A dental hygiene appointment can include assessment and patient education that never show up as billable time. That gap was one concern raised at a Toronto symposium, where speakers connected workplace pressures with staff well-being and professional recognition.
A 2022 report found that 57 per cent of surveyed dental hygienists had experienced mental health issues at least once during their careers.
The Alliance of Canadian Dental Hygienists held its "Beyond the Chair: Prioritizing Hygienist Health and Well-Being" symposium on Sunday, Sept. 27. Dozens of hygienists and sponsor representatives attended sessions on health and workplace culture.
Recognition and a collective voice
Michelle Aubé Simmonds, a registered dental hygienist and educator, opened the symposium by questioning how the profession is classified in Canada's National Occupational Classification. She is president-elect of the Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association. Dental hygienists and dental therapists fall under TEER 2, the category for technical occupations in dental health care. A CIC News account of British Columbia immigration selections listed both occupations under NOC 32111. NOC is used in contexts such as immigration selection; provincial rules set professional licensing and scope of practice.
Dental professions are regulated provincially, with no single federal licensing system. In Manitoba, the Manitoba Dental Association operates under the Manitoba Dental Association Act and has regulatory responsibilities that include handling complaints about dentists. The association has said it has a duty to protect the public, according to CBC News.
Aubé described dental hygiene as a profession still evolving. She argued that curricula should examine how power and identity shape work, including its social and labour dimensions. She also urged hygienists to stop describing their work as simply cleaning teeth.
Next year, Aubé hopes to start a group that would push for changes to the occupational classification and bring hygienists from different sectors together. She said the profession needs a collective voice.
Classification was only part of the discussion. Donna Wells, manager of professional practice at the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, linked rushed schedules and physical injuries to staff well-being and patient care. She also flagged disrespect and emotional strain as workplace concerns.
Wells said hygienists burn out when they work hard and care for patients without support.
She rejected the idea that resilience means silently enduring difficult conditions. In her view, resilient professionals speak up, ask for help and set limits. Wells urged practices to recognise assessment work and patient education, as well as the time hygienists spend building relationships with patients.
Mental health at work and beyond
Registered dental hygienist Thomas Philip said mental health ranked highly among the topics hygienists wanted covered at the symposium. He described the work as stressful, particularly when hearing about what patients face, and spoke about caring for his own mental health while supporting them.
Attendee Marry Ann De Villa-Liwag tied the issue directly to patient care. She asked how hygienists could care for clients when they were struggling themselves.
Registered dental hygienist and educator Harishni Ramesha asked attendees to examine their assumptions about mental illness. She invited them to picture who comes to mind when they hear the phrase "mental health disorder." Her point was that distress may not be visible: a person can be suffering without others knowing.
Ramesha set mental health figures beside diabetes data. Statistics Canada reported that almost one in 10 Canadians aged 20 to 79 had diabetes in 2016-2019. The Canadian Mental Health Association says one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness in any given year. By age 40, about half the population will have or have had a mental illness.
Ramesha also addressed pressures at work, including insufficient appointment time and limited breaks. She urged hygienists to care for themselves and set boundaries. Near the end of her hour-long presentation, she shared that she had survived a suicide attempt, underscoring how easily mental health struggles can go unnoticed.
Earlier in the programme, chiropractor Dr. Rafael Bagheri offered guidance on posture and stress. Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's former medical officer of health, also spoke. She led Toronto Public Health from 2017 to 2024, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting focused on conditions facing dental teams. A separate account of urgent dental services in Cumbria examined access from the service-delivery side.
Making space for life beyond work
In the final session, cognitive performance strategist Janelle Bernier, founder of Thrive Beyond High-Functioning Anxiety, discussed how drive and attention to detail can become sources of strain when paired with constant overthinking. She described awareness turning into hypervigilance, while preparation can become an attempt to anticipate and control what happens next.
Bernier said people can keep going while burnt out, with those around them unaware. She encouraged attendees to make room for enjoyment alongside achievement, saying they should participate in their lives rather than simply manage them.
