More than Cleaning and Caring: The Profession of Dental Hygiene in Canada, 1951–2010 Dental hygiene has been a female-dominated profession that worked primarily for dentists who, until very recently, were usually male. This article explores the early history of dental hygiene in Canada during the 1950s and 1960s; its explosive growth in the 1970s; the influence of feminism on the profession; and the battles dental hygienists fought to improve the status of their profession including better educational opportunities; professional self-regulation and the right to practice independently of dentists. It argues that dental hygienists have made important gains, and yet the culture of ‘caring’ continues to complicate their professional status. Previous article: Indigenous Insight Newsletter- Autumn 2022 Prev Next article: The Smile Gap Next