interview

34 spring 08 www.nature.com/vital

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Clinical dental technician Phil Tucker tells Julie Ferry how CDTs have achieved one of their ultimate goals.

Somebody once said that a journey

of a thousand miles begins with

one small step. Phil Tucker, more

than most people, can understand

the sentiment. It has taken this

dedicated professional more than ten years

of campaigning, studying and determination

to realise his goal of registration for clinical

dental technicians (CDTs) and although his

personal challenge of spearheading the cam-

paign is over, it doesn’t seem like the whole

journey is over quite yet.

‘It all started back in 1995,’ says Phil.

‘I was a member of the Clinical Dental

Technicians’ Association (CDTA)

and was quite heavily involved with

trying to gain registration for CDTs.

However, we seemed to be knocking

our heads against a brick wall when it

came to the General Dental Council

and the Government, until the min-

ister at the time told us that the only

way we would achieve the integration

of CDTs into the rest of the profession

was to go away and formally educate

ourselves. All of a sudden we knew

what to do; all we had to do now was

let our membership know and fi nd a way of

doing it.’

While the law was quite clear about the

restrictions on CDTs in the UK, it was less so

in other countries like Australia, Denmark,

the Netherlands and Canada. There, CDTs or

‘denturists’ as they are also known, had been

able to construct and fi t dentures directly for

patients for some time.

‘We looked carefully at Denmark and the

Netherlands to provide our training needs

at fi rst,’ explains Phil. ‘However, we quickly

realised that the language barrier would be

a problem, so we turned our attention to

Canada. We eventually found George Brown

College in Toronto and worked on creating a

distance learning course with them.’

Around 90% of the course was based on

distance learning, with students studying 25

modules and Canadian professors coming to

the UK once a month to deliver lectures. All

clinical work had to be completed in Canada,

where technicians were able to practise on

patients rather than phantom heads. To be

accepted onto the course, CDTs had to

have at least fi ve years’ experience – it

certainly wasn’t a course for novices –

yet on completion it still only provided

them with a certifi cate, which wasn’t

enough to attain recognition by the

UK authorities.

‘The certifi cate was just like a starter

really. It became clear that we needed

to upgrade the course to diploma

level, so in 2000 the fi rst group to

study for the diploma began work.

There were 40 of us and I eventually

completed mine in 2002. From there

we approached the Royal College of

CDTs

One

step for

‘I have a very good

rapport with dentists

in my area. When we

work together we can

be very effective as a team.’

small

Surgeons, who worked with us to ensure the

qualifi cation would be recognised.’

In due course the Royal College agreed to

award the Diploma in Clinical Dental Tech-

nology to Diplomates of the Canadian College,

following ‘top-up’ education and successful

examination at one of their approved centres

in the UK. The Diploma, once awarded, now

allows CDTs to apply for statutory registra-

tion with the GDC.

Finally in 2006, after the establishment of

this formal education, the goal of registration

for CDTs fi nally came to fruition. Follow-

ing registration, CDTs can now legally open

their own practices and construct and fi t full

removable dental appliances such as dentures,

without referral or any other intervention by

a dentist.

So, Phil and

the CDTA could

fi nally breathe a

sign or relief – or

could they?

‘The next step

is to have the

rules apply to

partial dentures,’

Phil says. ‘The

GDC have clearly

stated that we

can see patients

direct for full

dentures but we

need a treatment plan from

a dentist for partial dentures.

I think that this is unwork-

able and believe that we have

enough training to be able to

see patients direct and then if

there are any problems refer

them to a dentist. I have a very

good rapport with dentists in

my area and they know that I

am not trying to take patients

away from them. In fact, when

we work together we can be

very effective as a team. Unfor-

tunately, some dentists just

don’t want to work with us in this way.’

So what keeps driving Phil? ‘Getting registration meant so much to me

because before it I had patients coming in

saying that they couldn’t get comfortable den-

tures made by a dentist. That is no refl ection

on the dentist because there are some people

who do very good prosthetic work, but a lot

of people thought that it would be better if we

did the technical side and the clinical side at

the same time. The outcome for the patient is

much better because someone is taking them

through the whole process.’

‘I may not be as involved with the CDTA

now as I once was because of study com-

mitments, but I think going through this

process has made us all learn that we are part

of a team looking after a patient. What really

gives me pride is knowing that a patient who

walks through my door with full dentures

may not have seen a dentist since they had it

made. That could be 15 or 20 years, so who is

screening that patient for oral cancer? If I see

a problem I can refer them on to a dentist and

that gives me a real buzz. Working as a team

like that is absolutely brilliant for the patient

and that’s the important thing to remember

for the future.’

www.denturedesignstudio.co.uk

interview

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