Are you interested in working in the dental field? Do you like the idea of working with patients as well as doing hands-on lab work? If so, you might consider a career as a denturist. Denturists are specialized dental care professionals who design, construct, fit, and repair removable dentures. They are unique in the dental field in that they work directly with patients as well as in a laboratory setting.
Denturists help patients who require a set of artificial teeth due to the loss of their natural teeth. They generally start by performing an oral examination to establish the type of dentures needed. For instance, many patients require complete dentures, which replace all of their teeth, while others need only some teeth replaced. Next, denturists take careful measurements of the patient’s jaw. They also make moulds (or “impressions”) of the gums and jaw, as well as any teeth.
The next step is to design and construct the actual dentures. This is usually done in a lab attached to the denturist’s office. Denturists use various materials to construct dentures, including wax, metal, and plastic. They use the measurements and impressions taken from the patient’s mouth to determine the size and the shape of the dentures.
Some denturists employ dental lab techs to create the dentures. In these cases, denturists take a supervisory role during the construction process. However, most denturists design and fabricate dentures themselves.
The final step is to fit the patient with the completed dentures. If they don’t fit properly, the denturist makes the necessary adjustments until they fit comfortably in the patient’s mouth. Besides fitting patients with new dentures, denturists are also responsible for repairing and adjusting their patients’ older dentures as needed.
Some denturists make and fit other types of oral devices in addition to dentures. For example, they may construct appliances that limit snoring or promote weight loss, mouth guards that protect athletes’ teeth, and teeth whitening trays.
NOC Code: 3221