The Dental Council of Ireland has established the role of the clinical dental technician (CDT) as a class of dental auxiliary, according to an announcement on the council's Web site.
Created with the consent of the Minister for Health, appropriately qualified CDTs are allowed to manufacture and fit removable dentures for patients, independent of a dentist.
Initially, 10 clinical dental technicians will register with the council, after completing a dedicated training program in Canada and the U.K.
Registered CDTs now join registered dentists as the only members of the dental profession who are legally entitled to provide dentures for patients in Ireland.
