The College’s Program Approval Policies guide Council’s review and approval of dental assisting education programs in Alberta. These policies describe what we look for when we approve a program. They also explain what information a program may need to send us, and how we make and share approval decisions.
Why we updated the policies
Recently, we had a third-party review our structure for program approval. That review included identifying if graduates of programs would be ready to meet what patients expect of them. It used Health Quality Alberta’s Alberta Quality Dimensions for Health (2025) as indicators to support a people-centred, public-interest understanding of patient expectations.
As a result of the review, Council decided to transition to a new framework for program approval. The updated policies reflect what we heard during the review. They:
- support consistent, high-quality education
- limit disruption for students and educators during the transition
- support initial steps toward the new framework
We expect to update the policies again to align with new framework, coming in early 2027.
Why this matters
Dental assistants play an important role in oral health care. Clear program approval requirements help support consistent entry-to-practice education. This helps graduates provide safe, competent care that leads to better patient outcomes across Alberta.
Education and approval standards can change quickly. When this happens, Council needs the ability to respond with updates to approval requirements, steps, or the information programs must provide.
Program approval must also reflect requirements such as infection prevention and control, restricted activities (certain tasks that require specific training), and documentation standards that are unique to Alberta. We need clear evidence that students are learning these requirements and can support safe patient care.
What’s changing
- Council will approve programs directly, using their regulatory authority. This helps set clear expectations that support safe care.
- Alberta programs may still choose accreditation as one source of information. However, accreditation status will not decide whether a program is approved in Alberta. We will focus on the evidence needed to meet Alberta requirements and support safe care.
What stays the same
- Protecting the public remains the main goal of program approval and entry-to-practice oversight.
- We will aim for a stable transition that avoids unnecessary disruption for current students and programs that are part way through an approval cycle.
- We will maintain strong expectations for education quality and graduate competence.
What happens next
- We will continue engaging with dental assisting educators and other partners, including national organizations and other regulators, to support a clear, coordinated transition to the new framework.
- As we confirm transition details, we will share updates and resources for educators and partners.
Information for educators and partners
We know educators and other partners may have questions about timelines, what information programs will need to provide, and how Alberta’s approach will fit with other oral health requirements and expectations. We will share updates, explain what we are learning, and create opportunities to connect as we build and roll out Alberta’s updated framework for program approval decisions.
Questions
We welcome your questions about program approval in Alberta. Please contact us at programapproval@abrda.ca.
