The dental student as a technician: preclinical and clinical laboratory programs in fixed prosthodontics.

PURPOSE

A 2-part survey of United States dental schools was conducted. The first part of the survey was published in 1998 and determined the curricular structure, techniques taught, and materials used in predoctoral fixed prosthodontics courses. The purpose of the second part of the survey was to ascertain the delegation of laboratory procedures in preclinical and clinical fixed prosthodontic programs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The survey was mailed to the course directors of predoctoral fixed prosthodontic programs at 53 US dental schools. Of these, 42 schools returned the completed survey, resulting in a response rate of 79%.

RESULTS

Results from this survey show that certain laboratory procedures in preclinical and clinical fixed prosthodontics are completed by dental laboratories (either in-house or commercially available laboratories).

CONCLUSIONS

For the preclinical programs of fixed prosthodontics, there is more student involvement in the completion of laboratory procedures in the dental schools surveyed. In clinical fixed prosthodontic programs, there is a high emphasis on patient care and less on laboratory techniques that can be delegated to laboratory technicians.