60% of survey respondents experienced or witnessed harassment, bullying, or abuse at work
Dental hygienists across Canada are continuing to provide essential care through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), but many face challenging and even hazardous working conditions. While some clinics offer respectful, supportive environments, others fall short, with reports of harassment, burnout, and unsafe practices on the rise.
The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is urging governments and employers to address systemic issues that are driving hygienists away from their jobs—not the profession itself. “Dental hygienists are not leaving the profession—they're leaving unhealthy workplaces,” says CDHA CEO Ondina Love. “Burnout, inadequate compensation and benefits, workplace injuries, and lack of respect are the real issues.”
A 2023 CDHA survey found that 60% of respondents had experienced or witnessed harassment, bullying, or abuse at work. Nearly 40% considered leaving their jobs, 14% did, and 7% took a leave of absence. Most notably, 87% reported experiencing at least one medical issue related to their work.
Sylvie Martel, director of dental hygiene practice at CDHA, says workplace mistreatment is a key factor in staffing issues. “What we are seeing is that dental hygienists are thinking of leaving those jobs... or even considering leaving the profession,” she says. Abuse isn't limited to one source: 17% of respondents reported mistreatment from dentists, another 17% from office managers, 20% from coworkers, and 26% from clients.
Martel notes a significant increase in abuse from clients since the previous survey in 2018, attributing the shift to post-pandemic behavioural changes. “We’ve seen a larger increase to mistreatment from clients,” she says. “COVID really changed how people act and react.”
Despite frequent claims of a dental hygienist shortage, Martel says there’s little evidence to support a nationwide crisis. “There is some misinformation in terms of shortages,” she explains. “What we know... is that there's really a maldistribution of oral health professionals.”
With 92% of dental hygienists working in private clinics, many employers lack formal health and safety policies. “We need to better equip our employers in the private sector with set guidelines,” says Martel. “Unfortunately, a lot of them do not have them.”
In response, the CDHA is collaborating with the Canadian Dental Association and the Canadian Dental Assistants Association to build a national workforce planning model and promote better workplace standards. Their joint initiative, “Healthy Workplace Matters,” aims to educate dental teams and set clear expectations for respectful, supportive environments.
“A supportive, healthy workplace is a productive and successful workplace,” Love says. As access to dental care expands in Canada, protecting the well-being of the professionals delivering that care has become an urgent priority.
