The interdisciplinary relationship between prosthodontics and dental technology

Prosthodontists are often unaware of difficulties faced by dental technicians. Likewise, dental technicians may be unaware of difficulties faced by prosthodontists. By being better educated about one another's discipline, prosthodontists and technicians can establish cooperative goals and help each other to identify significant facts and potential difficulties posed by specific materials, techniques, or stages of the work in progress. This article describes specific procedures for prosthesis fabrication and the opportunities each step provides for such cooperation. The steps include diagnostic waxing, provisional restoration, fabrication of master dies, tooth preparation, fabrication of intraoral records, treatment waxing, selection of materials, use of ceramic mucosal simulations, and color selection. If the prosthodontist and dental technician are willing to share responsibility for treatment plans, their mutual understanding can bring new insight to old problems and provide intellectual stimulation to both.