Competition Bureau applauds Nova Scotia move to permit greater competition in dental hygiene

Ottawa, November 28, 2007 — The Commissioner of Competition is pleased that the Government of Nova Scotia has introduced a bill that will permit greater competition for dental hygiene services in Nova Scotia.

Bill 24, tabled in the provincial legislature on November 27, 2007, would permit dental hygienists to become a self-regulating profession and to practice independently of dentists. It is anticipated that the elimination of these barriers will result in a more competitive market to the benefit of all Nova Scotians.

The Competition Bureau encourages governments and regulators to critically examine restrictions on professions and to consider legislative initiatives from a competition perspective. To that end, the Commissioner has provided comments to the governments of Nova Scotia, Alberta, New Brunswick and Ontario regarding proposed dental hygiene legislation. Changes in Alberta and Ontario have already taken place and hygienists are beginning to compete independently in those provinces.

The Bureau has closely followed developments in the dental hygiene industry, given that both health and self-regulating professions are priority areas for the Bureau. A study by the Bureau on several other self-regulating professions will be released in the coming weeks.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

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