Standards and guidelines, forms and self-assessment packages
All general dentists and certified specialists administering sedation and general anesthesia must adhere to the requirements outlined in BCCOHP’s relevant standards and guidelines.
Emergency equipment/drugs information was revised in January 2019. See s.6, Appendix C and Appendix D.
This document was revised in June 2016. For details, see our list of changes (PDF).
Pediatric Moderate Sedation (Updated 2019):
Registrants may only administer moderate sedation (both oral and parenteral) to patients who are 12 years of age and under in out-of-hospital dental facilities when they:
Are qualified and authorized to provide deep sedation and/or general anesthesia, or
Have completed training in a formal postgraduate program in pediatric dentistry that meets BCCOHP Standards.
Practitioners who do not fall under these categories must cease provision of moderate sedation services to patients 12 years of age and younger. Registrants who do not meet the specific requirements but wish to provide moderate sedation to patients 12 years old and younger may submit their Registration of Qualifications for the Sedation & General Anesthetic Services Committee’s consideration by December 27, 2019.
The April 16, 2016 Contact News (legacy CDSBC newsletter) clarified requirements for ACLS and/or PALS for sedation providers who provide moderate sedation, deep sedation, and/or general anesthesia:
ACLS and PALS courses must have a hands-on component. Courses entirely online are not appropriate. The Heart and Stroke Foundation states that, “substantial hands-on practice is needed to meet psychomotor and nontechnical/leadership skill performance objectives.”
A previous addendum was consolidated into the document in August 2018.
Clarification for Basic Life Support (BLS) requirements for all clinical sedation and/or general anesthesia staff was provided in November 2019 Sedation Updates and News.
Register your sedation qualifications / apply for facility authorization
General dentists and certified specialists who intend to provide moderate sedation, deep sedation or general anesthesia must have their qualifications approved by BCCOHP.
Facilities where deep sedation and/or general anesthesia will be administered must first be inspected and authorized.