Click on the licence category below for a description of the category, general licence requirements, and licence conditions (if any).
To learn more on how to apply, please visit the initial application page here.
This licence category is available to dental hygienists who have graduated from a dental hygiene program with a diploma or degree accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) or the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) * and have completed successfully the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE).
This licence category is available to dental hygienists for the purpose of participating in or conducting an educational program or course, or administering or delivering an examination or assessment, that is sponsored by an agency approved by the licence committee.
General licensing requirements
Licence conditions
Certification to administer local anesthesia (LA) is optional in BC. Dental hygienists who are authorized and certified to administer local anesthetic in BC have their certification displayed on the public register and their licence cards.
Licensed dental hygienists who are certified to administer LA must renew their certification at annual renewal. Licensed dental hygienists who no longer wish to administer LA can opt out of LA certification and would no longer be certified to administer LA.
Please contact BCCOHP using the contact form.
If you do not already have LA certification, you are required to successfully complete a BCCOHP-approved LA course and/or demonstrate eligibility to perform local anesthesia in another Canadian jurisdiction of practice within the past five years.
The following BCCOHP-approved courses for LA certification are available in BC:
The following BCCOHP-approved courses for LA certification are available outside BC, within Canada: Successful completion of an approved course meets the local anesthesia education requirement to obtain LA certification.Dalhousie University Dental Hygiene Degree Program LA Course
If you have not completed an LA course as part of an approved dental hygiene program and you wish to obtain LA certification in BC, you can take any of the following continuing education (CE) LA courses. All CE courses listed below are approved by BCCOHP:
The following institutions are providers of continuing education local anesthesia courses that have been reviewed and approved by BCCOHP. Successful completion of an approved course meets the local anesthesia education requirement to obtain LA certification.
Contact information for the courses listed below have been provided for your convenience. Session dates and availability are not guaranteed and must be confirmed with the course provider to ensure accuracy. Please contact the course provider directly if you have any questions about these courses.
Approved continuing education local anesthesia courses offered in Canada:
University of British Columbia
Continuing Dental Education Department
Local Anaesthesia for Registered Dental Hygienists
Location: 2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC
Phone:604-822-6156
Email: cde@dentistry.ubc.ca
Website: https://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/cde/calendar/
Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene
Continuing Education Department
Local Anesthetics for Dental Hygienists
Location: 1205 6th Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Phone: 604-215-7611
Email: info@vancouver-college-dental.org
Website: http://www.vancouver-college-dental.org/local-anesthetic-program.html
Camosun College
Continuing Education Department
Local Anesthesia Certification for Dental Hygienists
Location: 3100 Foul Bay Road, Victoria, BC
Contact: Karen Hood-Deshon
Phone: 250–370–3176
Email: hoodk@camosun.ca
Website: http://www.camosun.ca/ce/
College of New Caledonia
School of Access & Continuing Education Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists
Location: 3330-22nd Ave, Prince George, BC
Phone: 250-561-5846
Email: continuinged@cnc.bc.ca
University of Alberta
Continuing Education Local Anesthesia Course for Registered Dental Hygienists
Location: 5-566, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 11405 – 87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta
Phone: 780-492-5391
Website: https://www.ualberta.ca/school-of-dentistry/continuing-dental-education
University of Manitoba
Local Anesthetic Techniques Certification for the Dental Hygienist
Location: D113- 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Phone: 204-789-3562
Website: https://www.cpd-umanitoba.com/
Dalhousie University
Local Anesthesia for the Dental Hygienist at Continuing Dental Education
Location: Carleton Campus, 5981 University Avenue, PO Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2
Phone: 902-494-1674
Email: cde.dentistry@dal.ca
Website: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/dentistry/continuing-education.html
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Local Anesthesia Continuing Education
Location: 4500 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan
Phone: 1-866-467-4278
Website: https://saskpolytech.ca/programs-and-courses/part-time- studies/course/local-anesthesia/ANES-262/
If you are uncertain about your current LA certification status, you can check by looking up your record on the public register or logging in to your account and check your licence card.
If you have any questions, please contact BCCOHP using the contact form.
