Advanced College Diploma - Dental Hygiene

This three year Ontario College Advanced Diploma prepares dental hygienists through anatomy, oral biology, periodontology, radiography, clinical technique and health promotion, delivered with an extensive supervised clinical component that the source records inside the three year structure.

Clinical training is the core of the program. Students treat real patients under faculty supervision in the college clinic, building the instrumentation skill, patient management and infection control discipline that the profession assesses before it registers anyone.

This program appears on the college PGWP aligned list with CIP code 51.0602.0602, and the three year length supports a Post Graduation Work Permit of up to three years, subject to IRCC assessment. Dental hygiene also sits in a health field where Northwestern Ontario employers report persistent shortages, which matters for anyone planning to use the Thunder Bay immigration pilot after graduation.

Applicants need Grade 12 / High School with 70 percent per the portal export, together with IELTS 6.5 overall with speaking at 6.5 and other bands at 6, recorded against Ontario college program code 0641.5 overall requiring speaking at 6.5 and other bands at 6.0. Recorded tuition is CAD 24,015 for the year, and applicants should expect additional instrument, uniform and immunisation costs.

Two practical points belong in any counselling conversation about this program. First, the application deadline recorded for September 2026 is 17 February 2026, far earlier than most Confederation programs, which reflects how quickly clinical seats fill. Second, dental hygiene is a licensed profession with a defined route: graduation, national board examination, then registration. Internationally trained applicants should confirm their eligibility for that pathway before enrolling rather than discovering restrictions afterwards. The three year length is an advantage for work permit purposes and comfortably clears the two year threshold used by the Thunder Bay immigration pilot.