Letters to the Editor

Denturists Available to Fill Need

Wayne Mito’s article in the June/July edition of JDT describes the sadly true state of affairs as far as dental student training in laboratory techniques and prosthetic dentistry are concerned.  It is understandable, yet unfortunate that dental schools are de-emphasizing this craft within their required curriculum.  Equally troubling is the noted lack of qualified technical laboratory personnel available to fill the need created by this gap in dentist training.  Mr. Mito believes this combination of factors poses a severe dilemma to the future quality of dentistry.

While in some respects the future may appear troubling, a handful of states, including Oregon, Washington and Maine, have professionally trained and licensed individuals who are more than capable of meeting consumer needs for high quality prosthetic dental appliances.  Those to whom I refer are denturists.

Denturists work directly with patients by taking impressions and creating, fitting, adjusting and, when necessary, repairing appliances.  Almost every denturist in Oregon, which is the only state I can speak of from experience, has a strong, collaborative professional working relationship with at least one dentist in his or her community.  They frequently share patients, each providing care that falls within their areas of expertise.  Many denturists also have good working relationships with a dental laboratory, especially where creating partial dentures is concerned.  The result is quality dentistry and a satisfied patient.

I encourage those interested in learning more about denturists to visit the Oregon State Denturist Association website at

www.ordenturist.org

Joe Coss
Public Relations Coordinator
Oregon State Denturist Association

Acrylux Wowed

 

We are delighted and thank you for selecting Acrylux(r) as a JDT 2004 best/most innovative product. Acrylux(r) is an engineered material developed to deliver, as people in the dental laboratory industry can and have attested, numerous advantages in addition to the fact that it is crystalline-silica free. Curiously, one of Acrylux(r)'s strongest, most striking, features was not specifically mentioned in the story. It is this: Acrylux(r) is the dental industry's first-ever low-pressure abrasive. By this I mean that, when used for denture polishing, it works - and only works - at nearly zero hand pressure. As you know, ragwheels' shapes are often severely distorted by the need for strong pressure applied to them when using less efficient polishing aids such as pumice or any of the so-called pumice substitutes. They have short lives under these conditions of use and there is, of course, a cost attached to their replacement. The application of significantly less pressure, however, itself offers a number of "pull-through" advantages such as mitigating concern for the development of premature arthritis as well as carpal tunnel syndrome. It also means a dental lab may never have to replace a ragwheel again as contact between it and the appliance being polished is so slight. We have had lab personnel sincerely thank us for our product as it has permanently relieved them of the need to press hard during the polishing stage - something they have done for as much as twenty years. Now, all they do is gently hold the appliance against the ragwheel as though they are trying to polish an egg and not crack the shell. No more tired fingers, hands, wrists and arms. Ever.

Thank you again for the opportunity to permit me to further expound upon Acrylux(r). Again, we wish you to know that we are honored to have been selected for inclusion on your list. (We may be on the list next year, too, as work is proceeding on the use of this very same product as a replacement for aluminum oxide used for microblasting. The dental industry's first dual-functionality abrasive!)

Dean Klein
Director of Marketing
World Minerals

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