As more courses become available online, many dental hygienists in Quebec are wondering if online training can really be counted in their mandatory continuing education.
The answer is yes, but not automatically. As with any continuing education activity, certain specific conditions must be respected.
What the Order of Dental Hygienists of Quebec provides
Continuing education obligations are regulated by the Order of Dental Hygienists of Quebec (OHDQ), in the Regulation on compulsory continuing education.
The regulation:
requires 40 hours of continuing education over a reference period of two years
defines the types of eligible activities
does not explicitly distinguish the format (face-to-face or online)
👉 In other words, the online format is not excluded by the regulation.
Are online training courses for hygienists recognized?
Yes, online training courses can count towards the continuing education of dental hygienists if they meet the Order's criteria.
What is evaluated is not the method of distribution, but:
the relevance of the content for the practice of dental hygiene
the quality educationalof the activity
the direct link with the professional exercise
the possibility of obtaining proof of participation or a certificate
Certain online training courses offered by recognized organizations are also explicitly used by the Order itself, in particular via virtual training platforms.
What types of online training may be eligible?
According to the OHDQ guidelines, eligible activities may include:
webinars or virtual conferences
synchronous online training (live)
asynchronous training (self-training), when it includes an evaluation or a validation mechanism
supervised reading with questionnaire or validation of acquired knowledge
Each activity must be able to be documented and justified in the event of verification.
What does not count automatically
Certain online activities may not be eligible, for example:
content without educational supervision
videos or training without certification
training whose link with professional practice is too indirect
content offered by unidentifiable or non-credible suppliers
In these cases, the responsibility falls to the dental hygienist to demonstrate the relevance of the activity, which may be more difficult.
The importance of retaining proof of training
The OHDQ may ask a dental hygienist to demonstrate that she has respected her continuing education obligations.
It is therefore essential to:
keep certificates of participation
keep proof of duration and content
be able to explain the link between the training followed and professional practice
Good organization avoids administrative problems and stress at the end of the reference period.
Centralizing your training: an advantage for hygienists dental
With the diversity of formats and suppliers, many dental hygienists choose to centralize their continuing training on a specialized platform.
Solutions like Dentoflow bring together:
training adapted to the reality of dental hygienists
online and face-to-face training
tools to keep certificates and track training hours
This type of platform does not replace the rules of the Order, but facilitates monitoring, planning and compliance.
Explore available training
Dental hygienists who wish to access relevant online training and better organize their continuing education can create an account on Dentoflow.
👉 Free registration to discover the training offered and centralize your certificates.