dental hygienists have experienced or witnessed mistreatment at work. Poor environments—not a lack of professionals—are driving retention issues. CDHA is developing resources and working with partners to promote healthy, respectful workplaces. |
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💪 Our Commitment to You |
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We’re here to ensure you can: |
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Practice to your full scope
Work in safe, respectful environments
Deliver high-quality preventive care
We are YOUR voice for YOUR profession. |
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📣 What We’ve Achieved Together |
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Here’s how CDHA is making a difference: |
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✅ Secured inclusion in the federal student loan forgiveness program (launching Nov 2025)
✅ Influence the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) through regular meetings with Health Canada
✅ Achieved fee parity for independent dental hygienists under CDCP
✅ Issued press releases and corrected media inaccuracies
✅ Enabled hundreds of members to advocate via our letter-writing platform
✅ Submitted briefs and budget responses, including on tariff consultations
✅ Advocated for better insurance support from Canada Life and Manulife
✅ Partnered with national associations to propose a robust oral health workforce model |
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