The Dental Hygiene Program places students on practicum in dental offices and agencies providing dental services. To protect the people served by these agencies, upon acceptance to the Dental Hygiene program students are required to complete a criminal record. The CRS must be received by the Registrar's Office prior to the first day of class. Conviction for relevant offenses may preclude entry to the program. Consent forms and the policy on criminal record search detailing the guidelines that are used to screen records are available from the Registrar's Office.
Students are responsible for any costs incurred in the criminal record search.
The criminal record search is valid for one year. The College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia may not register any individual who has been convicted of an indictable offense. Applicants who have had any criminal convictions should seek advice from the Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the College of Dental Hygienists' of British Columbia, before applying for formal admission to the program. Graduates will be eligible to apply to provincial authorities for registration. Opportunities exist to obtain registration and licensure in over fifty countries where dental hygiene is an integral component of health care.