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Volume 63, No. 3

32/2020

The British Columbia Gazette,

Part II

February 25, 2020

B.C. Reg. 32/2020 , deposited February 24, 2020, under the HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT [section 12 (2)]. Ministerial Order M41/2020, dated February 4, 2020.

I, Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, order that

(

a) the Dental Hygienists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 276/2008, is amended as set out

in the attached

Schedule 1,

(

b) the Dental Technicians Regulation, B.C. Reg. 278/2008, is repealed,

(

c) the Dental Technicians Regulation is made as set out in the attached

Schedule

(

d) the Dentists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 415/2008, is amended as set out in the

attached

Schedule 3, and

(

e) the Denturists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 277/2008, is amended as set out in the

attached

Schedule 4.

— A. DIX, Minister of Health .

Schedule 1

Section 1 of the Dental Hygienists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 276/2008, is amended

(

a) by adding the following

definitions:

"dental hygiene" means the health profession in which a person provides the services of

(

a) assessing the status of teeth and adjacent tissues, and

(

b) providing preventive and therapeutic treatment for teeth and adjacent tissues;

"dental hygiene diagnosis" means a clinical judgment made by a registrant of an individual's oral health condition

to determine whether

(

a) the condition can be ameliorated or resolved by services that the registrant

is authorized to provide, or

(

b) consultation with, or transfer of responsibility for care to, another health

professional is necessary or appropriate; ,

(

b) by repealing the definition of "dentist" and substituting the following:

"dentist" means a person who is authorized under the Act to practise the designated health

profession of dentistry; ,

(

c) by repealing the definition of "facility" , and

(

d) by adding the following

definitions:

"prescription" has the same meaning as in the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act ;

"substance" includes air and water but excludes a drug specified in

Schedule I, IA, II or IV

of the Drug Schedules Regulation.

2 Sections 4 to 6 are repealed and the following substituted:

Scope of practice

4 A dental hygienist may practise dental hygiene.

Restricted activities

(1) A registrant in the course of practising dental hygiene may do all of the following:

(

a) make a dental hygiene diagnosis identifying gingivitis or periodontitis as

the cause of the signs or symptoms of an individual;

(

b) perform scaling, dental debridement or root planing on the surfaces of the

teeth for the purpose of preventing or treating an oral health condition;

(

c) administer a substance by irrigation for the purpose of preventing or treating

an oral health condition;

(

d) reduce a complete dislocation of a temporomandibular joint using manual therapy.

(2) If standards, limits or conditions have been established under

section 19 (1) (

k) or (

l) of the Act respecting the activity, a registrant in the course of practising

dental hygiene may, during assessment and for diagnostic or imaging purposes, apply

(

a) intra-oral X-rays, or

(

b) extra-oral X-rays for the purpose of implementing an authorization, issued

by a person who is authorized under the Act to apply extra-oral X-rays, to do so in

respect of a named individual.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), a registrant in the course of practising dental

hygiene may administer a drug specified in

Schedule I or II of the Drug Schedules

Regulation for the purpose of

(

a) treating an oral health condition, if administration is by topical application

or irrigation, or

(

b) providing oral local anaesthesia,

(

i) if administration is by injection or topical application, and

(ii) if, before providing the service, the registrant has successfully completed

a certification program established, required or approved under the bylaws to ensure

that registrants are qualified and competent to provide that service.

(4) A registrant in the course of practising dental hygiene may not administer

a drug for which a prescription is required under the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act unless the patient has a prescription for the drug.

(5) Only a registrant who is a dental hygienist may provide a service that includes

the performance of an activity set out in this section.

Limits or conditions on services

(1) In this section, "private dental hygiene practice" means the practice of dental hygiene in circumstances where, ordinarily, a dentist

is not on site or immediately available.

(2) A registrant who is a dental hygienist may not engage in private dental hygiene

practice unless standards, limits or conditions respecting private dental hygiene

practice have first been established under

section 19 (1) (

k) or (

l) of the Act.

(3) A registrant who engages in private dental hygiene practice must, in the course

of providing dental hygiene services to a patient, recommend that the patient be examined

by a dentist unless the dental hygienist

(

a) has reason to believe that the patient has recently been examined by a dentist,

(

b) has recently recommended to the patient that the patient be examined by a

dentist.

(4) A registrant must not perform permanent restoration procedures.

(5) A registrant may perform the restricted activity described in

section 5 (1) (

d) only if dislocation occurs in the course of practising dental hygiene.

Schedule 2

DENTAL TECHNICIANS REGULATION

Contents

Definitions

College name

Reserved title

Scope of practice

Restricted activities

Limit on services

Definitions

1 In this regulation:

"Act" means the Health Professions Act ;

"complete denture" means a dental prosthesis, supported by soft tissue, that replaces the natural teeth

and associated structures in an edentulous arch and is not attached to or supported

by natural teeth or implants and which is removable by the patient;

"dental appliance" means an appliance or a device designed or offered for a dental condition or other

condition of the orofacial complex, excluding a mouthguard designed or offered for

temporary protection against injury during sporting activities;

"dental technology" means the health profession in which a person provides the service of making, altering

or providing dental appliances;

"dentist" means a person who is authorized under the Act to practise the designated health

profession of dentistry;

"denturist" means a person who is authorized under the Act to practise the designated health

profession of denturism;

"edentulous arch" means a dental arch with no remaining natural teeth or roots;

"implants" means a device that has been inserted into, over, through or under the jawbone for

the purpose of supporting a dental prosthesis;

"prescription" means an authorization, issued by a person who is authorized under the Act to prescribe

a dental appliance, to make or alter a dental appliance for use by a named individual.

