Resources for dental hygienists who are practice owners/operators or who are considering owning/operating their own practice.
Considering Practice Ownership
Prior to becoming a dental hygiene practice owner/operator, address your specific gaps in knowledge or skills and select appropriate professional development to ensure you are knowledgeable and competent in all areas related to owning/operating a dental hygiene practice.
The resources on this page will be updated regularly. Please ensure you are always referring to the most up-to-date version of resources.
Review the graphic below, which outlines six essential steps for practice ownership. Please note that these steps are not exhaustive and additional requirements may be necessary to successfully establish your practice.
Learning Resources for Practice Ownership
The College recommends that if you are an RDH interested in becoming a practice owner, you read through the below Occupational Health and Safety resources, Infection Prevention and Control Resources, and Privacy Resources.
The resources on this page are not inclusive of all business requirements that dental hygiene practice owners/operators will encounter. There are many things to consider and review before opening/operating a dental hygiene practice in Alberta.
Please note that the College does not provide accounting, legal, or other advice/consulting related to the setup and operation of your business. Contact the appropriate professionals for these topics.
The College encourages you to complete the following Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Learning Resources so you are better able to understand how to develop OH&s Policies for your practice. In addition, several key OH&S resources are included in the Considerations for Dental Hygiene Practice Owners/Operators Document at the bottom of this page.
Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) is dedicated to preventing infections acquired within healthcare facilities. Dental hygiene practice owners must understand what is required of them regarding IPC and work to ensure that their practice meets or exceeds the requirements of applicable regulations. The following resources provide information on regulatory requirements regarding IPC.
The ACDH has developed sample IPC Manual Templates for dental hygiene practice owners. You will need to modify the sample templates to meet current legislation, standards of practice, and guidelines. Customize the content to your specific practice environment according to the manufacturers’ instructions for your equipment, medical devices, and products.
All dental hygienists are either custodians or affiliates under the HIA and have obligations to properly manage health information. A dental hygienist that owns/operates a dental hygiene practice is likely acting as a custodian for health information. Custodians have responsibilities and duties under the Health Information Act (HIA) for safeguarding client’s health information.
If you have specific questions about managing privacy and your privacy impact assessment, contact the Office of the Information and Privacy and Commissioner of Alberta directly:
Per College Bylaws, practice owners/operators are required to inform the College when opening, operating, acquiring, adding a component to, moving, transferring ownership of, or closing a dental hygiene practice.
The Alberta Health Personal Services Regulation and Standards ("Regulation and Standards") applies to dental hygiene practices that offer tooth whitening or tooth gems. Alberta Health identifies tooth whitening and tooth gems as personal services. Dental hygienists who offer these services must ensure they are complying with the Regulation and Standards.
If you are currently an owner/operator of a dental hygiene practice, you are required to notify Alberta Health Services if you are currently providing personal services and prior to providing any new personal services.
