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Dental Hygienist Education Modules

Learn more about educational modules on this page.

The BCCOHP Jurisprudence Education Module (JEM) was developed as part of the QAP and to replace the British Columbia Dental Hygiene Regulation Assessment.

The JEM provides education and information on the legal framework that governs dental hygiene practice in BC. This includes an overview of the BC Dental Hygienists Regulation, BCCOHP Bylaws, Practice Standards, Scope of Practice and ethical obligations of registrants.

The JEM is an online learning module organized into 4 broad categories or sub-modules of learning including the College Role, Registrant Responsibilities, Scope of Practice and Practice Resources. Each module contains relevant sub-topics covered through reading, videos, ‘drag and drop’ type interactive activities, and quizzes. All questions in the quizzes must be answered correctly prior to advancing to the next module.

Access to the JEM and information on Continuing Competency (CC) allowances are as follows: 

  • Registrants (excluding new applicants) may access the JEM by logging into the QAP Cycle-Online Learning Plan within their Registrant Login through the BCCOHP website.
  • The JEM must be completed one time during a Registrant’s five-year QAP Cycle.
  • New applicants, upon submission of their application for initial registration, will be provided a link to the JEM within their online application and an email containing a link to the JEM with further information.
  • Upon completion of the JEM, an automatic message is sent electronically to inform the College.
  • The completion status of the JEM is available for Registrants by logging into the QAP Cycle-Online Learning Plan within their Registrant Login and scrolling to the Jurisprudence Education Module section. 
  • ​Registrants who complete the JEM can claim three CC credits, as approved by the College’s Quality Assurance Committee in October 2021. This decision rescinds a previous decision that the JEM was not eligible for CC credits. To claim CC credits, you must add the JEM as an activity within your Online Learning Plan (OLP). On the “add an activity” page within your OLP, select “Jurisprudence Education Module” within the activity type dropdown menu, then enter three CC credits as the amount.

Current Registrants

Current registrants may access the JEM by logging into the Online Learning Plan within their Registrant Login.  All current registrants can also access the JEM at https://cdhbc.brightspace.com. 

New Applicants

Upon submission of their application for initial registration, new applicants will be sent an email containing a link to the JEM with instructions on how to access the module.

Ensuring safe, competent, evidence-based dental hygiene practice

The mission of a professional regulator is to protect the public and one pillar that supports this Quality Assurance, which requires registrants to complete regular assessments and ongoing learning. To help ensure registrants maintain safe, competent, evidence-based dental hygiene practice, a suite of Professional Practice Modules has been developed in five professional development topic areas: Practice and Human Resource Management, Business Ethics, Conflict Resolution, Interprofessional Collaboration and Leadership.

The Professional Practice Modules are specific to the B.C. practice environment, applicable to current private practice owners, and of value for all registrants. They are an affordable and accessible way for registrants to complete self-directed learning that aligns with practice standards and ethical practice towards the required 75 Continuing Competency (CC) credits for every five-year Quality Assurance Program (QAP) cycle. Registrants can earn CC credits for the completion of the modules at one credit per hour, or a total of 3 to 9 CC credits per module, based on the length of time taken to complete the module.

More information about the modules

The modules are delivered on the same online platform as the JEM and LA Module. There is no pass/fail to complete each module; however, registrants need to successfully complete all assessments in each module to receive a certificate of completion.

To take the Professional Practice Modules for CC credits, registrants need to log into their online profile, pay for the module(s) in the “single payments tab,” then contact the Quality Assurance Coordinator via our contact form to advise of payment and to receive a link to the purchased module(s).

Dental hygienists who are certified to administer local anesthesia (LA) must renew their certification (C) annually during the licence renewal period. Re-certification is required once every five years as part of the Quality Assurance Program (QAP) cycle. More information about certification requirements is available on the Certification to Administer Local Anesthesia webpage.

The Quality Assurance Committee of the former College of Dental Hygienists of BC (CDHBC) previously determined that the most appropriate learning activity for registrants to maintain their LA certification through re-certification is completion of an online module for continued safe practice of LA.

Why was a certification model landed upon for LA?

As part of the Dental Hygienists Regulation and the bylaw updates governing Dental Hygienists which came into effect in March 2020, this certification model replaces the requirement of having a dentist on site in order to administer LA. As the administration of LA is considered a higher risk restricted activity and it is not part of the scope of practice for all Canadian jurisdictions, this model supports the inclusion of LA in the scope of practice in BC while maintaining public safety and confidence. The LA Module supports the College’s mission of protecting the public by ensuring registrants maintain current knowledge of oral local anesthetic and competence to administer it safely. This module fulfills a requirement of College Bylaws.

There is no cost to registrants to complete the LA Module.

Eligibility for CC Credits

Registrants who complete the LA Module can claim three Continuing Competency (CC) credits for the module towards the required 75 credits within their current QAP cycle. To claim CC credits, you must add the LA Module as an activity within your Online Learning Plan (OLP). On the “add an activity” page within your OLP, select “Local Anesthetic Module” within the activity type dropdown menu, then enter three CC credits as the amount.

Requirements to complete the LA Module

Completion of the LA Module once per five-year QAP cycle is required to maintain ongoing LA certification.

  • Information about how to obtain LA certification if you don’t have a “C” is available on the website.

LA Module Content

The LA Module is modelled after the Jurisprudence Education Module (JEM). It consists of five sections and is hosted on the same online platform as the JEM. Registrants will work through the module until they receive 100 per cent on each section quiz, which consists of multiple-choice questions. Registrants are given unlimited attempts to successfully complete each quiz. This is a learning-focused module, not an assessment. We expect it will take registrants approximately 3 hours to complete.

Registrants are able to bookmark progress in the LA Module and log back in to complete it on another day. However, if too much time lapses between logins, a registrant’s bookmarked progress may no longer be there.

The objective of the LA Module is to review the foundational knowledge related to LA administration to ensure registrants continue to practice safely and competently, consistent with current practice. The content within the module is not new and covers information that registrants who are certified to administer LA already know. Topics that are covered include pharmacology of various local anaesthetic drugs and vasoconstrictors, maximum recommended dose calculations, injection techniques, and how to document following best-practice guidelines.

The College is committed to providing resources to registrants to improve Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility (ICS&H) in their practice. Therefore, the LA Module also incorporates aspects of ICS&H. This content may be new to registrants, depending on their knowledge in this area.

Checking Your LA Certification Status

If you are uncertain about your current LA certification status, please log in to your registrant profile. Registrants who have LA certification will see a “(C)” next to their registration class. For example: Registered Dental Hygienist (C) or Dental Hygiene Practitioner (C). Please contact the College if you have any questions.

Accessing the LA Module

Registrants can access the LA Module from within their Online Learning Plan (OLP) on the My Modules & Training page. Registrants can also access the LA Module at https://cdhbc.brightspace.com

As of September 1, 2022 – the College of Dental Hygienists of BC, College of Dental Surgeons of BC, College of Dental Technicians of BC, College of Denturists of BC becomes…

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