Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries

What Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries does

Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries Inc. (TCDHA) is a private, for-profit career college registered under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, and headquartered in a 45,000 sq ft purpose-built facility at 28 Vanley Crescent, Toronto. Founded in 2003 by practicing clinicians Dr. Boris Pulec (DDS, University of Toronto, 1985) and Lidia Di Nicolo (registered dental hygienist with Rotman MBA training), the institution has held accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada for its Dental Hygiene program since 2004. Its core offering is an accelerated 18-month Dental Hygiene diploma (total cost $57,925) with intake of approximately 182 students per cohort and a 1:6 clinical instructor-to-student ratio, alongside a 41-week Intra Oral Dental Assisting Level I & II program ($22,835), an 8-weekend Dental Assisting Level II program ($7,690), a HARP-approved 12-week Dental Radiography program ($7,850), a 12-week Dental Office Administration program ($9,460), and a combined 33-week Assisting Level I and Office Administration program. Programs are delivered in a hybrid format combining online theory with on-site clinical training using 121 computerized dental chairs, 3 digital panoramic x-ray machines, and a fully paperless digital records system. The co-founder-developed Consult-PRO 3D patient education software is deployed in the clinic and is licensed internationally in over 22 countries.

TCDHA monetizes primarily through upfront tuition payments with monthly billing options, OSAP and provincial student loan acceptance, and reserved seats for Indigenous (2) and international students (5) per intake. A secondary revenue stream is generated by the on-site public dental clinic, where supervised students provide cleanings, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments, and whitening at low or zero cost (free for children ages 3-12 and seniors 60+, adult cleaning $32). Go-to-market is direct enrollment via a centralized admissions process with mandatory pre-admission testing, supplemented by community partnerships with Four Villages Community Health Centre (since 2009), Daily Bread Food Bank, and Evangel Hall, as well as industry-sponsored student programming with Colgate, GSK, Oral Science, ODHA, Crest Oral-B, and CIBC. Articulation agreements with Athabasca University and Thompson Rivers University provide degree-completion pathways for graduates. A sister school, Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene Inc., operates in British Columbia under the same ownership, giving the founders a multi-province footprint.

The institution's customer base consists almost entirely of individual tuition-paying students across multiple program streams, with a small number of community and employer relationships. The owners maintain active operational involvement, and there is no indication of external equity investment, public listing, or pending M&A activity in the source material.

Name

Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries

Legal name

Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries Inc.

Website

https://toronto-college-dental.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TCDHA is a private, for-profit dental career college in Toronto offering accredited 18-month Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting, Radiography, and Office Administration programs, plus a public dental clinic, serving aspiring dental professionals primarily in Ontario with articulation pathways to Canadian universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Education and Vocational Training

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Offices of Dentists (6212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAF

Dental Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

Keywords

• Dental hygiene education
• Dental assisting programs
• Dental radiography training
• Dental office administration
• Vocational dental training

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees - Dental Hygiene Program: 18-month accredited dental hygiene program with total cost of $57,925 including tuition, textbooks, uniforms, equipment, and clinical fees.
2. Tuition and Fees - Intra Oral Dental Assisting: 41-week (10 month) Intra Oral Dental Assisting Level I & II program with total cost of $22,835.
3. Tuition and Fees - Dental Assisting Level II: 8-weekend Dental Assisting Level II program with total cost of $7,690.
4. Tuition and Fees - Dental Radiography: 12-week Dental Radiography program with total cost of $7,850. HARP-approved certification.
5. Tuition and Fees - Dental Office Administration: 12-week Dental Office Administration program with total cost of $9,460.
6. Public Dental Patient Services: Affordable dental services provided to public by students under supervision. Services include cleanings, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments at reduced rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries (TCDHA) is a private career college in Toronto offering accredited diploma and certificate programs in dental hygiene, intra oral dental assisting, dental assisting Level II, dental radiography, and dental office administration. The college also operates a public dental clinic where students deliver affordable preventive dental services to children, adults, and seniors under faculty supervision.

