Professional Standards - Questions & Answers

Modernization: BCCOHP is taking steps to modernize, with one of those steps being embracing right-touch regulation. Standards that are aligned with right touch-regulation are: 

• Proportionate: considering the benefits and risks of regulation to ensure our decisions are appropriate. 
• Outcome-focused: prioritizing outcomes for patients and the public.  
• Aligned with BCCOHP’s role as a regulator: avoiding unnecessary overlap with education and other groups’ roles. 

Patient interest: The new standards prioritize transparency and clarity for patients. They are written in plain language to help readers better understand requirements of oral health professionals. They include patient outcomes so patients know what to expect from their oral health team. Clearly written standards and expectations help provide patients agency to advocate for their own care. 

Team-based approach: The new standards apply to the entire oral health team so that team members are required to know and adhere to the same set of standards. This will encourage collaboration and communication— BCCOHP recognizes that there are workplace dynamics and hierarchies that could negatively impact the health and safety of patients and oral health professionals. 

The introduction of the Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team impacts various groups in different ways. 

• Oral health professionals: the Professional Standards apply to all oral health professionals regulated by BCCOHP —all members of the oral health team are expected to follow the standards. 

• Patients and the public: the Professional Standards provide a new level of transparency about the care patients should expect. 

• BCCOHP: these Professional Standards will be central to regulatory decision-making. 

BCCOHP is modernizing its approach to standards by making them: 

• Patient-centered: prioritizing patient safety, rights, and outcomes. 
• Risk-based: focusing regulation where it is needed most. 
• Proportionate: ensuring standards do not impose unnecessary burdens. 

This approach includes consolidating numerous separate legacy standards documents and developing a single set of standards for all oral health professionals. 

A number of legacy college resources will be replaced with the new Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team. The goal is to: 

• Make expectations easier to understand for both professionals and the public. 
• Ensure standards are measurable and enforceable by BCCOHP. 
• Reduce the overall number of standards and guidance documents, streamlining compliance. 

On June 30, 2025, BCCOHP’s Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team (Professional Standards) are in effect. These Professional Standards replaced a number of legacy college practice resources. Individual practice standards remain in place to address specific areas of care that pose higher risk to patients. Stay up to date on the project here >> 

Since amalgamation in 2022, it has been a strategic priority for BCCOHP to develop modernized and unified standards designed to support professional accountability and help ensure consistent and competent care across professions.  Updates and background on the standards project are provided here: oralhealthbc.ca/standards-and-guidance-development 

High-risk areas still have dedicated practice standards. While fewer detailed, rules-based standards will exist, standards will exist where there is a clear risk that is not addressed elsewhere. 

The new Professional Standards are “principle based”. Unlike prescriptive, rules-based standards, the new principle-based framework provides oral health professionals with: 

• Flexibility to apply professional judgment in different clinical scenarios. These allow for flexibility in regulation and for oral health professionals to have professional discretion and autonomy to make decisions based on the individual patient needs and circumstances. 
• Clear expectations that align with ethical and professional responsibilities. 
• Guidance focused on outcomes, rather than step-by-step instructions. 

The Professional Standards are not designed as educational tools; they avoid prescribing specific training or competencies unless required for public safety. 

 A careful inventory and assessment were completed to determine which legacy college practice resources are no longer needed (see Inventory), and which should be retained.  

• Removed legacy documents: Many of the legacy documents being removed on June 30, 2025, were replaced by the new Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team. If the requirements and information within a document are covered by other sources, they were removed, and the rationale (as well as a recommendation for where to turn for information on the subject) was shared in the list/tables above. A two-week window of notice was provided before the documents being replaced by the Professional Standards were removed from the website. Eventually, all legacy practice resources will be rescinded and replaced by new BCCOHP standards that apply to all regulated oral health professionals. 

• Retained legacy documents: While BCCOHP is in the process of rescinding and replacing all legacy practice resources with unified standards, certain individual practice standards remain applicable. These are clearly indicated and have been retained to address specific areas of care that may pose higher risk to patients.  

A list of documents being removed, categorized by oral health profession is available. Included is a rationale for removal and recommendation for where to seek current information on each topic. This page is continually updated if/when documents are removed.

BCCOHP has created a video series with more information about the Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team.

Please reach out to BCCOHP’s Professional Practice team with any questions.