College name

2 The name "College of Dental Technicians of British Columbia" is the name of the college

established under

section 15 (1) of the Act for dental technology.

Reserved title

3 The title "dental technician" is reserved for exclusive use by registrants.

Scope of practice

4 A dental technician may practise dental technology.

Restricted activities

(1) A registrant in the course of practising dental technology may do all of the

following:

(

a) on receipt of a prescription, make or alter a dental appliance and provide

the dental appliance to the person who prescribed it;

(

b) on receipt of a written request from a denturist,

(

i) make or alter a complete denture and provide the denture to the denturist

who requested it, and

(ii) make or alter a partial denture or overdenture and provide the denture to

the denturist who requested it, if the request is accompanied by a prescription;

(

c) without a prescription, make minor alterations to a removable dental appliance

and provide the altered dental appliance to the person who requested it, if the original

design of the dental appliance is not changed.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), only a registrant who is a dental technician may

provide a service that includes the performance of an activity set out in subsection (1).

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to a person who is engaged solely in the business

of making or supplying, in commercial quantities, articles for use by registrants,

denturists, dentists or medical practitioners.

Limit on services

6 A registrant who is a dental technician may not perform intra-oral procedures or

take oral impressions, other than for the purpose of making or altering a mouthguard

designed or offered for temporary protection against injury during sporting activities.

Schedule 3

Section 1 of the Dentists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 415/2008, is amended

(

a) in the definition of "dental appliance" by striking out " ready-to-use or self-adapted ",

(

b) in paragraph (

b) of the definition of "dispense" by striking out " fabricate or alter " and substituting " make, alter or provide ",

(

c) in the definition of "fit" by adding " a dental appliance " after " dispensing ",

(

d) in paragraph (

b) of the definition of "prescribe" by striking out " "prescribe" " and substituting " prescribe ", and

(

e) in paragraph (

b) of the definition of "prescribe" by adding " the dental appliance " after " dispense ".

Section 4 is amended

(

a) in subsection (1) (

d) by striking out " the scaling of teeth " and substituting " scaling, dental debridement and root planing ", and

(

b) by repealing subsection (2) and substituting the following:

(2) Only a registrant who is a dentist may provide a service that includes the

performance of an activity set out in subsection (1).

Schedule 4

Section 1 of the Denturists Regulation, B.C. Reg. 277/2008, is amended

(

a) by repealing the definition of "dentist" and substituting the following:

"dentist" means a person who is authorized under the Act to practise the designated health

profession of dentistry; ,

(

b) by adding the following

definitions:

"denture" means a partial denture, complete denture or overdenture;

"denturism" means the health profession in which a person provides the following services for

the purpose of ensuring the therapeutic and cosmetic suitability of a denture for

its intended use:

(

a) assessing the need for dentures;

(

b) dispensing and fitting dentures;

"denturist" means a person who is authorized under the Act to practise the designated health

profession of denturism;

"dispense" means to make, alter or provide;

"fit" means to perform any non-surgical intra-oral procedure related to dispensing a denture,

including the making of impressions; ,

(

c) by repealing the definition of "prescribed services" , and

(

d) by repealing the definition of "prescription" and substituting the following:

"prescription" means an authorization, issued by a person who is authorized under the Act to prescribe

a partial denture or overdenture, to dispense a partial denture or overdenture for

use by a named individual.

2 Sections 4 to 6 are repealed and the following substituted:

Scope of practice

4 A denturist may

(

a) practise denturism, and

(

b) perform the restricted activity described in

section 5 (1) (d), if dislocation

occurs in the course of practising denturism.

Restricted activities

(1) A registrant in the course of practising denturism may do all of the following:

(

a) dispense or fit a complete denture;

(

b) subject to paragraph (c), dispense or fit a partial denture or overdenture,

but only for the purpose of implementing a prescription;

(

c) make minor alterations to a partial denture or overdenture, without a prescription,

for the purpose of repairing or relining the partial denture or overdenture, but only

(

i) the alterations do not change the design of the original prescription, or

(ii) the registrant has the prior consent of the person who issued the original

prescription to change the design of the original prescription;

(

d) reduce a complete dislocation of a temporomandibular joint using manual therapy.

(2) Only a registrant who is a denturist may provide a service that includes the

performance of an activity set out in subsection (1).

Limits or conditions on services

(1) A registrant must not do any of the following:

(

a) expose radiographs;

(

b) cut, grind, scale, clean, restore, alter or polish natural teeth, crowns or

implants, except to perform a service of teeth whitening;

(

c) unless authorized by a dentist, provide a denture to a patient or adjust a

denture in an arch in circumstances where, after the removal or loss of teeth, wound

closure is incomplete, sutures are still present or bone is exposed.

(2) If a registrant is providing services that are authorized by a prescription,

the registrant must provide the services in accordance with the prescription unless

(

a) the registrant has the prior consent of the person who issued that prescription,

(

b) both the registrant and the person who issued that prescription note the altered

prescription on the patient's record, and

(

c) the altered prescription is communicated to a dental technician involved in

making the denture, if any.

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