The following message is for all oral health professionals in British Columbia:
Effective September 1, 2022, certified dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dentists, dental technicians and denturists will become regulated by the British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP).
There is nothing that you need to do: the registration or certification that you currently hold with your legacy college will continue under the new college.
For the most part, the programs and requirements established by the legacy colleges will continue under the new college. This includes registration/renewal, quality assurance, expectations for practice and complaint investigations.
However, there is some important information to be aware of in advance of September 1:
- High-level overview of ‘what is changing’ and ‘what is staying the same’ for oral health professionals as of September 1
- General information about the new college relevant to all oral health professionals
| 1. High-level overview for September 1 |
| What is changing for you as an oral health professional: |
| Your professional regulator will be the BC College of Oral Health Professionals The registration/certification that you currently hold will continue under BCCOHP. You will receive a new certificate from BCCOHP in fall 2022.You can log in to your account via the new website; all login information (username and password) is unchanged. How you can reach us: Phone: 672-202-0448 Toll free within Canada: 1-888-202-0448 Mailing address: BC College of Oral Health Professionals 110 – 1765 8th Ave W Vancouver, BC V6J 5C6 BCCOHP has two offices: one in Vancouver and one in Victoria. Note that most staff continue to work remotely and the offices are not open to the public at this time. Email: info@oralhealthbc.ca (effective September 1) Website: oralhealthbc.ca (effective September 1) The new oralheathbc.ca website replaces the legacy college websites. |
| What is staying the same for you as an oral health professional: |
| Registration and renewal Core fees are unchanged. You can search for an oral health professional via the public directory function at oralhealthbc.ca. The legacy college registration systems are unchanged and will be accessed at oralhealthbc.ca. Quality assurance requirements Your quality assurance, continuing education programs, and systems are unchanged and will be accessed via oralhealthbc.ca. Complaint, health and monitoring files These will continue under BCCOHP. |
2. General information
Includes key changes and information impacting all registrants and certified dental assistants.
| Website | BCCOHP’s website will be live on September 1 at oralhealthbc.ca. The four legacy college websites will be discontinued and will be replaced with the new BCCOHP website. You will access regulatory services via the new website. |
| Annual renewal | The annual renewal deadline is March 31 each year, starting in 2023, for all registrants and certified dental assistants. More information about annual renewal will be shared as it becomes available. |
| Practice resources | Legacy college practice resource documents have been migrated to the oralhealthbc.ca website. These are organized by registrant category and/or legacy college. |
| Complaints process | All current complaints, disciplinary matters and monitoring and health files will be continued under the authority of BCCOHP. |
| Registration system | BCCOHP retains the legacy college registration systems. Registrant and CDA login details and records are unchanged and will be accessible via the oralhealthbc.ca website. |
| Quality assurance requirements | Quality assurance (QA) requirements, courses, and course credits are unchanged as of amalgamation. Harmonization of the QA program and other individual requirements will be a priority for the new college. |
| Registrant and certified dental assistant contact information | Registrants and certified dental assistants are required to keep their contact information, including email address, up to date. As of September 1, you can update your contact information through the ‘Login’ button on BCCOHP’s website. |
More information
The information here is intended to help oral health professionals understand the impacts of the oral health amalgamation on September 1 and is not intended to be exhaustive. More information is available on the amalgamation project website.
There will be further communication to oral health professionals after the BCCOHP Bylaws are finalized; note that emails sent after September 1 will come from BCCOHP’s new email domain (@oralhealthbc.ca) – please add communications@oralhealthbc.ca to your safe senders list to ensure you receive important information moving forward. Please contact us if you have questions or comments.
About the amalgamation
Effective September 1, 2022, the College of Dental Hygienists of BC, the College of Dental Surgeons of BC, the College of Dental Technicians of BC and the College of Denturists of BC will become the British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP). This represents a significant step in the modernization journey for oral health care in British Columbia.