Definitions

1  In this regulation:

"dentist" means a person authorized under the Dentists Act to practise dentistry;

"facility" means

(a) a community care facility or an assisted living residence licensed or registered under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act,

(b) a hospital designated under the Hospital Act, or

(c) a Provincial mental health facility designated under the Mental Health Act

that provides residential care to persons unable to readily access dental services in the community.

[am. B.C. Reg. 95/2007.]

 Designation

2  (1)  Dental hygiene is designated as a health profession.

(2)  The "College of Dental Hygienists of British Columbia" is the name of the college established under section 15 (1) of the Health Professions Act for dental hygiene.

 Reserved title

3  No person other than a registrant may use the title "dental hygienist".

 Scope of practice

4  Subject to the bylaws, a registrant may assess the status of teeth and adjacent tissues and provide preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene care for teeth and adjacent tissues.

 Reserved acts

5  Subject to section 14 of the Health Professions Act, no person other than a registrant may

(a) perform supragingival and subgingival scaling, subgingival debridement or root planing, or

(b) administer oral local anaesthetic.

 Limitations on practice

6  (1)  No registrant may practise dental hygiene unless

(a) prior to or during the initial appointment, the client is examined by a dentist,

(b) at the time of any subsequent appointment, the client has been examined by a dentist within the previous 365 days or within such shorter time as is necessary or appropriate in accordance with good dental hygiene practice or good dental practice, and

(c) dental hygiene care is provided in accordance with any specific and appropriate instructions that may be given by a dentist.

(2)  Subsection (1) does not apply to a registrant

(a) providing non-clinical services in a public health program, or

(b) practising in a facility or class of facility approved by the board

(i)  who meets the additional qualifications established in the bylaws, and

(ii)  who complies with subsection (3).

(3)  A registrant practising dental hygiene in a facility

(a) must advise the client to see a dentist if the client has not been examined by a dentist within the previous 365 days, and

(b) must notify the College of Dental Surgeons as soon as it is apparent that dental services cannot be arranged for clients in a facility.

(4)  No registrant may administer oral local anaesthetic except

(a) where a dentist is on the site and immediately available, or

(b) in a facility if the oral local anaesthetic has been authorized by a medical practitioner or dentist and a person qualified to act in a medical emergency is immediately available.

 Patient relations program

7  The college is designated for the purposes of section 16 (2) (f) of the Health Professions Act.

 Health profession corporations

8  Part 4 of the Health Professions Act applies to dental hygiene.

[en. B.C. Reg. 9/2006, s. 1.]