Dental hygienists in Ontario burnt out ahead of new Canadian Dental Care Plan

Dental workers across Ontario and Canada are highlighting worker fatigue ahead of the new national dental plan.

Last month, a new Canada-wide medical plan dubbed the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) became available to all eligible Canadians.

While praised for providing those without insurance access to dental care, concerns about its application echoed throughout the medical community, as authorities like the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) cited that a mass influx of new patients may break an understaffed system.

However, dental hygienists have recently spoken out, indicating that while some limited staffing is an issue on a case-by-case basis, cracks in the foundation of dental care are far more complex.

“While the ODA refers to shortages in certain areas, there are no actual shortages on a provincial level. There is, of course, a higher concentration of dental hygienists in urban areas, but if there is anywhere lacking staff, it is rural centres,” Donna Wells, manager of Professional Practice at The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), tells INsauga.com.

Wells noted that incentives were launched last year, which expanded Canada’s student loan forgiveness program to dental hygienists, on the condition that they practise in rural areas to remedy this specific issue.

However, even with this minor blind spot, there are, according to the CDHA, already superior staffing numbers in Ontario.

“We have 97 dental hygienists per 100,000 people. As it stands, this is the highest provincial rate in all of Canada, as the average across the country is only 74 per the same number of people,” says Wells.

With a new generation of graduates nearly ready for work and the best staffing numbers in the country, a more systemic issue concerns Wells that, if left unchecked, may cause a true exodus of those in the national dental workforce.

In 2023, the CDHA conducted a survey, where numerous respondents from within the Canadian dental hygiene community cited mistreatment and fatigue.

“They aren’t offered annual raises, they aren’t offered benefits packages, in terms of being offered a package that would include massage therapy and physiotherapy, to keep a hygienist happy and practising,” says Wells.

In terms of physical strain, 87 per cent of respondents indicated that they were dealing with some form of medical issue while performing tasks.

Wells further added that 47 per cent cited high levels of stress in their work environment, which resulted in 14 per cent of Canadian dental hygienists walking from the job in that year alone.

To get an idea of what can be done in Ontario amidst worker dissatisfaction, INsauga.com contacted Marg Harrington, CEO of the Ontario Dental Hygienists’ Association (ODHA), who noted that a comprehensive review of the dental care system has to occur, especially alongside the new CDCP incentive, to maintain morale.

“There is no health-focused human resource model that currently tells us the exact number of dental hygienists that we need in Ontario, Harrington told INsauga.com. “There has been no real planning on the extent of oral health personnel needed, so there’s no way to say what the right number or the wrong number is,” says Harrington.

Staring down the barrel of a messy system, physical strain, and a lack of adequate benefits, Harrington went on to note that numerous hygienists in Ontario are opting for what she refers to as “independent practice.”

Essentially, operating as a sole proprietor of hygiene services without the strings of a traditional dental office.

With this second option becoming common amid burnout, Harrington further champions a major incentive for tallying national staff, independent or otherwise.

Which may be on its way, as she noted that the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and the CDHA have already put forward a proposal for such an incentive to the feds.

Until then, however, Harrington notes that oral health and the health of those providing oral care must remain in the national spotlight, stating, “Right now is the time to start paying attention, as there is always a huge link between one’s oral health and overall health.”

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