Product overview

Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries is a private dental education institution offering multiple vocational programs in dental healthcare. The portfolio consists of five core educational programs (Dental Hygiene, Intra Oral Dental Assisting Level I & II, Dental Assisting Level II, Dental Radiography, and Dental Office Administration) plus the Dental Assisting Level I and Office Administration combined program. All programs are approved under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, with the Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Level I & II programs also accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. The institution also operates a public dental clinic where students gain hands-on experience by providing affordable dental services under supervision. Programs are delivered in hybrid format combining online theory with in-person clinical training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dental Hygiene Program An 18-month accredited dental hygiene diploma program that prepares graduates to become registered dental hygienists. The program is approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada and qualifies graduates to write the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination and register with the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario.
• Intra Oral Dental Assisting Level I & II Program A 41-week (10-month) hybrid program that prepares students to assist dentists in all dental procedures in general practice or specialist settings. The curriculum is approved by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB), and graduates are eligible to write the NDAEB examination.
• Dental Assisting Level II Program An 8-weekend hybrid program for practicing dental assistants to obtain Level II certification. The curriculum is approved by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB).
• Dental Radiography Program

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ColgateminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Industry partner that provides presentations to students. Marianne from Colgate visited TCDHA in February 2019.
• GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Pharmaceutical company that presented to students at TCDHA in March 2019.
• Oral ScienceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Oral healthcare company that hosted presentations at TCDHA (Lucy from Oral Science, February 2019).
• ODHA (Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Professional association representing dental hygienists. Kim from ODHA presented to students at TCDHA in February 2019.
• CIBCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Banking partner that supported Dental Hygiene Week at TCDHA in May 2018.
• ArestinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Oral healthcare product company (Mylan/Envista) that presented to students at TCDHA in January 2018 (Fiona from Arestin).
• Evangel HallminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Community placement partnership where 4th semester students maintain oral health of patients at Evangel Hall.
• Crest Oral-BminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Oral healthcare brand (P&G) that visited 4th semester students in December 2016 to teach about products and benefits for patients.
• Four Villages Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Collaboration since 2009 where dental hygiene students provide dental screening and education for children ages 2-6 years and their parents/caregivers as part of the Healthy Child Screening program.
• Athabasca UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement enabling TCDHA graduates to complete a Bachelor of Science - Human Science Post diploma program. Students receive transfer credits upon completion of dental hygiene program.
• Thompson Rivers UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement enabling TCDHA graduates to receive transfer credits towards a Bachelor of Health Science Degree.
• Daily Bread Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site dental hygiene services provided to Daily Bread community members, reducing financial barriers to dental hygiene cleaning services.
• National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum approval body for Dental Assisting Level I & II and Level II programs. Graduates are eligible to write the National Dental Assisting Board Examination.
• Commission on Dental Accreditation of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body that evaluates dental programs to ensure colleges meet required standards. TCDHA has been accredited since 2004.
• College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory body for dental hygiene in Ontario. Graduates must register with CDHO to practice in the province.
• Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister school founded by the same co-founders (Dr. Boris Pulec and Lidia Di Nicolo). Located in British Columbia, it is the only privately run Dental Hygiene College in BC.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• George Brown College: Toronto public college with a long-standing dental health sciences program, including dental hygiene and dental assisting; broader institution but a direct program-level competitor for Toronto student demand.
• Seneca Polytechnic: Major Greater Toronto Area public polytechnic with dental hygiene and health sciences programming; a large, established competitor providing an alternative path for the same prospective dental hygiene students.
• Niagara College Canada: Ontario public college with a dental hygiene/dental assisting program; represents the subsidized public-sector alternative that competes with TCDHA on price and provides a benchmark for program structure and graduate outcomes.

Others

• University of Toronto – Faculty of Dentistry: Adjacent academic dental institution located in Toronto; not a direct competitor for dental hygiene diplomas, but a relevant local peer in dental workforce training, postgraduate education using Consult-PRO, and shaping of local dental employer demand.

Direct peers

• Medix College of Healthcare: Greater Toronto Area private career college focused on healthcare vocational training, with overlapping dental and health-adjacent program offerings and a similar accredited-career-college model.
• Anderson College of Health, Business and Technology: Toronto-headquartered private career college with health sciences and dental-adjacent programs, competing for similar prospective students seeking accelerated vocational credentials.
• Oxford College of Arts, Science and Technology: Toronto-area private career college offering health-related vocational programs including dental assisting, competing for the same student demographic and tuition-paying customers as TCDHA.
• APLUS Institute: Toronto-area private health career college with dental assisting and related vocational programs; competes with TCDHA for the same Toronto-region prospective student pool and tuition dollars.
• Canadian National Institute of Health (CNIH): Ottawa-based private health career college offering dental hygiene and dental assisting programs; directly comparable in operating model, accreditation posture, and student segments to TCDHA.
• Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene Inc. Sister school founded by the same co-founders (Dr. Boris Pulec and Lidia Di Nicolo) in 2005 in British Columbia. Operates the same CDAC-accredited dental hygiene model and represents the closest comparable operator to TCDHA in Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TOCollegeDHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TCDHA
• Instagraminstagram.com/tocollegedha

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries