Despite previous attempts to gather the information needed for long-term planning, several associations representing oral health professionals are actively pushing for more detailed workforce data.
Sylvie Martel, director of dental hygiene practice at the Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA), noted that current data is limited to the total number of registered dental hygienists in each province and territory. Key information, such as workplace type (e.g., clinic, specialty setting, education or research setting), work status (part-time or full-time), and detailed geographic distribution, is still missing.
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To this end, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), the Canadian Dental Assistants’ Association (CDAA), and the Canadian Dentist Association have jointly applied for a grant from Health Canada to develop a robust workforce planning model.
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Martel emphasized that “the dental health profession as a whole faces a widespread lack of reliable workforce data. Only through collaborative efforts, mapping population demand and provider distribution, can we accurately identify areas of shortage or surplus.”
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In June of this year, the Ontario Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA) challenged the widespread perception of a dental hygienist shortage, calling for improved workplace conditions, retention strategies, and data-based workforce planning.
Previously, some dental hygienists launched a petition opposing Ontario dentists’ proposal to expand the preventive care role of foreign-trained dentists amid a so-called dental shortage. This voice was also noted and responded to by the Canadian Dental Association.
The Canadian Dental Association acknowledged that significant gaps in oral health workforce data remain, particularly regarding the ratio of part-time to full-time employment, professional breakdowns, and geographic distribution.
Four major associations submitted project proposals under the second part of Health Canada’s Oral Health Fund to support the expansion of oral health services in rural and remote areas. However, Health Canada revealed that funding for detailed workforce data collection has ended.
The 2023 federal budget provides Statistics Canada with approximately $23 million to support infrastructure development and conduct the first national Survey of Oral Health Providers (SOHCP).
However, Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency, stated that funding has ended and there are no plans to continue or repeat such a survey.
Instead, Health Canada recommends focusing on the rich data on health professionals, including dental hygienists, maintained by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Martel noted that while CIHI is a data source, its data is incomplete, with some provinces not reporting data for years.
She also stated that the CIHI 2023 dataset provides accurate data on the number of registered dental hygienists in each province and territory, but lacks the in-depth information needed to assess specific practice status and workforce needs.
For the past two decades, organizations such as the Oral Health Care Sector Study Organization (OHCSSO) have called for a national workforce model, but the necessary data has been lacking.
The recently established Health Workforce Canada, launched in November 2023, aims to bring together the health and education sectors to strengthen workforce data.
The Canadian Dental Association explained that collecting such extensive health workforce data is extremely complex, encompassing numerous demand and supply variables and across multiple health professions. Even with years of significant investment from governments and the support of expert teams, it remains difficult to completely address nursing and medical workforce shortages.
Despite the data gaps, Martel emphasized that collaboration among oral health associations is focusing on practical solutions. “We will continue to collaborate, gathering as much data as possible to explore how to advance our work within existing resources and identify future support and funding needs.
We will also develop concrete strategies to address recruitment and retention challenges and safeguard the working environment and benefits of dental clinic staff.”
She concluded, “Our collaboration will not cease, and we will continue to work together to address the industry’s workforce challenges.”
