GNWT releases What We Heard Report for proposed dental hygienist profession regulations under the Health and Social Services Professions Act

January 20, 2025

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released a What We Heard Report on proposed Dental Hygienist Profession Regulations. Between September 12, 2024, and October 14, 2024, dental hygienists, Indigenous governments, stakeholders, and the public shared their feedback on the proposed changes.

The proposed regulations aim to move the regulation of the dental hygienist profession from the Dental Auxiliaries Act to the Health and Social Services Professions Act, the “umbrella” Act that intends to support a comprehensive and consistent framework for the regulation of all health and social services professionals in the Northwest Territories.

Key proposed amendments include:

• The removal of the dentist supervision requirement
• A general and expanded scope category for registration
• A less restrictive general scope of practice for dental hygienists

Public engagement on these regulations marks a significant step towards enhancing dental care and expanding access to healthcare. The GNWT will use the feedback from this engagement, along with cross-jurisdictional reviews and additional policy research, to guide the development of Dental Hygienist Profession Regulations.

For media requests, please contact:

Andrew Wind
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories
HSSmedia@gov.nt.ca
(867) 767-9052 ext. 49034

NT5