Dental Hygiene Quarterly is a Professional Development Subscription that provides 12 hours of Continuing Education per year.

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DHQ. Discover What's Next.

Curated learning for the curious dental hygienist.

Every quarter, the rdhu team curates emerging trends, innovative technologies, evolving research, and thought-provoking topics that have the potential to influence dental hygiene practice.

Some topics may immediately change your practice.

Others may simply plant a seed.

Either way, you'll stay connected to the ideas shaping the future of our profession.

What's Included

✔ Immediate access to the current DHQ editions

✔ Automatic access to future editions during your subscription year

✔ On-demand viewing for 5 years

✔ Certificates stored in your personal rdhu portal

✔ Activity Pages to support learning and implementation

✔ Goal Statements and Bibliographies for Learning Portfolios

✔ Additional resources for deeper exploration

✔ 12+ CE hours annually

Why DHQ?

Most dental hygienists know what they're looking for when they register for a course.

DHQ is different.

Each edition introduces you to timely topics, emerging trends, innovative technologies, and fresh perspectives you may not have discovered on your own.

We do the searching, filtering, and planning so you can stay curious, current, and connected to what's next in dental hygiene.

Every edition is designed to spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and support implementation in practice.

Volume 95:

Digital Dentistry for Dental Hygienists: Embracing the Future of Oral Healthcare

Susan Woodley, RDH

As digital technologies redefine modern dental care, dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to lead and support the integration of innovation into everyday practice. This course is designed to empower dental hygienists with the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to confidently engage with intraoral scanning, discover how new technologies can enhance clinical accuracy, improve client education, and streamline workflow collaboration within the dental team.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand the role and impact of intraoral digital scanning in modern dentistry
Identify opportunities for incorporating digital workflows into their daily practice
Apply “Best Practice” digital techniques to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and client experience
Promote patient engagement and increased case acceptance through digital education platforms

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 1 hour | AGD Subject Code: 138

Original Release Date: March 2026

Expiration Date: March 2029

Securing Smiles: Cybersecurity for Healthcare

Dani Amanouail, RDH

Dental practices are increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals due to the high value of electronic health records (EHR), financial data, and insurance records. A single cyber incident can disrupt patient care, compromise sensitive data, damage professional reputation, and result in regulatory penalties.

My goal is to provide dental professionals with a practical, non-technical understanding of today’s most common cybersecurity threats impacting dental settings. Attendees will learn how ransomware, phishing, insider threats, and weak office IT practices affect daily operations — and more importantly, how to reduce risk using realistic, cost-effective strategies.

Drawing from both years of clinical experience and cybersecurity expertise, this presentation bridges the gap between oral healthcare and digital protection, empowering dental hygienists and practice owners to strengthen security, safeguard patient trust, and build resilient practices against threats.

Learning Objectives

Identify the most common cybersecurity threats affecting dental practices, including phishing, ransomware, and data breaches.
Recognize how human error contributes to security incidents within clinical and administrative workflows.
Implement practical, cost-effective safeguards to reduce cyber risk in a dental office environment.
Understand the regulatory and professional implications of failing to protect patient information.
Apply basic incident response steps in the event of a suspected cyberattack.

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 1 hour | AGD Subject Code: 550

Original Release Date: March 2026

Expiration Date: March 2029

A Modern Look: Evidence-Based Dental Instrument Designs

Beth Parkes, RDH, BSc

This course introduces dental professionals to innovations in hand instrument materials and design, focusing on comparing sharpen-free and stainless-steel technologies. Participants will discover how ergonomic features, advanced alloys, and precision manufacturing improve instrument performance, clinician comfort, and patient outcomes. Through evidence-based comparisons and practical demonstrations, learners will be empowered to select tools that enhance efficiency, safety, and adaptability, whether they're new graduates or seasoned hygienists.

Learning Objectives:

Evaluate the impact of material science and manufacturing innovations on dental hygiene instrumentation
Compare sharpenable and sharpen-free instrument technologies in terms of ergonomic benefits, maintenance requirements, and clinical outcomes.
Assess the ergonomic impact of hand instrument design on clinician comfort, control, and long-term musculoskeletal health
Explore the design features of various hand instruments to enhance clinical adaptability and efficiency

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 1 hour | AGD Subject Code: 017

Original Release Date: March 2026

Expiration Date: March 2029

Volume 96

Targeted Supplementation and Nutrition for Periodontal and Systemic Health

Lorraine Gambacourt, RDH

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven not only by bacteria, but by an exaggerated inflammatory host response that can lead to connective tissue destruction, bone loss, and increased systemic inflammatory burden throughout the body. Nutrition plays an important role in the maintenance of periodontal health, however many individuals do not consistently consume optimal levels of key nutrients required to support healing, immune function, inflammation regulation, and periodontal stability. Deficiencies can exacerbate periodontal tissue damage.

