365 Day Rule and Dentist Examinations

A frequent question the College receives in the summer months follows:

"The dentist I work for is going to be away on vacation and the office is looking at scheduling some ‘hygiene only’ days during this time. I hold a Full registration so I know that I need to abide by the 365 Day Rule. When determining which clients can be booked on these days, what types of dental exams satisfy the 365 Day Rule? If the client has had a specific exam for a toothache, is this acceptable? What if the client only lives in BC for a portion of the year and sees another dentist for an examination out of province?"

For continuing care clients, section 6(1)(b) of the Dental Hygienists Regulation states that a Registrant cannot practice dental hygiene unless “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”. The dentist performing the examination must be registered with the College of Dental Surgeons of BC; therefore, an examination performed by a dentist out of province does not satisfy the 365 Day Rule. 

Information on the types of exams that may satisfy the 365 Day Rule can be found in the CDHBC Interpretation Guideline “Examination”. The policy section of this guideline states the following: 

 

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Coffee With the College Recap

During May and June 2016, the College was pleased to offer its Coffee With the College series; the program is an opportunity for dental hygienists to dialogue with the College about the recent announcement regarding the Proposed Regulation and Bylaw Updates, as well as other key issues. Based on results of an initial outreach survey completed by registrants in April, the College provided a mix of in-person sessions (Prince George, Burnaby) and an interactive live webinar.

Registrar Jennifer Lawrence led the Prince George and Burnaby sessions, and Deputy Registrar Heather Biggar joined the Registrar for the interactive webinar. Discussion ranged from clarification about the impact and scope of the Proposed Regulation and Bylaw changes, to questions regarding Streamlined Professional Renewal. 

Feedback regarding Coffee With the College was collected via a short, anonymous online exit survey. We have included several of the anonymous comments below, as well as the poll results from two of the survey questions.
 

• "As a profession, it is time to move forward and make DH more easily accessible to the public - particularly the underserved. These proposed changes in our bylaws/regs move us in that direction."
• "It will help increase our profile as health care provides when we are seen as more independent...similar to RNs. I am excited."
• "I'm happy that the proposed changes are finally happening it is about time! Loved in the in person session last night - good to hear what goes on… at the college."

Survey Question: What element of the proposed regulation and bylaw changes do you feel will have the greatest impact on the public’s ability to receive accessible dental hygiene care?

• Removal of the 365 Day Rule (15%)
• Removal of the supervision requirement for L/A (0%)
• The ability for Dental Hygiene Practitioners to prescribe limited DH-related drugs (0%)
• I feel all of the above will impact the public’s receipt of DH care (83%)
• I don’t feel any of the above will impact the public’s receipt of DH care (2%)

Survey Question: What element of the new streamlined renewal process do you think will be the key benefit?

• Ensure all practicing dental hygienists have continuous professional liability insurance (13%)
• A more efficient and straightforward process for renewal and the payment of professional fees (22%)
• A customizable deposit payment plan that can be tailored to the needs of the dental hygienist (4%)
• Provide dental hygienists with access to CDHA/BCDHA resources that will support their continuing education and regulatory requirements (7%)
• All of the above (43%)
• None of the above (11%)

If you missed Coffee With the College, please stay tuned to your email – further sessions will be announced for Fall 2016.
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Streamlined Professional Renewal: Are You Up To Date?

On March 17, 2016 at PDC, the College announced Streamlined Professional Renewal starting in 2017. The College and associations (CDHA and BCDHA) have entered into an agreement that will align the renewal year of the associations and professional liability insurance coverage with the College’s renewal year.

The College will collect all professional fees from all practicing dental hygienists in BC during the College renewal period. The new streamlined process will be integrated so that dental hygienists will enter their information and pay all their professional fees only on the College website at the same time each year.

The College has worked to set up a voluntary refundable deposit plan to provide an opportunity for registrants to plan for the expense of renewing registration and association membership/insurance coverage at one time. This deposit plan is available on your registrant profile under the “Make a Payment” tab and payments made under this plan will be accepted until December 2016, so it is not too late to set up a deposit plan!
 

It is important to remember that the streamlined renewal process, while starting for renewal in January 2017, is for your registration starting March 1, 2017.

Registrants will still need to ensure that they have negligence insurance for January and February 2017 to keep their current 2016/17 license valid. CDHA/BCDHA will be offering a 4 month membership at a special rate that will provide insurance coverage for January and February 2017. Alternatively, registrants can choose another provider for coverage in January/February 2017.  

We also encourage and welcome any questions you may have about Streamlined Professional Renewal – please do not hesitate to call (1-800-778-8277) or email the College (cdhbc@cdhbc.com), and staff would be happy to speak with you.
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First Nations Health Authority: Indigenous Cultural Safety Training

Beginning July 1, 2016, independent dental hygienists in British Columbia have the option to be recognized as service providers by First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and will be able to direct bill through the Non-Insured Health Benefits program (NIHB).


In order to be a Service Provider under the NIHB program, independent dental hygienist practitioners in BC, in addition to completing the Independent Dental Hygiene Provider Enrollment form for NIHB, must enroll in and complete the Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Training program delivered by the Provincial Health Services Authority.

Upon successful completion of the ICS Training program, the BC independent dental hygienist must input the completion of the ICS Training, including a reflection, within their individual Online Learning Plan (OLP). This not only serves to track those who have completed the course, but will also track the 8-10 continuing competency credits allowed for the completion of the training within one’s Quality Assurance Program Cycle.

FNHA will contact the College for confirmation that a dental hygienist is a registrant in good standing and has completed the ICS Training. FNHA will not accept any claims that cannot be verified through confirmation by the College, therefore it is important for dental hygienists to record completion of the program if they intend to become a NIHB Provider.

To read the official communique from FNHA please click here. Back to Top

Moving?

It is a bylaw requirement that registrants of the College ensure that their mailing address is always current on the CDHBC register. Incorrect or out-of-date addresses can lead to missed mailings that may include important notices and documents. Address changes can be submitted online at www.cdhbc.com or via email to cdhbc@cdhbc.com and should include the following information:
 

• Name
• Registration Number
• Old Address
• New Address
• Email
• Telephone
• Effective Date

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