Welcoming new legislation – HPOA now in effect
Today marks the transition to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). BCCOHP has been preparing to regulate under the new Act for some time and anticipates that oral health professionals will not see significant impacts on their daily practice. We will continue to roll out information as we begin operating under the new Act, but here’s what you need to know today:
Board
The BC College of Oral Health Professionals is pleased to share the appointment of our new board by the Minister of Health (effective April 1, 2026) as recruited and recommended by the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office.
The Ministry-appointed board is part of the transition from the Health Professions Act (HPA) to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). Learn more about their process here >>
Committees
BCCOHP’s committee structure now comprises five committees: Accreditation, Investigation, License, Permit, and Finance and Audit. The Board will consider and appoint committee members on April 1, 2026. Learn about our committees >>
Bylaws
The updated bylaws to align with the HPOA are now in effect:
*The bylaws for Licensed Dental Assistants under the HPOA stand separately. This set of bylaws enables the continued regulation of Certified Dental Assistants as Licensed Dental Assistants (under the Transition provisions of the Act and Regulation).
Now in effect: Updates to BCCOHP’s standards framework
As of April 1, 2026, two important updates to the BCCOHP standards framework are in effect:
- BCCOHP’s Standards for the Oral Health Team (PDF)
- BCCOHP’s Recordkeeping Practice Resource (PDF)
As shared in our March 18 announcement, BCCOHP has been working to build out and modernize the remaining elements of our standards framework. It was determined that all standards (including practice standards) should be unified in the overarching Standards for the Oral Health Team rather than being drawn out into standalone documents. The standards will then be supported by practice resource documents as necessary.
Please visit the “practice resources” page of the BCCOHP website to confirm current expectations. As well, an inventory of legacy documents is maintained here and has been updated to reflect the documents removed on April 1 (and the rationale for removal).
Quality Assurance Program
As part of a staggered rollout designed to support oral health professionals, Component A of BCCOHP’s modernized Quality Assurance Program (QAP) launches April 13, 2026 and Component B will follow.
Instructions on how to begin Component A will be sent to oral health professionals via direct email on April 13.
In the meantime, our list of frequently asked questions were updated today or you can learn more at https://oralhealthbc.ca/qa
Website updates
Early this morning, content across the entire BCCOHP website has been updated to align with the new legislation. The home page has also been re-designed to showcase key information that is sought by visitors to our site, but the overall structure of the site largely remains the same.
If you have any questions or are having trouble finding anything, email communications@oralhealthbc.ca