Denturists’ Dentures Not Always Trusted by Dentists

Denturists make dentures, but they're not licensed dentists. This leaves dentists wary of denturists.

In this survey. only 10% of dentists said that denturists increase denture patients’ access to care. The remaining 90% feel patients should only get dentures from a dentist or prosthodontist.

In the US, only a handful of states permit denturists to practice independently; in some other states, a denturist can work under the supervision of a dentist.

Here are some comments from dentists about denturism and dentures:

• "The public at large would be jeopardized if denturists were allowed to give direct patient care.” (Wyoming orthodontist)
• “Is it any different than a lay person fitting a patient for any kind of prosthetic?” (Florida dentist)
• “Providing professional dental care is more than just the physical making of a prosthesis." (General dentist)
• "Complete dentures are declining in number anyway. It is a rarer procedure now than when I started practice 30 years ago.” (Georgia dentist)
• "Dentures are much more difficult to do correctly than a lab technician realizes." (General dentist)
• “I am very frustrated with the continued fragmentation of dentistry as a profession. Teeth whitening at the mall, nail salon, and the photography studio. Dental injections at medi-spas for Botox and Juvaderm treatments. Then we have to contend with the reduction of payments for the services that we still do. That is, until they decide that dental hygienists can also do fillings in their own private practices." (General dentist)
• “There is more to treating these patients than meets the eye! Such as oral pathology, reading the radiographs, making proper impressions, occlusion etc. We do have to think, what is best for the patient?!” (Virginia dental implant dentist)

Read more - Denturist Dentures: Dentists Wary of Denturism