History of CDHBC
Dental hygiene was legally recognized as a health occupation in B.C. in 1951, which is when the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. -- the regulatory body that currently governs dentists and certified dental assistants -- was delegated the authority to regulate dental hygienists. Mandatory continuing education for renewal became a requirement at this time, and local anesthesia was added to the Scope of Practice in the 1970's.
The Foundation of Self-Regulation
When activities in society pose a risk to the public, the government imposes conditions of regulation to minimize risk (such as the mandatory licencing of drivers). Due to the specialized and vast range of health professions, the Canadian government has implemented self-regulation to ensure that professionals with relevant expertise are overseeing the regulation of their own fields. With the privilege of self-regulation comes the responsibility and obligation to ensure that risk to the public is minimized.
In 1990, the Health Professions Act (HPA) was created to serve as “umbrella” legislation for recognized health professions; the Minister of Health appointed a three-member Council, the Health Professions Council (HPC), to review applications for designation under the HPA. In 1991 the British Columbia Dental Hygienists’ Association (BCDHA) submitted their application to the HPC.
The HPC undertook a thorough evaluation of the profession of dental hygienists. They sought comments from more than 30 health professions across Canada and held a public hearing on September 1, 1992, regarding the application.
On March 7, 1994, the Ministry of Health announced that Cabinet had approved the designation of dental hygiene under the HPA. The draft regulation was to circulate for a period of three months for comment. On December 20, 1994, the Ministry of Health announced Cabinet’s approval of the Dental Hygienists Regulation and the establishment of the College of Dental Hygienists of British Columbia. The College officially opened in March 1995, and moved into the current offices, at 645 Fort Street in Victoria, a few months later.
Leading the Way: People & Projects
The founding years of the College were under the guidance of Nancy Harwood, who was the Registrar for CDHBC until December 2003. During this time the framework for the College bylaws, Registrant’s Handbook, and internal policies were developed and implemented, including the current Continuing Competency (CC) policies, which the Board approved to be effective January 1, 2004.
The first issue of the ACCESS newsletter was distributed in March 1995 and included an introduction to the Interim Board, the Dental Hygienists Regulation, and an introduction to national certification through the newly formed National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB), which was also in the process of establishing itself and developing its first written examination for 1996.
One of the first undertakings of the College was the development of licencing standards for specially qualified dental hygienists in residential care settings. Maxine Borowko, Lynn Guest, Dianne Stojak, and Susanne Sunell worked to research a comprehensive overview of the circumstances and requirements for which dental hygienists would be able to practice without the requirement of a dentist’s exam (see 365-day rule).
Another important project was the review and refinement of the CC system, for which Nancy Keselyak was the consultant, with assistance from Kerri McCaig and Yvonne Smith.
Within the first two years of its founding, the College received approximately 20 complaints against hygienists. To develop policies and procedures for the Inquiry Committee, contractor and dental hygienist Fern Hubbard consulted with the Registered Nurses Association of B.C. and the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C; Fern also coordinated the first CDHBC examinations in association with Susanne Sunell, who worked on the exam design and development with the assistance of feedback from almost 50 dental hygienists. Fern accepted the role of Deputy Registrar for CDHBC in 1996 and worked with the College until her departure in 2003, at which time she joined the newly formed College of Dieticians of B.C. to become their Registrar.