Consultation on the BCCOHP bylaws is open and you can be part of the discussion by getting your feedback submitted by Oct 31. The CDA Alliance Steering Committee met to discuss the feedback and our main concern is the lack of representation for CDAs in all areas.
- Part 2 Board – CDAs will have no opportunity to apply or be part of the Board. This is because of the designation of CDAs as ‘non-registrants’ within the College.
- Part 3 Committees – opportunities for CDAs on committees is also affected by the lack of representation on the Board and within College structure.
- Part 6 Licenses – CDAs are not part of the list of licensed professionals. Although CDAs will become ‘licensed dental assistants’ instead of ‘certified’, they are still ‘licensed under a licensee’ (the dentist), which continues to be a confusing position. The ‘licensee’ does not have the interest of the CDA as priority with decisions since they are the employer and their interests will not be to advance the ‘profession’.
- Part 8 Professional Responsibility – CDAs have been left out of the list of dental professionals . Without the opportunity for CDA representation there is no place for the valuable insight that the CDA brings to decisions for the dental profession. In fact, without a ‘professional’ designation or title, CDAs remain in a gray area of confusion regarding regulation and license. They continue to require completion of quality assurance but have no decision making or opportunity for input about scope of practice, who performs their skills or anything that affects their work.
- Part 10, Designation – There is no change to the dental dam bylaw allowing an untrained assistant to put a dental dam and clamp on a client. We continue to feel that this compromises the safety of the client due to the damage that can be done when a person has not been trained to place or remove a clamp.
- Part 11 Quality Assurance – Although CDAs are not recognized in any way with the new Board or in the bylaws, there remains the requirement for QA and the expectation has increased. Costs associated with QA will rise as there is a new expectation to complete several modules, and take courses based on self evaluation. As fees increase we believe this puts undue stress on CDAs who may not be able to bear the cost of a license with no significance and completion of QA just to continue in a profession that does not recognize them.
- General Feedback – The BCCOHP has an opportunity to choose to regulate certified dental assistants and to recognize the valuable work being done by including CDAs in the growth of the profession. With the new bylaws, we remain in a confusing state of certified non registrants who are required to adhere to a code of conduct and must complete extensive requirements for quality assurance.
Government has given the BCCOHP the opportunity to change the designation of CDA non registrants within the College structure and we strongly support this. We urge the BCCOHP to consider changes to bylaws to remove the ability of untrained individuals to perform skills that can cause harm and to review increasing scope of practice for CDAs within educational boundaries.
Please give feedback before Oct 31 2025 and make sure the BCCOHP knows that CDAs want a voice in the process and decision making that affects their work.