Ontario
Dental staffing across Ontario
Book temp dental hygienists, dental assistants, front office staff and locum dentists, or find shifts near where you live. Coverage is deepest in the Greater Toronto Area, and the credential checks here work differently than they do out west.
What is different about Ontario
Two of these three roles have a college. One does not.
Hygienists register with the CDHO and dentists with the RCDSO, so for those two the question is simply whether the registration is current. Dental assisting is not a regulated profession in Ontario. There is no college, and no registration to be in good standing with.
That catches out practices arriving from provinces where assistants are registered, and it matters more than it sounds, because the obligation moves. RCDSO rules require its members to assign Level II duties only to assistants holding the NDAEB certificate, which makes it the dentist’s responsibility rather than the assistant’s. Radiographs need HARP certification on top, and the NDAEB certificate does not include it.
How we handle complianceWho governs what in Ontario
Three rolesWhat we confirm on a temp booking
CDHO registration in good standing
An RDH in Ontario registers with the CDHO, and that registration is what we confirm before a temp shift. Some hygienists also hold self-initiation, an authorization the College assesses and grants individually, which lets them provide care without a dentist's order. It is not something every Ontario hygienist holds, so if it matters to your practice, ask for it in the posting rather than assuming it.
Verification applies to temp and locum bookings, where the professional is our employee. On a permanent placement your practice is the employer and runs its own checks. We never assess clinical skill on either.
Regions of Ontario
Nine regions, carved the way staffing actually works rather than along tourism boundaries. Regions with a page are linked; the rest are markets we cover and will tell you about honestly.
One labour market split across the City of Toronto and four regional municipalities. The distance between two offices matters far less here than which direction the 401 is moving at eight in the morning.
Metro areas
The west end of the Golden Horseshoe, divided by the escarpment and strung along the QEW. Hamilton staffs itself; Niagara is a seasonal border economy with its own rhythm.
Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph. Two universities and a technology economy give this region a pool of its own rather than an overflow from Toronto.
London anchors it and Windsor sits at the far end, closer to Detroit than to anywhere in its own province. Farmland between the centres, and each one recruits locally.
Barrie north to cottage country, where the summer population is nothing like the winter one. The region where the calendar changes what a practice needs most.
Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes and the lakeshore towns east of Durham. Close enough to the GTA to feel its pull, far enough that it does not share its pool.
Kingston, Belleville, Brockville and Cornwall along the St Lawrence. University and hospital towns separated by real distance, each staffing from its own catchment.
The capital and the towns up the river behind it. A bilingual, government-employed patient base, and the one Ontario market where a provincial border runs through the middle of the commute.
Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, North Bay and Timmins across a distance wider than most countries. Whoever lives in the city is who covers it.
Not seeing your community? Ask about it and we will tell you honestly what the pool looks like there.
Who carries what
On a temp booking, the paperwork is ours
We are the employer on temp
Every professional on a temp or locum booking is our T4 employee, not a contractor. Payroll, remittances, liability insurance and WSIB coverage sit with us, and you receive one invoice.
Ontario employment standards
Hours, breaks, public holidays and termination all run under Ontario's Employment Standards Act rather than another province's rules, and that is our obligation to get right, not yours.
Credentials checked before the shift
CDHO or RCDSO registration where the role is regulated, and the NDAEB certificate plus HARP certification where it is not. Confirmed before anyone attends.
We never assess clinical skill
Not in Ontario and not anywhere. We confirm that credentials are real and current. Judging clinical work is the practice's call, on temp and permanent alike.
Roles we staff
Temp and permanent dental staff across Ontario
Temp dental hygienists (RDH), dental assistants, front office staff, office managers and locum dentists, for single-day cover through to permanent placement.
