Removable dentures provided by dentists, denturists and laboratory technicians

Area of Science:

• Dental Prosthetics
• Geriatric Dentistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Removable dentures can be provided by dentists or denturists in many countries.
• Dental laboratory technicians are restricted to constructing dentures based on dental prescriptions and do not supply them directly to patients.
• Understanding the provision channels for dentures is crucial for assessing access and quality of care, particularly for elderly populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sources of removable dentures (complete dentures and removable partial dentures) supplied to elderly Finnish World War II veterans.
• To compare the proportions of dentures supplied by dentists, denturists, and dental laboratory technicians.
• To assess patient satisfaction with dentures based on the provider.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted on 264 elderly Finnish World War II veterans.
• Data was collected on 454 removable dentures worn by the veterans, categorizing them into complete dentures (CD) and removable partial dentures (RPD).
• The origin of each denture (dentist, denturist, or dental laboratory technician) was recorded, and patient satisfaction was evaluated.

Main Results:

• Dentists supplied 25% of CDs and 75% of RPDs; denturists supplied 67% of CDs and 20% of RPDs; dental technicians supplied 7% of CDs and 4% of RPDs.
• Denturists predominantly supplied mandibular removable partial dentures, with a notable proportion supplied illegally opposing complete dentures.
• Maxillary complete dentures were reported as good or very good more frequently than mandibular complete dentures. Dentures supplied by dentists or denturists received higher satisfaction ratings than those from dental technicians.

Conclusions:

• Dentists and denturists are the primary providers of removable dentures to this elderly Finnish veteran cohort.
• The findings suggest potential regulatory or practice variations regarding denturists' provision of removable partial dentures.
• Patient satisfaction is linked to the provider, with dentists and denturists generally perceived more favorably than dental laboratory technicians for complete dentures.