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Do you light up the room?

The dental industry needs bright people like you! Take a look at the profession of dental hygienist.

Dental hygienist: A dental hygiene educator!

Dental hygienists provide patients with care and advice to help prevent potential diseases from developing. Hygienists spend a lot of time with patients and end up forming a special bond with them!

Learn about the dental hygienist profession with Marc-Antoine and Michelle!

Degree
College (DEC Dental Hygiene)
Duration
3 years
Placement rate
100%

The dental hygiene profession is for you if…

  • You have good manual dexterity and excellent precision
  • You’re a responsible person and are not afraid to take charge
  • You like to give advice to the people around you
  • You react effectively and calmly in stressful situations
  • You’re a good team player and a good listener

Your job is to…

  • Assess your patients’ oral health
  • Perform diagnostic examinations, including taking x-rays, as prescribed by the dentist
  • Polish and clean teeth, remove plaque, etc.
  • Contribute to orthodontic treatments and follow-ups, according to the dentist’s prescription
  • Educate patients about prevention and oral hygiene
  • Apply anticariogenic or desensitizing agents and anesthetic gel
  • Contribute to certain treatments as prescribed

Did you know that...

Dental hygienists and their patients share a close bond. In addition to treating them and putting them at ease, hygienists check in with them at every appointment.

 
 
 

Training and prerequisites

In Quebec, to become a dental hygienist, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Obtain a DEC in Dental Hygiene at a Quebec CEGEP
  • Obtain a permit to practise from the Ordre des hygiénistes dentaires du Québec
  • Renew your membership in the Ordre des hygiénistes dentaires du Québec every year

Institutions offering this program

Here are the colleges in Quebec that offer the dental hygiene program:

Lower Saint Lawrence

Quebec City

Lanaudière

Mauricie

Montérégie

Montreal

Outaouais

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

" I’ve always loved going to the dentist. "

Émilie Pérusse, dental hygiene student

Émilie has always loved going to the dentist, even as a child. She likes the atmosphere, the smell and the caring staff at the clinic.

After completing a DEC in Social Sciences, she did a half-day job shadowing session at a dental clinic. That was all it took to convince her to enroll in the dental hygiene program.

What she’s most looking forward to in her future career is being able to support patients and help them understand that oral health affects overall health—both physical and mental.

When she obtains her permit to practice, she’d like to work alongside dentists to continue learning as much as she can.

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