About the NDHCB

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Mandate

The National Dental Hygiene Certification Board exists so that Canadian Regulators, acting in the public interest, have testing mechanisms for assessing current dental hygiene competencies for a worthwhile investment of our resources.

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This is further defined, in order of priority as:

  • Canadian Regulators have confidence that the testing mechanisms for assessing entry level competencies are reliable, valid and defensible to measure current dental hygiene knowledge, judgment, and skills for entry-to-practice and quality assurance (QA).

    • The mechanisms have clear, accurate and comprehensive exam parameters.

      • The mechanisms are free of bias

      • The mechanisms include feedback to candidates that identifies areas for improvement.

    • Assuming the contract for the performance-based exam is assigned to NDHCB, the performance-based exam component is nationally available.

  • Examination candidates/applicants are able to participate in the examination process within a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable price.

    • They will have clear, defensible criteria for examination eligibility.​

  • Candidates readily access a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) assessment tool designed to assess currency of knowledge of previously or currently licensed/registered dental hygienists.

  • Educators, accreditors of dental hygiene educational programs, dental hygiene professionals and dental hygiene professional organizations will recognize and champion the quality, validity and reliability of national dental hygiene certification.

 

Function

The NDHCB is responsible for the development, administration, scoring and results reporting of the National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam.

 

Based on successful completion of the Exam - a written examination to assess a candidate's readiness for entry-to-practice per nationally established practice and education standards, the Board issues the National Dental Hygiene Certification Certificate.

 

The Certificate enables the holder to obtain registration or licensure to practice dental hygiene in most Canadian provinces (the NDHCE is not currently required in Quebec), providing all other requirements imposed by the regulatory authorities are also met.

 

Please note that clinical practice evaluations are conducted by most Canadian dental hygiene regulatory authorities for graduates of non-accredited dental hygiene programs.

 

The NDHCB operates and delivers its exams in the two official languages of Canada: English and French.

 

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