Career guide · Team, culture and management
Evaluation, feedback and goals in dental clinics
A well-run review is the moment your career moves forward. Here is how it should go and how to prepare to get concrete progress out of it.
Must a dental clinic conduct reviews?
No law requires it, but well-run clinics do at least one a year, plus an end-of-probation review. The review serves to recognize, adjust and plan; its absence leaves pay decisions vague and frustrations unanswered.
On which criteria is a hygienist evaluated?
Clinical quality (protocols, documentation, detection), patient relationship (satisfaction, treatment acceptance, recalls), respect for the agenda, teamwork, continuing education and, in some clinics, production indicators. Criteria must be known in advance.
And an assistant or a receptionist?
Assistant: rigour in sterilization and asepsis, chairside efficiency, tray preparation, initiative, versatility. Receptionist: welcome, confirmation and no-show rates, billing accuracy, emergency handling, communication with the clinic. In both cases: reliability and team spirit.
Is the review tied to pay?
Often, and that is healthy if the rules are clear: a progression grid, measurable criteria and an explained decision. A raise that depends on the mood of the moment or an impression is not a policy. Ask for the grid at the interview.
How do I prepare for my review?
Note your achievements for the year (new tasks, training, initiatives, results), your difficulties and what you need (training, equipment, schedule). Arrive with two or three goals for the next year and a quantified pay request, backed by market data.
What is continuous feedback?
Regular comments, in the days following a situation, positive as well as corrective, rather than an annual review that piles up reproaches. A clinic practising continuous feedback has no surprises at review time; it is the best indicator of healthy management.
What if I receive an unfair negative review?
Ask for precise examples, bring your own, propose a correction plan with a follow-up date and have your comments recorded. If the review is used to justify an unfounded sanction or dismissal, keep the documents: they count in a claim.
Are percentage dentists evaluated?
Differently: through their indicators (production, new patients, treatment plan acceptance, satisfaction) and meetings with management on organization and development (training, ownership). A clinic offering ownership, like Go Dentiste, also evaluates the long-term project.
What is an individual development plan?
A simple document that sets, for the year, your goals, planned training, targeted responsibilities and salary review milestones. It is the link between the review and your career; few clinics do it, and those that do keep their employees.
How can you tell whether a clinic reviews well before joining?
Ask to see the evaluation grid, how often meetings take place and how the last salary review was decided. A detailed answer shows structured management. See open positions at Go Dentiste.
Go further
- Negotiating your salary in a dental clinic
- Recognition and culture
- Dental career guide: the 1,000 questions
- All positions at Go Dentiste
Sources and references
- CNESST — Labour standards in Quebec (brochure)
- Gouvernement du Québec — Dental hygienists: wages and outlook (IMT)
Content prepared by the Go Dentiste team (Dr Dominic Morel-Maynard, general dentist and owner). Last updated: September 25, 2026. General information for guidance only: only an in-clinic exam can establish a diagnosis and a treatment plan suited to your situation.