Ontario Bill 56 Labour Mobility Now in Effect: What Dental Practice Hiring Looks Like Nine Months In

Ontario's Bill 56 — the Building a More Competitive Economy Act — received Royal Assent on November 3, 2025, and its interprovincial labour mobility provisions took effect on January 1, 2026. For dental practices in Ontario, this means dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technologists licensed in other Canadian provinces or territories can now practise in Ontario for up to six months under an "as of right" framework while completing full registration. Here is what practice owners and hiring managers must understand about how these rules work in practice nine months in.

As of September 2026, Ontario's expanded labour mobility framework has been in effect for nine months. The legislation, which amends both the Ontario Labour Mobility Act (OLMA) and the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), extends "as of right" practice provisions to dental professionals — a change that directly affects how Ontario practices recruit, hire, and credential out-of-province candidates during a persistent workforce shortage.

What Bill 56 Actually Changed for Dental Professionals

Before Bill 56, Ontario's as-of-right labour mobility rules applied to only four health professions: physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and medical laboratory technologists. The new legislation expanded this list to include dental professionals among 16 additional regulated health professions.

Under the expanded framework, dental professionals licensed and in good standing in another Canadian province or territory can now:

• Practise in Ontario for up to six months while completing the full registration process with their applicable Ontario regulatory body
• Begin work upon acknowledgment of their application — regulators must acknowledge receipt within 10 business days, and individuals are deemed certified upon that acknowledgment
• Avoid material additional training, examinations, or assessments as a precondition for beginning work during the six-month period

The provisions apply to dentists (regulated by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario), dental hygienists (regulated by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, or CDHO), and dental technologists.

Eligibility Requirements: Not Quite "No Questions Asked"

The as-of-right framework is not unconditional. Applicants must meet several criteria:

• Good standing attestation: The individual must attest to being in good standing with their home province's regulatory body
• No recent certification denial: No certification denial within the past two years
• No active misconduct proceedings: No active professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity proceedings pending
• No prior findings: No prior findings of misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity

Ontario regulators can still require certain things that do not constitute "material additional requirements":

• An attestation confirming knowledge of Ontario-specific practice matters
• Proof of professional liability (malpractice) insurance
• A police record check
• Verification of employment authorization

Pro Tip: If you are hiring an out-of-province dentist or hygienist under these provisions, confirm their good standing status directly with their home province's regulatory body. The as-of-right framework relies on self-attestation, but due diligence remains the hiring practice's responsibility.

Why This Matters Now: Ontario's Dental Workforce Shortage

The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) flagged workforce sustainability as a top-three priority at its 2026 Annual Spring Meeting, citing significant hygienist attrition due to retirement, career changes, and interprovincial migration. The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which has enrolled over 6.3 million Canadians, has further increased patient volumes at practices already operating at or near capacity.

Bill 56's labour mobility provisions are a direct policy response to this shortage. By allowing licensed professionals from provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec to begin working in Ontario almost immediately, the legislation provides a faster pipeline for practices struggling to fill clinical positions.

For practices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) — where competition for dental hygienists and associates is particularly intense — the expanded labour mobility rules create a concrete recruiting advantage. Practices can now credibly tell out-of-province candidates: "You can start working here within weeks, not months."

Practical Implications for Ontario Dental Practice Owners

Recruiting Out-of-Province Candidates

The labour mobility provisions mean Ontario practices can now actively recruit from other provinces with a more compelling offer. Candidates from provinces with lower compensation levels or fewer practice opportunities — or those seeking to relocate to the GTA for personal reasons — face significantly lower friction.

When recruiting under these provisions, practices should:

1. Verify the candidate's home-province registration — contact the relevant regulatory body directly, do not rely solely on self-attestation
2. Confirm liability insurance coverage — ensure the candidate's existing coverage extends to Ontario practice, or assist them in obtaining Ontario-specific coverage
3. Clarify the six-month timeline — the as-of-right period is not renewable. Both parties must understand that the candidate needs to complete full Ontario registration within that window
4. Document everything — maintain records of the regulatory acknowledgment, insurance verification, and any Ontario-specific attestations for your practice files

Temporary Staffing and Locum Arrangements

The six-month as-of-right window is particularly useful for locum arrangements. If an associate dentist or hygienist is on parental leave, medical leave, or sabbatical, an out-of-province practitioner can now fill the gap without the months-long registration delay that previously made such arrangements impractical.

