This informative and practical series will provide the necessary knowledge and tools for dental hygiene
entrepreneurs to
move forward with their dream of establishing and operating their own practices.
The Independent Practice for Dental Hygienists Series consists of four online courses. It is recommended to take the
courses
in the sequence shown below. The courses are:
*Course 1 is an introductory course that provides an overview of setting up an independent practice, from the vision
of establishing
a dental hygiene practice to the opening day.
*Courses 2 to 4 provide in-depth discussions and the application components of preparing your business plan,
developing a
marketing and communication plan, working with professional consultants, understanding your role as employer and
developing
a human resources manual, project-managing the construction of the practice within realistic timelines, and
managing
the practice.
Course Information
Registration for the courses is done online and all the courses are taken online in the comfort of your
home, at
your convenience and your pace. You may pause and restart at any time. It is expected that the entire
program
will take about 32 hours to complete, or about 8 hours for each course; however, you can take as much time
as
you need with the exception of the final examinations. You may wish to break up your learning into several
shorter
sessions.
A resource manual has been developed for each course. It can be downloaded and printed as a complement to
each course.
It is a valuable learning tool with the learning outcomes, pre-tests, exercises, activities, post-tests,
resources
such as links to websites, etc. It is important that your participation includes these learning activities
because
they have been designed to contribute to the knowledge required to pass the final examination. You will
require
a writing tool, calculator, and paper to complete the courses. Click on the course titles above for
information
about each course and to register.
A pre-test is presented at the beginning and a post-test at the end of each section of each course. A final
timed
multiple-choice examination is administered upon completion of each course. Upon successful completion of
each
examination, a certificate of completion issued by CDHA may be printed from your computer.
Relevance to Practice
Entrepreneurs generally have strong beliefs about the services they will offer and are willing to accept a
level
of personal and professional risk to bring their dream to reality. Entrepreneurship is often difficult and
tricky,
as many new ventures fail. This certificate program will provide the resources and skills needed to meet
these
challenges and allow dental hygienists to prosper as independent practitioners.
Ann Wright
Ann graduated in dental hygiene from the University of Toronto in 1971. Throughout her career, she has held
numerous
positions in dental hygiene. These include working in both private and public health practice, as an
examiner
for the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario and as a clinical demonstrator in the dental hygiene
program
in Ottawa, at Algonquin College. She has held positions as regional manager, managing multiple dental
offices
for a large practice group and as practice management consultant and practice appraiser for a national
brokerage
firm.
Ann completed an MBA in 1995 at the University of Ottawa. Not surprisingly, her Masters Thesis was entitled
"Independent
Practice for Dental Hygienists in Canada: Issues and Obstacles." This was followed up with the development
of
a comprehensive marketing plan to launch a private practice.
In her work with the CDHA, Ann has spoken at conferences and developed a workshop for dental hygiene
entrepreneurs that highlight
the pros and cons of owning your own business.
Brenda Leggett
Brenda Leggett has over twenty years of experience as a dental hygiene educator at Georgian College and Algonquin
College. She has practised in community health as a dental hygiene administrator, and remains active as a clinical
dental hygienist in private practice. For ten years, she has participated as an item writer for the National Dental
Hygiene Certification Examination, and presently represents the central region of Canada on the National Dental Hygiene
Certification Board's Examination Committee. In addition, she is a College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO)
representative on the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada site-visit teams. Brenda is a dental hygiene
graduate of John Abbott College, holds an interdisciplinary BA in labour studies from Carleton University, and a
library and information technician diploma from Algonquin College. Brenda assisted in the overall course development
and pilot testing, and as a content expert. At the time of course development, Brenda served as the information
coordinator at the CDHA.
Laura Myers
Laura Myers has extensive dental hygiene experience in education, administration, and restorative and community health,
and remains active in clinical practice. Fluently bilingual, Laura has twelve years of experience as an educator at La
Cité Collégiale and Algonquin College. She was the executive director of the National Dental Hygiene Certification
Board for more than three years. She has served as a council member of the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario
(CDHO), a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada site-visit teams, and a member of the National
Dental Hygiene Certification Board's Examination Committee. She is the francophone representative on the board of
directors of Dental Hygiene Educators Canada (DHEC). Laura is a dental hygiene graduate of John Abbott College and
holds a BA in psychology from Carleton University. Laura is the project manager and presenter for this course, and at
the time of course development, the director of education at CDHA.
CDHA wishes to thank CDHO for its financial contribution and ongoing support during the development of this
course.
CDHA would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the content experts for their initial review of
the
course and the dental hygienists who participated in the English and French pilot testing sessions. Their
participation
and involvement were essential to the quality and relevance of this course.