A dental hygienist career starts with a good dental school in Toronto that offers the best dental hygienist program. Choosing a good school and a good curriculum improve your work chances and assess your skills out of school. Below are tips that help you to choose the best dental hygiene programs in Toronto:
- CDAC Accreditation
The CDAC (Commission on Dental Accreditation in Canada) accredited dental hygiene programs. CDAC is legally responsible for developing the strict requirements that must be met by the college programs. CDAC sends an accreditation investigation team for an on-site inspection before a university can be accredited. The team collects information from the institution, students, teachers, and other stakeholders.
Only 18 programs in Ontario have been approved due to intense scrutiny. CDAC publishes approved programs on its website. Many colleges offer non-accredited programs, but it’s risky because you may not have a standardized certification for dental hygiene. You can never work as a hygienist without this test.
- Experienced Instructors
It’s not enough to accredit in CDAC. Teachers with industry experience should be there to teach about the program. Dental hygiene is a practical profession, and teachers with only theoretical knowledge will not help.
- Hands-On Training
A good program in dental hygiene provides practical training. You should familiar with the equipment and instruments used in your trade such as x-ray machines so that you can get ready for the job market at the exit. You should also develop soft skills like communication skills, which are invaluable in the profession.
- Career Coaching
Although there is one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada for the dental hygienist profession according to CDHA figures, it’s now at 1.3%, compared with a national unemployment rate of 6.5% as of June 2017, it remains a challenge for many students to get work.
The dental hygienist school should offer some kind of career counseling and a special career services department. The school should assist in writing cover letters, and mock interviews and resumes.
- Conducive learning environment
It takes about 2 years to complete a dental hygiene program. Make sure your school is decent – two years is a long time you don’t like to spend in a school. Moreover consider items like outdoor activities available, the dorms, the facilities available and the nightlife.
- Fees
Ensure that all textbooks, periodontal, scrubs, lab coat, safety glasses, dentistry (typodont) model and handouts are covered by the tuition fees. Also, remember that colleges with too low fees are very likely to cut corners even when you are looking for a cost-effective dental hygiene program.