title: Removable dentures provided by dentists, denturists and laboratory technicians.
abstract: In several countries removable dentures can be supplied by either dentists or denturists. Dental laboratory technicians, on the other hand, are licensed only to construct dentures on the prescription of a dentist and do not supply dentures directly to patients. This study investigates provision of dentures by dentists, denturists and laboratory technicians to 264 elderly Finnish World War II veterans. The veterans were wearing 454 removable dentures, of which 272 were complete dentures (CD) and 177 were removable partial dentures (RPD). Dentists had supplied one-quarter of the CD and three-quarters of the RPD, denturists had supplied two-thirds of the CD and one-fifth of the RPD, whereas the dental laboratory technicians had supplied the remaining seven per cent of the CD and four per cent of the RPD. Denturists had provided mainly mandibular partial dentures. A high proportion of the RPD provided illegally by denturists were made to oppose CD. The subjects reported that maxillary CD were good or very good more often than mandibular CD and considered more often CD by dentists or denturists good or very good than CD by dental laboratory technicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuominen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003800:Dental Technicians; D003815:Dentists; D003779:Denture Design; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D003835:Denturists; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction