What Same-Day Dentures Say About Quality by Howard Cosner, Jr., CDT
What Same-Day Dentures Say About Quality by Howard Cosner, Jr., CDT
Is there a stimulus package available for the dental laboratory that fabricates dentures? The dental (denture) laboratory profession has been controlled by organized dentistry for decades with the state laws that were written to keep the laboratory out of sight. With the exception of six states, the laboratory profession is at the mercy of the dental profession.
Are we technicians no longer needed? No longer of any use to dentistry? Perhaps an alternative has surfaced? An Alternative such as the same-day denture centers that have been an alternative for decades now have the attention of the rule makers as the successor to the denture laboratory.
As many of these same-day denture centers as there are, and their numbers are expanding, it appears to be a show of strength and ability, that, these outlets can become a viable alternative to the denture laboratory. The general public has no idea that the denture base material many of these centers use is a very poor imitation of heat-cure acrylic resin. They don't know that the denture teeth are at the economy level. No do they realize that in some cases, the dentures exhibit porosity and are basically very weak and structurally unsound. They usually discover that after three to six months when the denture teeth fall out or they break while eating a cracker.
These denture centers do hire dental laboratory technicians to re-train the help to produce the product the quick and easy way, using the pour resin and self cure techniques. The dentures are masked in the deception of being a very low-cost product and the technician is retained at a reduced wage to do the best that they can. The end results are mixed and variable most often and the product delivered may resemble a denture of a higher caliber of components and workmanship, but, it is not that type of denture.
With a dental office receiving up to $1,500 each for a denture, it appears that the same-day center is a much better economic choice. That is until the patient gets home, or a week or so later. The same day denture cost is about $350 each. Consider the production cost at approximately 18 percent of the price, meaning these dentures have a significant gross profit margin to say the least. Again, dentures and removable prosthetics are the most profitable product that is offered by dentistry. Needless to say they (dentistry) are determined to keep the profits and not share with anyone.
There are no existing standards written for the removable denture, nor for the removable partial denture. That is just fine with organized dentistry. The less the cost, the higher the profit and the quality remains whatever the dentist that is selling, the denture patient will accept. That is what is happening to the dental laboratory profession. That is where the jobs are. Perhaps it is time for an independent look by a responsible authority into what the dental profession is doing. Perhaps a national inquiry? Perhaps the nation and the rest of the world will finally see what the dental profession is keeping in their closets. Perhaps look at the laboratory profession as an industry capable of managing its own agenda How much could the results of that lobby effort cost Americans? Not nearly as much as they now pay for their removable dentures.
