Career guide · Training, diplomas and professional orders
Dental hygienists’ autonomy: Bill 29 explained
Since 2020, the dental hygienist has been an autonomous professional. Here is precisely what changed, what remains under prescription and what it changes in a clinic.
What is Bill 29?
The Act to amend the Professional Code, adopted on September 29, 2020, which recognizes the professional autonomy of Quebec’s dental hygienists and allows them to provide care directly to the public, without necessarily going through a dentist for procedures within their autonomous scope. The OHDQ called it a historic modernization.
Which procedures can a hygienist perform without a prescription?
According to the ODQ document on Bill 29: assess oral health, teach hygiene, polish teeth, seal pits and fissures, place temporary fillings without cavity preparation, perform supra- and subgingival scaling, and design, make and sell mouthguards.
Which procedures still require a dentist’s prescription?
Topical application of anesthetics or desensitizing agents, diagnostic exams including X-rays, non-surgical periodontal debridement, inserting and sculpting filling materials, making and cementing provisional restorations, applying and removing periodontal dressings, removing sutures, contributing to orthodontic treatment and whitening.
What does it change concretely in a clinic?
Less waiting for the dentist to start a cleaning or a sealant, more responsibility in assessment and education, and a smoother agenda. The dentist remains responsible for the diagnosis and overall treatment plan; collaboration becomes more horizontal.
Can a hygienist open her own hygiene clinic?
Yes, Bill 29 allows independent practice; the OHDQ publishes guidelines on opening a dental hygiene clinic. Most hygienists nonetheless choose to practise in a dental clinic, where access to X-rays, diagnosis and dentists’ treatments remains immediate for the patient.
Did autonomy raise salaries?
It strengthened the value and recognition of the profession; combined with the shortage, it supports hourly rates (median of $40 an hour according to the Quebec government). A hygienist who fully uses her autonomous scope is more valuable to a clinic.
How does Bill 29 change the assistant’s role?
Indirectly: when the hygienist works autonomously, the assistant focuses on the dentist’s chair, sterilization and preparation, which clarifies tasks. Assistants’ scope is not regulated by Bill 29, but their radiography training remains required to take images.
What must a clinic put in place to comply with Bill 29?
Clear protocols on prescriptions (written or in the digital record), an allocation of procedures consistent with each scope, rigorous record-keeping and smooth communication between hygienists and dentists. Ask at the interview how the clinic organizes these protocols.
Does Bill 29 also apply to denturists?
Bill 29 modernized several oral health professions, including denturists, with scope-of-practice adjustments; consult the Ordre des denturologistes du Québec for details specific to that profession. The general principle is the same: more autonomy, better framed.
Where can you read the official texts?
On the OHDQ website (Modernization section and FAQ), in the ODQ explanatory document on hygienists’ scope of practice, and in the Professional Code on Légis Québec. A clinic recruiting autonomous hygienists, like Go Dentiste, applies these rules every day.
Go further
- Dental hygienist jobs at Go Dentiste
- Becoming a dental hygienist in Quebec
- Dental career guide: the 1,000 questions
- All positions at Go Dentiste
Sources and references
- OHDQ — Adoption of Bill 29 (dental hygienists’ autonomy)
- ODQ — Dental hygienists’ scope of practice after Bill 29 (PDF)
- 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.