Ontario's As-of-Right licensing framework, which took effect January 1, 2026, now allows dental professionals licensed in other Canadian provinces to begin practising in Ontario within 10 business days. This interprovincial mobility reform has significant implications for workforce shortages, hiring strategies, and regulatory compliance across Ontario dental practices.
As of May 2026, Ontario's dental workforce landscape looks meaningfully different than it did a year ago. The province's As-of-Right licensing provisions — introduced through Bill 2, the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025, and expanded by Bill 56, the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 — have removed one of the longest-standing barriers to dental workforce mobility in the country.
What As-of-Right Licensing Actually Changes
Before January 2026, a dental professional licensed in Alberta, British Columbia, or any other province who wanted to practise in Ontario faced a registration process that could take months. Credential verification, documentation requirements, and administrative delays meant that qualified professionals often waited three to six months before seeing their first Ontario patient.
The As-of-Right framework compresses that timeline to 10 business days. Dental technologists, dental hygienists, and other regulated dental professionals who hold current, active licences in another Canadian province or territory can now apply to their Ontario regulatory college and begin practising almost immediately through a "deemed certification" pathway.
The College of Dental Technologists of Ontario (CDTO) confirmed these provisions on their website, providing specific guidance for out-of-province professionals seeking to work in Ontario under the new rules.
How Deemed Certification Works
Under deemed certification, eligible professionals can practise in Ontario for up to six months while completing the full registration process with the appropriate Ontario regulatory body. During this interim period, practitioners operate under the same standards of practice and professional obligations as fully registered Ontario professionals.
To qualify, applicants must confirm that they hold a current licence in good standing in their home province, that no Canadian regulator has denied them certification within the past two years, that they are not facing active professional misconduct proceedings, and that no finding of professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity has been made against them.
The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) and the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO) each manage their own implementation of these provisions, so the specific application steps vary by profession.
Why This Matters for Ontario's Dental Workforce Crisis
Ontario — and the Greater Toronto Area in particular — has been facing acute dental workforce shortages since the pandemic's aftermath. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) has reported that hygienist vacancies remain elevated nationally, with Ontario practices competing aggressively for a limited talent pool. The situation in Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, and Brampton has been especially tight, where population growth has outpaced the supply of dental professionals.
Interprovincial mobility helps address this gap by opening Ontario's labour market to qualified professionals from provinces with different supply-demand dynamics. A dental hygienist practising in Saskatchewan or New Brunswick who wants to relocate to the GTA no longer faces a months-long regulatory gap before they can start earning.
Pro Tip: If you are actively recruiting, update your job postings to note that out-of-province candidates can begin working within 10 business days under Ontario's As-of-Right provisions. This removes a major hesitation factor for candidates considering a cross-provincial move.
What Practice Owners Should Know About Hiring Out-of-Province Professionals
Hiring a professional under deemed certification carries the same regulatory expectations as hiring a fully registered Ontario practitioner. Your practice remains responsible for verifying that the individual has submitted their application to the appropriate Ontario college and that their interim authorization is active.
Key considerations for practice owners in the GTA:
- Verify interim status directly — contact the relevant Ontario regulatory college to confirm that the applicant's deemed certification is active before their first day of work
- Review scope of practice alignment — some procedures authorized in other provinces may not be within Ontario's current scope for the same profession, and vice versa
- Document everything — maintain copies of the professional's home-province licence, their Ontario interim authorization, and any correspondence with the regulatory college
- Plan for the six-month window — deemed certification is temporary, so ensure your new hire is progressing toward full Ontario registration within the allotted timeframe
The Broader Context: Canada's Licensing Fragmentation
Canada has roughly 700 regulatory bodies governing professional practice across its provinces and territories. This fragmentation has long been identified as a barrier to labour mobility, particularly in healthcare. A dental hygienist fully qualified in one province may face entirely different registration requirements, examination standards, and continuing education expectations in another.
Ontario's As-of-Right legislation is part of a broader national movement to reduce these barriers. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) has advocated for streamlined national licensing standards, and the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) has supported the province's interprovincial mobility reforms as a practical response to workforce shortages that cannot be solved through domestic training pipelines alone.
Pro Tip: If you are a practice owner attending the ODA Annual Spring Meeting or similar professional events, use the networking opportunities to connect with dental professionals from other provinces who may be considering a move to Ontario. The regulatory barrier that once made these conversations hypothetical is now largely removed.
How This Intersects with CDCP Demand
The timing of Ontario's licensing reform coincides with sustained demand growth driven by the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). With nearly six million Canadians enrolled and Ontario leading all provinces in provider participation, practices across the GTA are managing increased patient volumes. Additional professionals entering the Ontario market through interprovincial mobility can help practices meet this demand without sacrificing appointment availability or care quality.
Practices in North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, and other areas with high CDCP enrollment may find that the ability to onboard out-of-province professionals quickly gives them a meaningful operational advantage.
Scope of Practice Considerations
It is worth noting that interprovincial mobility does not override Ontario's scope of practice definitions. A dental hygienist authorized to administer local anaesthesia in another province will not automatically carry that authorization into Ontario, where scope of practice expansions for hygienists remain under development by the CDHO.
Practice owners should review the specific scope of practice that applies in Ontario for any out-of-province hire and ensure that clinical assignments align with what Ontario law permits. The RCDSO and CDHO publish current scope of practice guidelines on their respective websites.
Pro Tip: Create a one-page orientation checklist for out-of-province hires that covers Ontario-specific scope of practice boundaries, infection prevention and control (IPAC) standards, and RCDSO or CDHO reporting requirements. This helps new team members from other provinces adapt quickly to Ontario's regulatory environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which dental professions are covered by Ontario's As-of-Right licensing provisions?
The provisions apply to dental technologists, dental hygienists, and other regulated dental professions under the Regulated Health Professions Act. Each profession's Ontario regulatory college manages its own implementation, so specific application requirements vary. Contact the relevant college directly for current guidance.
Q: Can an out-of-province dentist use deemed certification to practise in Ontario?
Dentists are regulated separately by the RCDSO. Ontario has had interprovincial mobility provisions for dentists predating the 2026 reforms. Contact the RCDSO directly to confirm the current pathway for out-of-province dentists seeking to practise in Ontario.
Q: What happens if a professional's deemed certification expires before they complete full Ontario registration?
Deemed certification is valid for up to six months. If a professional has not completed the full registration process within that period, they must stop practising in Ontario until registration is finalized. Practice owners should build timeline check-ins into their onboarding process to avoid disruptions.
EBIKO Dental will continue monitoring workforce and regulatory developments affecting Canadian dental practices. Visit ebiko.ca for daily dental industry updates.