Log in
Horizontal BCCOHP Banner LOGO with colour

Denturist Quality Assurance

One of the three main ways BCCOHP protects the public is by ensuring that all regulated oral health professionals are supported in the provision of safe oral health care throughout their careers. This work is carried out through our Quality Assurance Program (QAP).    

Modernized QAP coming April 2026

BCCOHP is establishing a single, modernized QAP for all oral health professionals. The program will be implemented in April 2026.  

All pre-existing program requirements and assessments are ending on December 31, 2025. To support this transition:

  • Oral health professionals with QA cycles ending December 31, 2025, are the final cohorts required to complete the pre-existing program requirements. 
  • Effective January 1, 2026, no further reporting of pre-existing QA activities or assessments will be required. 
  • Assignment of new QA cycles will be deferred until the launch of the modernized QAP. 

What this means for denturists with cycles ending December 31, 2025 

  • You must complete all Continuing Education (CE) credits and Continuous Practice (CP) hour requirements before the end of this cycle.  
  • You are also required to complete the QA Checklist and the QA Tool before the end of this cycle. 
  • These requirements must be met in order to renew your registration.

Professional development during the transition

Under the modernized Quality Assurance Program (QAP), registrants will still be expected to engage in ongoing professional learning. Although the program is no longer based on reporting a set number of credits or hours, the expectation to participate in meaningful learning remains the same.

Although reporting of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is not required between January and April 2026, oral health professionals should keep records of any CPD completed between January 1 and March 31, 2026 as it may be connected to your learning goals in the modernized QAP when it launches.

Within the new program, oral health professionals will reflect on the Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team while identifying goals for ongoing professional learning. From there, the program provides flexibility to use your professional judgment to choose learning that is most relevant to your practice and to determine the type and amount needed to maintain competence. Oral health professionals are encouraged to continue engaging in professional development that:

  • Ensures patient safety
  • Upholds professional responsibility  
  • Maintains professional competence

Professional Standard 2.7 requires oral health professionals to maintain current knowledge, skills, and abilities. To meet this standard, you must demonstrate that: 

  • 2.7.1 You remain current and keep your knowledge, skills and abilities up to date throughout your professional career 
  • 2.7.2 You use your professional judgment and reflect on patient outcomes to identify potential gaps or deficiencies in your knowledge, skills and ability and take steps to address them 

Quality Assurance Project Update

Our work to establish a modernized quality assurance program for all oral health professionals has been a key initiative since BCCOHP’s creation through amalgamation in 2022.

The quality assurance programs developed by the legacy colleges that came together remained in place upon amalgamation and will be replaced in April 2026 by a single, modernized QAP.

Learn more about the QAP modernization project here >>

As detailed above, all remaining pre-existing QA program requirements and assessments are ending on December 31, 2025. The information below is being maintained until January 2026 to support those with cycles ending on December 31, 2025.  

A denturist’s QA cycle followed a one-year cycle. These cycles have remained constant despite the registration classification a registrant holds (i.e., practising, non-practising, former). Please contact us for further information specific to your cycle if you plan to move between registrant classifications. 

BCCOHP accepts CE submissions through the online portal or by contact form. BCCOHP randomly audits a percentage of CE submissions in the online portal to reduce turnaround time for processing submissions. Details about the audit process are included below:

When viewing your CE transcript, submission statuses will appear as one of the following:

  • Submitted – once an activity is submitted to the online CE submission and if the submission is not selected for audit at the end of that day. this label will remain. and the CE credits are recorded to total accumulated for the QA cycle. Allowed credits may be lower than submitted credits due to category or activity maximums applied.
  • Under review – indicates that a submission has been selected for audit. These credits will remain pending until the requested supporting documentation is submitted by the registrant and BCCOHP staff determine whether the credits are accepted or denied.
  • Approved – indicates that a submission has been audited and the credits are recorded to the total accumulated for the QA cycle.
  • Denied – indicates that a submission has been audited and it has been denied, either because it does not meet the credit eligibility criteria or proof of attendance was not provided. These credits are not recorded to the total accumulated for the QA cycle.

Questions?

For further information and/or assistance, please contact us.

The purpose of this guideline is to ensure that BCCOHP and the Quality Assurance (QA) Committee are following a consistent, transparent and fair process for approving continuing education (CE) courses.

