The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is calling for equal treatment for hygienists working in a dental office versus a private hygiene clinic.
The fee guide for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) shows that reimbursement rates for private hygienists is significantly less than for hygiene services completed in a dentist’s office, demonstrating a double standard.
The Toronto Star recently reported that the CDHA considers this potentially as discriminatory since the majority of the hygiene workforce is women. Independent hygienists have the same overhead costs as dentist offices and some even have additional travel costs for mobile clinics.
“That’s not fair to the patient. It’s also not fair to the dental hygienist to be expected to cover that cost for his or her business,” said Donna Wells, the association’s manager of professional practice.
