Prosthodontics, Prosthetics, Prosthetists and Dentists

We are currently living in the communications era, and information reaches us in all areas in abundance. So much so that nowadays the essential thing is not to be informed, but to be able to choose the information provided to us.

In the field of dentistry, and in the field of oral prostheses in particular, patient misinformation can lead to confusion and misinterpretations that it would be advisable to clarify.

We know that oral prosthesis is a part of dentistry that deals with the replacement of lost teeth through artificial attachments. Its similar in English translation would be prosthodontics, a somewhat more difficult term to use, but with a more concrete and clinical meaning than that of “oral prosthesis”; prosthesis is understood to be any of the attachments (artificial teeth) to take the place of dental losses.

The professionals who are in charge of applying the treatments of oral prosthesis or prosthodontics at present in Spain are, on the one hand, the stomatologists (stoma = mouth, not stomach) or medical specialists in stomatology who have a degree in medicine of approximately 6 years of university, and a specialty in stomatology, of two years of duration, approximately. And on the other hand, dentists with a bachelor’s degree in dentistry, 5 years of university studies. Both degrees enable them to practice as dentists, a generic and popular term that groups both types of professionals, with equal duties and rights. Their functions in terms of oral health would be the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pathologies that damage the anatomical region of the oral cavity. As for prosthodontics or oral prosthetics, they would be in charge of diagnosing, planning the clinical design, preparation, placement and adjustment of prostheses in the patient’s mouth. This work would be performed in dental clinics.

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Dentists count on the collaboration in their prosthetic treatments of the expert in this field, the dental technician or laboratory technician, who was formerly known by the unfortunate term of “dental mechanic”. This last denomination should be eliminated, since it is neither a mechanic nor a dentist and only lends itself to confusion and discrediting of these professionals. In order to work as a dental technician, it is necessary to hold the corresponding 2-year second-degree vocational training degree.

Their functions consist of the manufacture, technical design and repair of dental prostheses under the guidelines of the dentist. Their work is carried out in the dental laboratory and always working on plaster models or other types of material, even digitally constructed, which replicate, as far as possible, the patient’s dentition together with the data provided by the dentist (impressions, occlusal records, photographs, color, etc.).

By way of summary, it should be emphasized that only through close collaboration between both professionals: dentists and laboratory technicians, and each assuming their own functions, can successful treatment be achieved.

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