Health

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder

The Denturists of British Columbia are requesting that the government modernize the Health Professions Act (HPA) to reflect the following: 1. Denturist Regulations (1999) must be modernized. The current HPA regulations do not allow assistants to perform intra oral procedures such as impressions. Denturists are primary health care providers licensed to perform these procedures and dental assistants are trained to perform procedures under the direction of a primary dental healthcare provider except denturists. 2. Denturists should be accountable for their own work as they are trained professionals, licensed and qualified to deliver denture services. Under the current regulations, a dentist could be held responsible for services provided by a denturist. This creates public confusion. 3. The dental community has struggled to adapt to the changing needs of patients while new technologies are introduced that would provide superior dental health care to the public. BC denturists regularly receive requests from dentists to deliver services that denturists are unable to provide under the current regulations. Most dentists are unaware that denturists are not able to provide those services. It is important to the public that their healthcare providers are able to work together in a cooperative environment with reasonable barriers. 4. Dental Assistants must be autonomous under their own Scope of Practice. Currently Dental Assistants must give up their license if they chose to work in a Denturists office. 5. A combined Dental College must consist of denturists having an equal voice and a level playing field on the Board. 6. The Chief Dental Consultant for the Ministry of Health is a dentist. This person is heavily relied upon and the government uses this person (and the BC Dental Association and Canadian Dental Surgeons of BC) for advice on many topics. The government has ignored recommendations from other dental professional associations. Government should widely consult with qualified people from the various dental professions to gain knowledge and foster respect and trust from all dental professionals. Denturists are primary health care providers with a license to serve the public directly and as such require changes to the current framework if we hope to continue to serve and protect the public properly, efficiently and progressive

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