RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DENTISTS AND DENTURISTS

As with other allied health professions where the relationship between those with a historically defined role and those with an emerging role collides over concerns about standards, patient care, and control -- dentists and Denturists have been subject to inter-professional rivalries and struggles for mutual respect and understanding.

Dentists have argued convincingly about the efficacy of an untrained or undertrained dental technician's ability to recognize pathology and refer appropriately. Other professionals in the dental health care field, however, are able to point to examples where technicians are trained and extensively upgraded prior to being awarded (registered) with the designation "Denturist".

Claims such as those suggesting that dentures supplied by Denturists "cause cancer" fail to be supported by any empirical data. Such claims are, in fact, undercut by case studies from Canada, Finland, Tasmania and Australia where Denturists have been successfully integrated into community dental health care programs for several decades. Health risks appear to be related to ill-functioning and ill-fitting denture rather than to the impact of any integrated service delivery system.

Like Para-medics, chiropodists, and other allied health professionals, Denturists have moved beyond the point of arguing for a role in contributing to community health. Instead, with the support of our stakeholders (patients, professional associations, taxpayers, politicians) Denturists are announcing with pride that we are prepared to take our place beside other internationally recognized and respected professionals.