Pro Tip: If you anticipate a staffing gap in the next three to six months, begin recruiting out-of-province candidates now. Even under the faster as-of-right process, onboarding takes time — housing, scheduling, patient introductions, and practice familiarization do not happen overnight.

Scope of Practice Considerations

Labour mobility does not override Ontario's scope of practice rules. A dental hygienist from a province with a broader scope (such as Alberta, where hygienists can administer local anaesthesia independently in some settings) must practise within Ontario's scope once working here. Practice owners should ensure out-of-province hires are briefed on any scope differences before they see their first patient.

What This Means for Dental Professionals Considering Ontario

For dentists and dental hygienists in other provinces considering a move to Ontario, the landscape has shifted meaningfully. The key changes:

• No income gap: Under the old system, moving to Ontario often meant months without practising income while waiting for registration. The as-of-right provisions close that gap.
• Lower risk: A six-month practice window lets professionals test the Ontario market — including GTA cost of living, commute realities, and practice culture — before fully committing to permanent relocation.
• Dual registration possible: Nothing prevents maintaining registration in both your home province and Ontario during the transition period.

The Broader Context: Provincial Reciprocity Across Canada

Ontario is not the first province to adopt expanded labour mobility for dental professionals, but its size and market significance make this change particularly impactful. The move aligns with broader federal and interprovincial efforts to reduce barriers to labour mobility across Canada, including the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), which has long required provinces to recognize out-of-province credentials without material additional requirements.

Bill 56 strengthens Ontario's compliance with these national obligations and sends a signal to dental professionals across the country: Ontario is actively seeking to attract talent, and the regulatory barriers that once made the province unattractive for short-term or exploratory moves have been substantially reduced.

What Practice Owners Should Do Now

If you own or manage a dental practice in Ontario and are dealing with staffing challenges, the Bill 56 provisions should be part of your recruitment strategy. Specific actions:

1. Update your job postings — explicitly state that out-of-province candidates can begin working within weeks under Ontario's as-of-right provisions
2. Build relationships with recruiters in other provinces — particularly British Columbia, Alberta, and Atlantic Canada, where dental professional compensation and practice opportunities may differ
3. Prepare an onboarding checklist for out-of-province hires — including Ontario-specific scope of practice briefing, insurance verification, and RCDSO or CDHO registration timeline tracking
4. Consult your practice's legal advisor — ensure your employment agreements account for the possibility that an out-of-province hire may not complete full registration within six months, and include appropriate contingency provisions

Pro Tip: Post openings on national dental job boards, not just Ontario-based ones. Dentists and hygienists in smaller markets across Canada may not know about Bill 56's provisions unless they see an Ontario practice specifically inviting out-of-province applicants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can an out-of-province dentist start working in Ontario immediately under Bill 56?

Not immediately, but close. The Ontario regulatory body must acknowledge receipt of the application within 10 business days. Upon acknowledgment, the individual is deemed certified and can begin practising. The total lag from application to first day of work is typically two to three weeks, accounting for insurance verification and practice onboarding.

Q: Does the six-month as-of-right window apply to dental specialists, or only general dentists?

The legislation covers dental professionals regulated under Ontario's Regulated Health Professions Act, which includes dentists (general and specialist), dental hygienists, and dental technologists. Specialists should confirm with the RCDSO that their specific specialty category is covered under the as-of-right provisions.

Q: What happens if an out-of-province dental professional does not complete full Ontario registration within six months?

The as-of-right practice authorization expires after six months and is not renewable. If full registration is not completed by that point, the individual must stop practising in Ontario until registration is finalized. Practice owners should track this timeline carefully and build contingency plans into employment agreements.