View the guideline here >>

The CE activities below have been pre-approved for the following CE hours: 

  1. CE Course: hour per hour
    • Any course(s) that increase a denturist’s quality of practice and/or related to oral health.
  2. Mentoring a Student: hour per hour
    • A minimum of 20 hours spent mentoring the same student throughout one year. The mentor cannot receive monetary compensation.
  3. Participation in a Study Group: hour per hour
    • Groups of three or more dental professionals who meet to discuss topics related to oral health. Any number of meetings totaling to a minimum of 5 hours, with detailed minutes of the meeting(s) is required.
  1. Publish an Article/Research: hour per hour
    • A literature review on a topic relating to denturism published in a recognized mainstream media form (newspaper, magazine, book, etc.). Minimum 500 words.
  1. Patient Feedback Forms/Cards: hour per hour
    • Implement patient feedback forms in your practice over a period of time (minimum of 6 months) and summarize your results. Registrants need to provide a blank sample patient feedback form that is given to your patients.
  1. Be an examiner: hour per hour
    • A minimum of two days, as per available.
  1. Other: hour per hour
    • As approved by the Quality Assurance Committee.

Each CE activity has requirements that registrants must meet before submitting their activity for approval, i.e.: proof of attendance, prior approval. The requirements are listed on each activity form which can be accessed through the online registrant portal. Registrants can claim up to a maximum of 10 credits per day.

The Quality Assurance (QA) program for denturists requires completion of the following: 

  • QA checklist,   
  • QA tool, and   
  • A minimum number of hours of approved professional development. 

In addition, QA requirements include engaging in a minimum of 675 hours of denturism practice for every three years of active registration.  

Rationale 

The purpose of continuing education is to ensure continued competence. 

It is the responsibility of each registrant to ensure that continuing education courses and activities reflect the purpose of continuing education and relate to the practice of denturism. Pre-approval is not required, but registrants should consider courses and activities that will benefit their quality of practice. Registrants should refer to the Continuing Education Course Approval Guideline for acceptable continuing education categories. Also, each registrant is responsible for ensuring credit hours are accurately reported to BCCOHP. 

Continuing Education Course or Activity 

In order to ensure acceptance, it is the responsibility of the registrant to consider the following information about the course or activity: 

  • relevance to the practice of denturism; 
  • objectives or competencies to be achieved; 
  • number of hours; 
  • name of sponsoring organization or individual; 
  • qualifications of all persons involved in teaching, guiding or leading; 
  • affiliation and interest of sponsoring individual or organization; date, place and time. 

Criteria for Approval of a Continuing Education Course or Activity 

BCCOHP uses the following criteria to determine whether a course or activity is an acceptable submission and the number of continuing education credits to assign to it: 

  •  degree of relevance of the course or activity to continued competency; 
  •  degree to which the course or activity meets objectives or achieves competencies; 
  •  qualifications of the individuals teaching the course or leading the activity; 
  •  affiliation or interest of the sponsoring individual or organization. 

Submission of Proof of Attendance by a Registrant 

A registrant must upload proof of attendance of the specific course or activity to their registrant portal. 

Submission of Proof of Attendance by Other than a Registrant 

BCCOHP will accept proof of attendance from an individual or organization other than a registrant in cases where BCCOHP has authorized the individual or organization to submit this information. Proof of attendance is a signed copy of the register of a course or activity for which credit is being sought. The registrant should ensure that the individual or organization has been authorized by BCCOHP to submit proof of attendance on their behalf. 

Rationale

The British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals’ (BCCOHP) guidelines for educational activities stipulate that educational activity leaders and product educators/demonstrators must be qualified in order for registrants to receive approval for the educational activity. The quality assurance committee reviews qualifications on request.

Policy Statement

The following criteria are used. Educational Activity Leaders must:

  • be members in good standing with BCCOHP or with an
  • acceptable regulatory body elsewhere in Canada or the United States;
  • demonstrate an understanding of educational objectives and processes;
  • be recognized as competent, ethical and reliable.

Product Educators/Demonstrators must:

  • provide verification from the manufacturer of the product that they are qualified to demonstrate the product;
  • be recognized as competent, ethical and reliable.