Temp and permanent dental hygienists in Ontario
RDHRegistered with the CDHO, which we confirm on every temp booking. Some hold self-initiation, granted individually by the College, so ask for it in the posting if your practice needs it.
hygiene column cover, recall days, maternity and medical leave
More about this roleTemp and permanent dental assistants in Ontario
CDANot a regulated profession in Ontario, so there is no registration to check. We confirm the NDAEB certificate for Level II duties and HARP certification where the role involves radiographs.
chairside assisting, second chair, same-day callouts
More about this roleLocum and permanent dentists in Ontario
Locum and associate cover, with RCDSO registration confirmed before a booking. Ontario has more single-dentist practices than any other province simply by volume.
locum cover, associate roles, sabbatical and leave blocks
More about this roleDental receptionists and front office staff in Ontario
Reception and front office cover, including practices where confirming appointments in a patient's own language is part of the job rather than a bonus.
reception cover, scheduling, recall and billing support
More about this roleDental office managers in Ontario
Interim and permanent management in the most competitive hiring market in the country, where a vacant manager's chair is hard to fill from a standing start.
interim management, leave cover, practice transitions
More about this roleSterilization technicians in Ontario
Reprocessing cover at volumes that run higher than most provinces, particularly in the multi-operatory practices concentrated around Toronto.
instrument reprocessing, sterilization area cover
More about this roleHow we supply them in Ontario
Ontario staffing questions
How does dental staffing work with WORKFORCE in Ontario?
An office creates an account and posts an open shift with the date, role and location. It goes to verified professionals whose travel radius covers that office, and whoever wants it claims it. On temp and locum bookings the professional is our employee, so credentials, insurance and payroll are ours and you get one invoice at an all-in hourly rate. Permanent placement works differently: we introduce candidates and your practice hires them directly.
What do you verify for a dental hygienist working in Ontario?
Registration in good standing with the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, on temp and locum bookings where the hygienist is our employee. Some Ontario hygienists also hold self-initiation, an authorization the CDHO assesses and grants individually, which lets them provide care without a dentist's order. Not every registered hygienist holds it, so if your practice needs it, say so in the posting rather than assuming it.
Are dental assistants regulated in Ontario?
No, and this is the single biggest difference from provinces like British Columbia. There is no regulatory college for dental assistants in Ontario and no registration to be in good standing with. What exists is certification: Level II intra-oral duties require the NDAEB certificate, and taking radiographs requires HARP certification, which is separate and which the NDAEB certificate does not include. We confirm both, as applicable to the role you are filling.
If assistants are unregulated, whose responsibility is it?
Largely the practice's, which is worth knowing before you book anyone. RCDSO rules require its own members to assign Level II duties only to assistants who hold the NDAEB certificate, so the obligation sits with the dentist rather than with the assistant. On a temp booking we check the certificate before they attend, and on a permanent hire that verification is yours to run.
Which parts of Ontario do you cover?
Coverage is deepest in the Greater Toronto Area, and we are building outward from there. The other regions are markets we can talk about honestly rather than claim blanket coverage of. If your community is not listed with a page yet, contact us and we will tell you plainly what the pool looks like there rather than taking a posting we cannot fill.
What does WORKFORCE charge in Ontario?
Temporary and locum work is a single all-in hourly rate covering the professional's pay, payroll, remittances and insurance, so nothing is added afterwards. Permanent placement carries a placement fee on conversion, quoted up front before you commit and priced competitively against what a recruiter would charge. We are an agency and we charge agency fees.
Can a hygienist registered in another province work in Ontario?
They need to be registered with the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario to practise here. Labour mobility provisions exist between provinces, but the process and eligibility are matters for the College, not for us. We do not advise on registration, licensure or immigration.
I am a dental professional in Ontario. How do I get shifts?
Join as a Dental Pro, confirm your credentials, then set the days you want to work and how far you are willing to travel. Matching shifts come to you and you see the office, location and rate before claiming anything. Every shift runs through WORKFORCE, so however many practices you work it all lands on one T4.
Whichever side of the chair you are on
Temporary staffing, permanent placement and dentist locum cover throughout Ontario, for the practices that need people and the professionals who want the work.
For dental offices
Cover the chair, or fill the role
Post an open shift and it reaches verified professionals in range of your practice. CDHO and RCDSO registration confirmed where the role is regulated, NDAEB and HARP certification where it is not.
For dental professionals
Pick up the work
One profile, one set of preferences, and shifts matched to the days you want and the distance you will actually travel. However many practices you work, it lands on a single T4.