Dental Temping in Ontario: How It Works, Licensing and Getting Paid (2026)

Thinking about temping as a hygienist or assistant in Ontario? Here’s the current, plain-English guide: who can temp, how shifts work, what you can earn, and how you get paid.

Reviewed by the TempStars team. TempStars is founded and led by Dr. James Younger, DDS, a practicing dentist.

Who can temp in Ontario

• Dental hygienists (RDHs) must hold current registration with the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO). That’s the same registration you already hold for permanent work — there’s no separate temping credential.
• Dental assistants in Ontario aren’t regulated by a college, but most offices posting shifts look for Level II certification through the NDAEB, and taking radiographs requires HARP-compliant certification.
• New grads can start temping as soon as their registration or certification is active.

(Licensing rules evolve — always confirm specifics with the CDHO or your certifying body. This is general guidance, not regulatory advice.)

How temping actually works

1. Create a free profile — temping platforms worth using, TempStars included, are always free for dental professionals. Set the hourly rate you want; it’s yours to name, not an agency’s to mark down.
2. Browse open shifts and dental temp jobs near you — across the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, and everywhere between — and offer on the ones that fit your schedule.
3. Work the shift. Show up a few minutes early, do great work, and the ratings you earn build a track record that gets you first pick of future shifts.
4. Get paid — with a guarantee. A good platform protects your pay and compensates you if an office cancels on short notice.

What Ontario temps earn

Based on the rates professionals actually charged on completed TempStars shifts over the past 12 months: hygienists typically charge $55–$60/hr in the GTA (average $57) and $56–$65/hr elsewhere in Ontario (average $61 — smaller markets often pay more to attract coverage). Dental assistant temp rates typically run $27–$30/hr in the GTA and $28–$34/hr in the rest of the province. Because there’s no agency markup in the middle, the rate you set is the rate you keep — an office’s budget goes to you, not a middleman.

Looking for something longer-term instead of (or alongside) shifts? The TempStars Job Board lists permanent and contract dental roles across Ontario, and applying is free.

Protections worth knowing about

• Short-notice cancellation pay. If an office cancels your shift with less than 24 hours’ notice, TempStars policy entitles you to compensation of 50% of the shift’s value (minus 30 minutes) — your planned day isn’t a total loss.
• Two-way ratings. You rate offices too, so you know what you’re walking into before you offer on a shift.
• Your commitments matter equally. Cancelling a booked shift under 24 hours without documented cause leads to account blocks — which is exactly why offices trust the professionals they book, and why your reliability record is an asset worth guarding.