This course will review a variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that play important roles in immune function, inflammation regulation, antioxidant defense, and tissue repair.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain how inflammation and the host response affect periodontal and systemic health.

2. Identify supplements that may support periodontal healing, bone health, and inflammation control.

3. Evaluate current evidence supporting supplementation in periodontal therapy.

4. Differentiate supplementation approaches for periodontitis, maintenance, and peri-implant care.

5. Apply supplementation and nutritional discussions in client education and clinical practice.

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 1 hour | AGD Subject Code: 010

Original Release Date: June 2026

Expiration Date: June 2029

Beyond the Scaler: Advancing Periodontal Therapy with Adjunctive Innovation

Chrissy Ford, RDH, BScDH

Modern periodontal care extends far beyond scaling and root planning! The tools and strategies available to dental hygienists have never been more powerful. This dynamic session explores adjunctive therapies that enhance healing, reduce inflammation, and elevate clinical outcomes beyond traditional instrumentation.

Through clinical examples and treatment planning frameworks, dental hygienists will learn how to confidently select and communicate these therapies for maximum impact-improving both patient health and practice success.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify clinical indicators for incorporating adjunctive therapies into periodontal treatment plans.

2. Understand the science and practical application of air polishing, desiccation therapy, hydrogen peroxide treatment, and oral inflammation testing.

3. Integrate adjunctive therapies confidently into clinical protocols to enhance healing and reduce inflammation.

4. Communicate the value of adjunctive periodontal care to improve patient understanding and case acceptance.

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 2 hours | AGD Subject Code: 490

Original Release Date: June 2026

Expiration Date: June 2029

Current Edition: Volume 97

Aging, Dementia & Oral Health

Krystal Afzalzada, RDH, B.Ed

As Canada's population ages, dental hygienists are increasingly caring for clients living with dementia, cognitive change, and complex systemic health conditions. This course moves around three perspectives: the client, the caregiver, and the registered dental hygienist.

Participants will explore how aging and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression/anxiety affect oral health and clinical decision-making, before moving into an in-depth look at dementia-informed care. Recognizing behaviour as communication, modifying appointments without compromising care, and documenting objectively rather than diagnostically. The course also addresses caregiver burden and realistic home-care planning, and closes with the professional responsibilities of consent, capacity, clinical judgment, and interprofessional collaboration.

Built around a recurring client case and grounded in Canadian dental hygiene practice principles, this course gives RDHs concrete tools to apply in practice the next time they see a client whose needs have quietly started to change.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Apply current dementia-care guidance to determine when to proceed, modify, or postpone scaling, root planing, and other invasive dental hygiene procedures for clients living with dementia.

2. Differentiate observable behavioural indicators of pain, fear, or unmet needs.

3. Document dementia-related clinical decisions, precautions, and caregiver communications in a manner consistent with the record-keeping requirements.

4. Design realistic, caregiver-informed home-care recommendations that reflect an understanding of caregiver burden and the shifting responsibility for oral care as dementia progresses.

5. Identify when and how to initiate interprofessional referral or consultation for clients showing new cognitive or behavioural change.

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 2 hours | AGD Subject Code: 750

Original Release Date: September 2026

Expiration Date: September 2029

Prebiotics, Probiotics, Postbiotics, Oh My!

Lorraine Gambacourt, RDH

This one-hour course explores the evolving science of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics and their roles in supporting oral, gut, and systemic health. Participants will gain a clear, practical understanding of the differences among prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, beginning with the oral and gut microbiomes and the impact of symbiosis and dysbiosis. The course explores how prebiotic fibers, plant foods and polyphenols support beneficial microorganisms, along with the practical and emerging applications of probiotics and postbiotics.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe key characteristics and functions of the oral and gut microbiomes in symbiosis and dysbiosis.

2. Differentiate between prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics.

3. Explain how prebiotic fibres and plant-based foods influence the gut microbiome.

4. Recognize the role of polyphenol-rich foods in supporting oral, gut, and systemic health.

5. Discuss practical and emerging applications of probiotics and postbiotics in supporting oral, gut, and

systemic health.

Educational Method: Self-Instruction

CE Credit: 1 hour | AGD Subject Code: 150

Original Release Date: September 2026

Expiration Date: September 2029

What Your Colleagues Are Saying About DHQ

"DHQ introduces me to topics I may not have explored on my own. I appreciate the variety and the opportunity to learn from experienced presenters throughout the year." — Sarah M., RDH

"Between work and life, finding time for continuing education can be challenging. DHQ makes it easy to fit meaningful learning into my schedule." — Patricia L., RDH

"What I value most is that each issue offers a mix of clinical and professional development topics. It feels like a well-rounded approach to lifelong learning." — Emily T., RDH

"The platform is easy to navigate, and having my certificates stored in one place gives me peace of mind when it comes to documentation and record keeping." — Jessica R., RDH

"DHQ has become part of my professional development routine. The content is practical, current, and presented in a way that keeps me engaged." — Lisa K., RDH