28 September 2018
IN THIS NEWS BULLETIN
The Board has approved the initial proposed changes to the Quality
Assurance Program. The proposed changes apply to the quality assurance
requirements for all registrants: dentists, certified dental assistants
and dental therapists. If approved, the changes will promote career-long
hands-on learning, increase collaboration among colleagues and improve
patient outcomes.
The proposed program consists of four key parts:
• Continuing Professional Development
• Required Competencies
• Objective Assessments / Feedback (dentists and dental therapists only)
• Continuous Practice Hours
The consultation period is open until 20 November 2018.
Visit the dedicated consultation page to read the proposed Quality Assurance Program outline, report to the Board, and more
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Improved health outcomes for the public, strengthening stakeholder relationships, embracing leading regulatory practices and stronger governance are at the core of CDSBC’s new strategic plan.
You are invited to respond to three questions about the draft 2019-22 Strategic Plan. All feedback received by 26 October will be submitted to the CDSBC Board and considered in the development of the final strategic plan. (Note that this consultation period is shorter than normal).
Visit the dedicated consultation page to read more about the draft 2019-22 strategic plan and how to submit your comments.
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As the number of CBCT scanners owned and operated by dental
practitioners has increased, the College believes it timely to provide a reminder regarding best practices and patient-centred care as
they relate to radiographic assessments.
Dentists should strive to
protect patients from unnecessary doses of ionizing radiation and follow
these best practices regarding diagnostic interpretation:
- A
thorough and comprehensive diagnosis of all images prescribed is
provided by a dentist fully competent to interpret the particular
radiographic survey prescribed.
- In cases where the
interpretation of all aspects of the image does not lie within the area
of expertise of the prescribing dentist, he/she must forward the images
to a dental or medical practitioner competent to provide an accurate and
comprehensive interpretation.
- The images are compared with any
pre-existing images. This is best practice and can provide crucial
diagnostic information which assists in forming the diagnosis evident
from the radiographic appearance(s).
- Acting in accordance with
CDSBC’s Code of Ethics, it is always our responsibility to “maximize
benefits and minimize harm for the welfare of the patient”. This
includes not practising beyond our particular level of competency.
- Whether it is a periapical radiograph or a CBCT scan, the principles are the same.
A
College Update print newsletter containing more detail on this
important area of practice is being sent to all registrants next month.
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“What is the College’s position on antibiotic prophylaxis for dental patients with total joint replacements?”
“What
should I do if my patient says her orthopedic surgeon told her she
should always take antibiotics before a dental procedure?”
These
are the sorts of questions we get from registrants looking for guidance
when it comes to antibiotic prescribing, which are addressed in a
recently published Practice Tip authored by Dr. Chris Hacker, Acting
Registrar.
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In August 2018, CDSBC’s Minimal and Moderate Sedation Services (non-hospital facilities) Standards & Guidelines document was republished to the CDSBC website with the following updates.
- Edits were made to clarify the description of the dentist educational requirements contained in section 4.3 of the document with respect to continuing dental education for moderate parenteral (IV) sedation.
- An existing addendum regarding capnography requirements for moderate sedation has been incorporated into the appropriate place(s) in the document (see pages 11 and 14 in the document)
For more information regarding Minimal and Moderate Sedation, please refer to the Minimal and Moderate Sedation Services (non-hospital facilities) Standards & Guidelines.
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We are pleased to announce that regulatory oversight of dental therapists will continue, uninterrupted, into the foreseeable future.
In 2013, the Provincial Government approached CDSBC regarding the provision of regulatory oversight for dental therapists in B.C. The intention was to allow First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) to employ dental therapists to provide preventative and restorative dental care for remote and under-serviced indigenous communities under the supervision of a dentist registrant with requisite authority. Authority for the regulation of dental therapists was provided through a 2014 amendment to the CDSBC bylaws, and an agreement was struck amongst the Ministry of Health, FNHA and CDSBC to allow provision of these much-needed services under this arrangement until 2019.
Ongoing conversation with the Ministry of Health has determined that regulation of dental therapists by CDSBC can continue indefinitely under the 2014 bylaw amendment. We look forward to a long and healthy relationship with FNHA and the Ministry of Health and are proud to count B.C.’s seven dental therapists amongst our registrants.
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Registrants whose continuing education (CE) cycle ends on 31 December and who have not yet met the minimum requirements for renewal next year still have time. Log in at www.cdsbc.org to review your CE transcript. CE requirements are 90 credits for dentists, 75 credits for dental therapists and 36 credits for certified dental assistants.
You can submit CE credits online, by email or mail. If you are interested in online CE opportunities, the College offers a variety of courses.
More information is available on our website or you can email CE@cdsbc.org.
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When a complaint is resolved, both the registrant and the complainant receive an invitation to provide their feedback on the complaint process via an exit survey. Survey respondents are asked for their views on such factors as fairness, timeliness and respect, as well as the College’s communications throughout the process.
The public report on the second year of the complaints process exit surveys project is now available online.
Read the detailed public report on the results.
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Saturday 20 October 2018
12:30pm (Cascade Cassiar room)
Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna, B.C.
Dr. Chris Hacker, Acting Registrar will be the keynote speaker at the TODS AGM. ( The AGM is limited to dentists only.)
If you are not registered for TODS and would like to attend the AGM, please contact Alison Hall, TODS Meeting Coordinator at alison.hall@shaw.ca
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The next Board meeting is:
Friday, 30 November 2018 at 8:30 am
Terminal City Club, “Terrace B/Wilson Beck”, Level 2
837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C.
To reserve a meeting package and ensure adequate seating, observers should RSVP to Nancy Crosby, Manager of the CEO's Office, at ncrosby@cdsbc.org by 22 November.
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This fall, we will be hosting continuing education events in Terrace and
Kelowna. Visit our events page for an up-to-date listing and
registration information.
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Our office will be closed on Monday, 8 October for Thanksgiving Day and will reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday, 9 October 2018.
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This Contact News Bulletin is distributed to registrants for the College of Dental Surgeons of BC. It is one of CDSBC's official methods of notification to its registrants. Registrants are responsible for reading College publications to ensure that they are aware of current standards, policies and guidelines.
