Fostering a Healthy and Respectful Workplace:
Insights from Leaders in Dentistry

CDHA’s 2023 Healthy and Respectful Workplace Survey found that 6 in 10 respondents had either experienced, witnessed or experienced and witnessed some form of mistreatment in the workplace. This mistreatment was either from oral health care team members, including dentists, office managers, coworkers, and dental hygienists, or from clients. It included behaviours such as incivility, verbal and nonverbal abuse, and harassment and bullying. When these behaviours aren’t addressed, they can affect the work environment, team members, and the individual experiencing the mistreatment.

This panel discussion highlights some dental offices and organizations that incorporate healthy and respectful policies and practices into their business models. Panellists discuss what these policies and practices are, how they’re implemented, and the benefits to the team and the office.

We hope the ideas presented will spark meaningful discussions among dental hygienists and their oral health care teams, encouraging them to incorporate some of the identified policies and practices in their workplaces.

Topics include:

• Contracts, office policies, and billing
• Physical health and ergonomics
• Psychological well-being
• General practice questions

• Panellists
• Moderator

Panellists

Louise Hill, BSc, DDS

Dr. Louise Hill obtained her BSc and DDS from the University of Toronto and practices in Orillia, Ontario. She has been active volunteering with the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) and has been a demonstrator at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry in the Oral Diagnosis and Emergency Department. Currently she serves on the Health Policy and Government relations committee at the ODA.

Jessie McAllister, BSc, DDS

Dr. Jessie McAllister is a board-certified general dentist based in Ottawa, ON. She graduated from the University of Toronto's Doctor of Dental Surgery program in 2011. She also founded McAllister Dentistry, a thriving practice recognized as Ottawa's Top Choice Dental Clinic for 2023, 2024, and 2025. Her contributions to the field and community have been highlighted in Forbes Magazine, CTV Morning Live, and Oral Health Magazine, and she was recently named one of Ottawa's Forty Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal. Outside of her practice, Dr. McAllister enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children.

Julian Perez, MA, JD, Chief Risk and Compliance Office, Dentalcorp

Julian oversees Dentalcorp’s regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management functions. His mandate includes employee relations, litigation, compliance, and privacy. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, he commenced his legal career as an attorney at a leading international law firm. Before joining Dentalcorp he oversaw a variety of functions with Canada’s largest dental regulator, including dental malpractice defense, misconduct complaints and investigations.

 

Moderator

Donna Wells, RDH, BA

Donna graduated with honours from the dental hygiene program at the Canadian National Institute of Health (CNIH) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Carleton University. With several years of experience in general and periodontal practice, Donna transitioned to academia, becoming a faculty member and preclinic coordinator at CNIH. Currently, as the Manager of Professional Practice at the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), Donna is dedicated to empowering dental hygienists to foster a healthy and respectful workplace.