Dental hygienists · dentists · assistants
CPR requirements for Ontario dental professionals
The certification you need
CPR & AED at the BLS level
This is a CPR requirement, not a first aid one. Registered dental hygienists must hold it; for dentists the College mandates it where sedation is provided.
Dental is the clearest example on this site of a requirement that comes from a College rather than from a law, and of a requirement people routinely over-buy.
The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario requires registered dental hygienists in clinical practice to hold a current CPR certificate at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level, and states it must include a hands-on component, so CDHO does not accept online-only CPR. For dentists, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario mandates BLS, which it calls CPR Level HCP, for those providing sedation, and strongly recommends it otherwise.
Requirements change and can vary by employer, site and role, so always confirm what yours asks for before booking. Not sure? Call us at 705-985-3478 or send us a message, and we’ll work it out with you.
Your course
CPR & AED
CPR & AED at the BLS level is what both Colleges name. It is our $73 course, not the $138 Intermediate First Aid one. Dental staff are frequently sold first aid they were never asked for.
Price
$73 + HST
Online at home
2 hours
In class with us
2 hours
CPR level
CPR-BLS
What does CPR-BLS mean? The three CPR levels, and who each one is for.
The online part is required and must be finished before your in-class day.
Pick a date and book
Booking is subject to our course policies: refunds, date changes, photo ID and what to bring on the day.
What the requirement actually says
- Registered dental hygienists: a current CPR certificate at the BLS level, with a hands-on component. Online-only courses are not accepted by CDHO.
- Dentists: the RCDSO requires BLS certification for those authorised to provide sedation or general anaesthesia. Outside of sedation it is strongly recommended rather than mandated, and the RCDSO defines "current" as within two years.
- Dental assistants are not a regulated profession in Ontario, and no association requirement sets a CPR standard for them, so for assistants this is your employer's policy.
- None of the dental requirements ask for a first aid certificate. They ask for CPR at the BLS level.
- CDHO does not set a fixed renewal interval: it treats a certificate as valid until the expiry date printed on it, defaulting to one year only where no expiry date is shown. A CPR certificate from us is valid for one year, so in practice you renew every year.
Source: College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, CPR requirement in its continuing competency guidelines. Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, Standard of Practice on the use of sedation and general anaesthesia. Neither is a statute; both are binding on their registrants.
Check it yourself
- CDHO: CPR requirement reminder, BLS level, hands-on component, online-only not accepted
- CDHO: continuing competency guidelines, the CPR requirement section
- RCDSO: information on medical emergencies, BLS expectations and what "current" means
Dental staff are routinely sold the wrong course
The usual reason is an assumption that dental offices need Intermediate First Aid for the WSIB. But the College requirement is CPR at the BLS level, not a first aid certificate, and a typical dental practice is not automatically covered by the WSIB in the first place: offices of dentists, doctors and lawyers are by-application coverage, so Regulation 1101 does not attach unless the practice has elected coverage. If you are booking a $138 Intermediate First Aid course because a dental role asked for BLS, stop and check. The $73 CPR & AED course is very likely what you actually need. Renewal is a separate question, and there the certificate decides: CDHO ties currency to the expiry date on your card, and a CPR-BLS card expires after one year, so plan to renew every year.
Dental offices: common questions
Is your CPR-BLS course hands-on?
Yes. Every course we run is blended: the theory is completed online at home, then you attend our Barrie centre for the in-person skills session, where you practise and are assessed on a manikin. It is not an online-only course. If your College or employer requires an in-person practical component, that is what the in-class day is.
Do I need first aid as well as BLS?
Not for the College requirement. CDHO and RCDSO both ask for CPR at the BLS level, not a first aid certificate. Your employer may want first aid as well, and a practice that is WSIB-covered may have a workplace duty of its own. Ask before you book the longer course.
How often do I need to renew?
Every year. CDHO treats your certificate as current until the expiry date printed on it, and a CPR-BLS certificate from us expires after one year. The RCDSO defines current as within two years, but your card will have expired before then. The CPR & AED course issues one certificate, the CPR-BLS one. Two certificates, with two dates, are issued only when BLS is taken together with a first aid course.
What about dental assistants?
Dental assisting is not a regulated profession in Ontario and there is no College requirement to point to, so it comes down to your practice's own policy. Most practices ask their whole clinical team to hold the same BLS-level certification as the hygienists, which is a sensible thing to do.
Training more than one person?
We’ll run the course at your site on a date that suits your operation, or host your group at our Barrie centre. Group pricing starts at six people, and a smaller group is welcome at that rate. One invoice for the lot.