Dental technology is the aspect of dental health care delivery which deals with the art and science of designing, fabrication and servicing of dental, oral and oral-facial appliances for the replacement of missing part of dental and oral-facial tissue inorder to restore pathologically or surgically lost oro-facial tissues. It is also the
technical aspect of
dentistry where dental
technologist make
appliances to improve
patients’ appearance,
Dental technologists
are a crucial part of the dental team who use
their understanding of dental material
science, and their skills of design and
fabrication to recreate people’s oralfacial tissues.
MAJOR DIVISIONS OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY
Dental Technology as a field of study comprises four major divisions but interrelated areas with the ultimate aim of producing protheses worn by dental patients. The goal is to restor the oral-facial functions of mastication, speech, and aesthetics while preventing over-eruption of opposing teeth and the drifting of adjacent ones.
PROSTHODONTICS: This sub division deals with the replacement of lost tooth using removeable protheses such as partial and full-full dentures,(for dentate and edentulous case). These prosthetics are made of metals,such as gold alloy,chromium cobalt alloy;stainless steel etc. or plastic viz: acrylic resin; porcelain ceramics,PVC .or combination of two or more of these materials. ORTHODONTICS: This aspect deals with the correction/straightening of malposed or crowded dentition to their normal aesthetics within the limit set by biological factors using either fixed or removable appliances.CONSERVATIVE DENTAL TECHNOLOGY: This deals with the construction of fixed appliance/prosthese for the replacement of lost tooth.such appliance are inlays, onlays,Crowns,Bridges,post and jacket crowns etc. MAXILLO-FACIAL: Deals with the application of thermoplastic and synthetic materials for rehabilitation oro-facial defects where surgical reconstruction is not feasible or is contra-indicted. such appliances may be artificial ear,nose,eye and eye lids,lips;skull plates;hearing aid holders etc.
