Understanding the role of a provincial health college/regulator helps both oral health professionals and the public know where to turn for specific needs. The questions and answers below provide more information about BCCOHP role as regulator.
Our role is to protect the public and patients against harm and discrimination when accessing or receiving oral health care. There are three main ways that the BC College of Oral Health Professionals protects the public:
BCCOHP is a regulator, not a teaching institution, despite having the word “college” in our name.
In Canada, each province is responsible for regulating its health professions and establishing its own regulatory framework to govern those professions. The Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) is the regulatory framework for regulated health professions in BC. Under the HPOA, six regulatory colleges regulate 25 regulated health professions. BCCOHP is the regulatory college for oral health professionals. Learn more on the government website >>
Health regulators in BC must carry out their responsibilities in alignment with government-established legislation and requirements. To that end, we are accountable to BC’s provincial government (via the independent Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office and the Ministry of Health). At the end of the day, through these government-established structures, BCCOHP is ultimately accountable to the public.
Regulators and professional associations both play a role in the landscape of oral health care in BC; however, each have very different mandates and responsibilities.
A regulator exists to protect the public, which means our decisions and processes are guided by public safety rather than professional advocacy. Anyone wanting to practice as an oral health professional in BC must be licensed with BCCOHP.
Professional associations are membership-based, and represent and advocate for the interests of their professional members and the broader profession.
Oral health professionals who wish to practice in BC must be licensed by BCCOHP. Regulatory colleges operate at arm’s length from government to license and oversee regulated health professions in the public interest. BCCOHP is empowered through legislation and associated regulations to protect patients and the public against harm when accessing or receiving oral health care.
The BC College of Oral Health Professionals derives its authority from the Health Professions and Occupations Act, government regulations, and the BCCOHP Bylaws. All six provincial health regulatory colleges in BC are required to govern under this structure, each with the applicable regulations and their own specific bylaws.
Health Professions and Occupations Act
The Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) is the legislative framework governing health professions in British Columbia. The HPOA was passed in BC’s Legislative Assembly in November 2022 and came fully into force on April 1, 2026 (replacing the Health Professions Act). Regulatory colleges in BC have the authority and duty to oversee the practice of their licensees in order to protect the public. The guiding principles for regulatory colleges are outlined in section 14 of the HPOA.
The Health Professions and Occupations Act follows from:
For more information, read our past news posts and the Ministry of Health’s HPOA FAQ >>
Regulations
Government uses regulations to establish the names of the regulatory colleges under the Act, and to set out reserved titles, scope of practice statements and restricted activities that the different professions are authorized to provide.
The regulations that apply to BCCOHP are:
Bylaws
The bylaws set out how BCCOHP is structured and governed, how it will uphold its mandate to protect patients and the public, and the regulatory requirements for BC’s 17,000 oral health professionals.
*The bylaws for Licensed Dental Assistants under the HPOA stand separately as Certified Dental Assistants continue to be regulated by BCCOHP as Licensed Dental Assistants (as of April 1, 2026) under the transition provisions of the HPOA.
Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office
This independent office, led by its Superintendent, is established by the Health Professions and Occupations Act to oversee health professional regulatory colleges in the interest of the public. Within the office is a tribunal that holds disciplinary hearings after a complaint and investigation has been made against a regulated health professional to determine disciplinary action. Learn about HPOROO >>
Health Professions Review Board
The Health Professions Review Board (HPRB) is established under the Health Professions and Occupations Act to review, on application, decisions of the regulatory colleges’ licence and investigation committees to make sure they are transparent, objective, impartial, and fair. The HPRB publishes its review decisions here.
Ministry of Health
The Minister of Health has authority over the boards of BC’s health regulatory colleges. More information about professional regulation is available on the Ministry of Health website.
