I can tell you that after 15 years experience as a practicing Denturist, I have seen many, many denture cases come to me where Dentists, and Prosthodontists have left dentures over-extended and caused a tremendous amount of trauma especially to anterior vestibular areas, including not clearing the denture in the area of the labial frenum. We won't even get into the harm that I have seen from poor chrome partial design.
In addition I consulted a patient recently who had just come from her Dentist and spent $6,000 US for a full upper denture which was ill-fitting, and a wrought wire lower, which I consider a temporary measure, but she was told was the permanent finished product. After my initial exam, I observed a rather obvious leukoplakia, which she was not told about at her Dentist. I referred this patient out. Denturists are trained to examine normal oral anatomy, how to recognize different oral diseases and abnormalities.
I know good Dentists and bad ones who are in such a rush to make the almighty dollar. I'm just as sure that there are good Denturists and bad ones as well, but one thing I can tell you is that Denturist programs DO in fact include general and dental pharmacology courses, in addition to general embryology and dental embryology, histology, microbiology and infection control, radio graph reading, and countless other courses which indeed prepare us to do the best for our patients without risking their health as you assert. Denturists who choose to practice on their own are trained to refer to a Dentist when they determine that there is a need to. And we are qualified to make that determination.
As for the Prosthodontist, as Denturists we still have a lot more clinical experience in our programs than they do pertaining to removable prosthetics, (I know this because the instructor of the program I went through is a Prosthodontist) and in addition most of us can actually create a denture with OUR own hands and have been doing so for many years, giving us invaluable insight. Think of the thousands of dental casts that the average technician has created prosthesis over. He has observed that anatomy, and what works over that foundation for years before he enters a Denturist program. That is why we excel at what we do far more than most Dentists and Prosthodontists. That is why the public has made sure that our efforts for professional recognition have met with success in 7 states in the US, and just about everywhere else in the world. Dentistry's monopoly grip on dentures, and their desperate attempts at holding on to this service has caused harm to the public. I challenge you to find one case of a real Denturist (and by that I mean a state licensed Denturist,not some quack operating out of a garage) that has caused harm to the public. You won't because there is none.
Now, I happen to agree that it is good to have a team of professionals who mutually respect each others knowledge of their specialty. FutureDMD, you said that Denturists are a very dangerous proposition without the guidance of a Dentist? Please explain.How many Dentists do you suppose call their laboratory and ask them what materials and design they should use on an edentulous or partially edentulous patient? How many do you think write on their work order "make denture", or "design chrome partial"? I can assure you that it's the majority after having successfully run a prosthetic laboratory for many years.The fact is that in most prosthetic cases it is the Dentist that needs the Dental Technician's guidance to achieve success.
My point is that we need to recognize each other as professionals, and unfortunately that day has not yet come to a great extent. And we are here to stay despite the ADA's long standing policy against us. Even state dental associations and many dentists have seen the light. In fact in the states Denturism is practiced many Dentists and Denturists work together through referrals. I am hopeful that the newer generations of Dentists and Denturists can put aside these differences in order to concentrate on what's most important, their patients.
AzDenturist