An interview with...

Often patients have tooth decay and gum disease and this needs to be treated by a Dentist as part of an overall treatment plan. Clinical Dental Technicians need to know that the mouth is healthy and that the natural teeth can support the type of partial denture they wish to provide.

The General Dental Council is the organisation that regulates dental professionals in the United Kingdom. Like all other Dental Care Professionals, Clinical Dental Technicians should work within the scope of practice outlined by the GDC and therefore a CDT cannot provide a partial denture before the patient has been seen by a Dentist. A CDT can however provide complete dentures without the need for the patient to see a Dentist.

The Dentist will also inform a patient about any dental treatment that may be needed to prepare the mouth to receive a new partial denture, assess whether gum disease is present and what bearing this has on the design of the new partial denture, look at findings from dental x-rays and discuss the patients dental history. The CDT will along with the Dentist look at the remaining natural teeth and confirm which teeth can be used to retain the denture, what type of partial denture design would be the most favourable and discuss what dental materials would be most suitable and how long they expect the denture to last.

I would say that patients should consider that firstly the denture provider has the experience and necessary qualifications. Testimonials from customers and piers help show that the clinician is competent. Also that the patient feels they trust the person treating them and that they have listened to their needs. A clinician needs a good understanding of oral anatomy and a clearly defined treatment plan and the patient should feel well informed. The quality of materials and techniques used in the laboratory and clinic will also influence the outcome. Patients should ask what products the clinician uses and what techniques they are competent in using.

The best denture products in the world are considered to be from two Swiss based companies Ivoclar Vivadent and Candulor, who promote the BPS Denture System and The Swiss Denture Concept and also the UK based company Shottlander, who developed the Enigma Denture System.

Its understandable why the term denture implants came about, but the fact is that dentures and dental implants are two separate components that work very well together.

A denture is a prosthetic appliance and a dental implant is a small titanium screw that acts as a replacement for missing tooth roots. Dentures can either be secured to dental implants by precision components or permanently fixed to implants using small screws such as in the same day smile or All-on-4 concepts. Dental implants are also often used as a solid foundation for crowns and bridges.