What is a Clinical Dental Technician (CDT)?
A Clinical Dental Technician provides complete or partial dentures directly to patients who are over the age of 18 and other dental devices if requested by a Dentist. CDT’s refer patients to a Dentist if they are concerned about the patient’s oral health or if the patient has not seen a Dentist in the recent past. CDT’s are also qualified Dental Technicians and encompass both clinical and laboratory roles in the supply of prosthetic devices.Clinical dental technology builds on dental technology and their registration enables them to:
- take note of natural dentition and relevant medical history, provide treatment plan and record clinical notes.
- read dental radiographs
- take and send referrals to and from Dentists and record them in the patients chart
- perform technical and clinical procedures related to providing removable dental appliances
- undertake clinical examinations
- distinguish between normal and abnormal consequences of ageing
- recognise abnormal oral mucosa and related underlying structures and make appropriate referrals
- fit and maintain removable appliances
- provide appropriate advice to patients
- work remote of the dental surgery but remain part of the dental team
CDT’s work within the dental team and respect the roles of the other members
of the team. The Dentist is head of the dental team and as such retains the
patient within their practice.