People frequently mistake the duties and qualifications of denture technicians with those of a denturist. Denture technicians do not in reality work individually with patients, while denturists work directly with patients. Unless the individual is qualified as both denturists and technicians, denture technicians have little to no contact with patients. In fact, the nature of their relationship is one in which the denturist will order a specific piece of denture equipment from a specialized technician. Denture technicians follow the order of a denturist to design and assemble the proper dentures.

The dental technician will send a prescription to the technician along with a mould of the patient’s mouth and teeth. The mould is a very critical component used by technician in creating the proper fitting for the patient.Since we all have uniquely sized and shaped teeth, it is very important that the denture technician have a proper mould to work with.

Once the mould is received, the technician will then create a model of the patient’s mouth by filling the impression with plaster and allowing it to set and harden. After that, the denture technician will set the model on a device that mimics the movement of a person’s jaw and specific bite pattern. This model is then serving as the foundation of the prosthetic device. Technicians will then inspect the reproduction, noting the shape and size of the nearby teeth, as well as gaps within the mucosa or gum-line. Using these observations as a point of reference and the denturist’s specifications, technicians will then create and shape a wax model, using wax carvers and wax spatulas as well as other small hand instruments. This wax model is then used to cast the prosthetic device metal framework.

Finally, once they form the wax teeth, the technician will use small hand held tools to pour the cast and form the metal. Doing this will prepare the surface of the metal for boding between the acrylic or porcelain and the metal. Subsequently, the technician will apply the porcelain or acrylic in layers in order to arrive at the exact colour and shape of the teeth. It is vital to match the colour of the prosthetic teeth with the patient’s existing teeth. If there is even the slightest discrepancy in colour difference the patient’s full set of teeth may look a bit odd and unnatural. In most cases a qualified denture technician will produce a final result that is nearly an exact replica of the patient’s natural existing teeth.