CDSBC dentist lookup: the BCCOHP public registry.

Why the old CDSBC name still gets searched

Search habits outlast organisations. BC Health Regulators reports that as of 1 September 2022 the BC College of Oral Health Professionals became the regulator for about 16,000 oral health professionals, formed by amalgamating the College of Dental Hygienists of BC, the College of Dental Surgeons of BC, the College of Dental Technicians of BC and the College of Denturists of BC. Anyone who still types the old dental surgeons college name is looking for the same job done by a different body, and the answer lives on the BCCOHP website, not on a separate dentists-only site.

The merger also changed vocabulary. The BC Health Regulators announcement uses the phrase certified dental assistants; the registry drop-down today says Licensed Dental Assistants. If you are checking a dental assistant, pick the registry’s wording, not the older one.

One registry, six professions

BCCOHP states that it regulates six types of oral health professionals and that all of them must be licensed with it to practise in British Columbia: licensed dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental therapists, dentists and denturists. The College also says it is required to include certain types of regulatory action on the public registry. That means a registry record is more than a yes or no on licensing; it is the place a limitation on someone’s practice may be disclosed.

The two filters that matter

Show only records with limitations is the unusual one. A dentist with conditions on their practice is still licensed, but the conditions are the part a patient or employer needs to know, and this box surfaces them directly. Include former licensees changes the question from “can this person practise now” to “were they ever licensed here”. A person who does not appear in the default results but appears with the box ticked is no longer licensed with BCCOHP, and that is a strong prompt to ask the practice why.

Unlicensed practice and who is responsible

BCCOHP’s page on unauthorized practice says licensees are responsible for making sure the oral health professionals they hire are licensed, and for being confident that anyone they refer patients to is authorized. It also sets out how to report someone providing these services without a licence. It frames the regulatory model under the Health Professions and Occupations Act, which the College’s annual report describes as a transition it was preparing for.

A worked example (hypothetical)

You are moving to Kelowna and a new clinic’s website lists “Dr. Sam Example” (made up) and promises a “CDSBC-licensed” dentist. This describes no real person.

Open the registry, choose Dentists, and type the surname with the first name. If a record appears, read the status and look for any stated limitation. Then tick Include former licensees and search again: if the same person only appears with that box ticked, they are not currently licensed. Next, search once with Show only records with limitations ticked to see whether the name appears with practice conditions. If there is no match under any setting, check the spelling the clinic uses (a preferred first name is common), and ask the clinic for the exact name on the licence. The old CDSBC wording on the website is a signal the page may be dated, though the registry is what counts.

What this page does not cover

• It does not search the registry or store what you type; there is no form on this page.
• It does not provide a registration-number format, because the registry form does not ask for a number.
• It does not recommend a dentist, compare fees or say what treatment you need.
• It does not cover dentists licensed in other provinces; Ontario and Alberta have their own registers.
• It does not explain the Health Professions and Occupations Act beyond noting it is the framework the College cites.