Despite being persecuted by the American Dental Association, denturists continue to push for the right to provide oral health screenings and referral services for those in need of denture care. The denturist is qualified to provide oral health screenings and referrals. With the nation wide shortage of dentist and the high cost of denture care by dentists; denture care by denturists has proven to be a safe alternative denture delivery system in six states in the U.S. and across Canada. Denturists are required to obtain education and training in oral health at an accredited college.

Denturists serve all segments of the public, especially people in nursing homes and those with disparities, providing accessible and affordable quality denture care. This is an opportunity for oral health wellness to be recognized by a qualified, educated denturist and referral services provided in the event that abnormalities are found.  The denturist plays a crucial part in alleviating the aftermath of the shortage of dentists by freeing up valuable chair time for restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dental care for children and adults across our nation.

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) statement on oral health care includes policy recommendations. Excerpts from AADR policy statement released July 14, 2009, titled “Oral Health Care within Healthcare Reform,” [1] include the following.

• “Recent dental research findings are uncovering the full extent to which oral health is linked to general health.” [1]
•  “However, advances in care and treatment models have not been shared equally by all Americans, and the physical and economic burden of oral disease continues to outweigh that of other more commonly covered diseases and conditions.” [1]

“In 2000, the U.S. Surgeon General called the nation’s attention to the importance of oral health with the landmark report “Oral Health in America.” The report recognized the associations between oral health and general health and called upon policy makers to “build an effective health infrastructure that meets the oral health needs of all Americans and integrates oral health effectively into overall health”. Nearly a decade later, it’s time to respond to the Surgeon General.” [1] & [2]

The American Dental Association needs to respond to AADR’s report and the Surgeon General’s report to “build an effective health infrastructure that meets the oral health needs of all Americans and integrates oral health effectively into overall health”.[2] Trained and educated in oral health and referral services; denturists need the freedom to serve the people of this Nation who are in need of denture care, without being suppressed by the American Dental Association’s purse strings to lobbyist and ADA’s heavy handedness of persecution against denturists.

Gary W. Vollan, L.D., Coordinator for the Wyoming State Denturist Association   www.wysda.org                                                                                           

[2] A Report of the Surgeon General (2000). “Oral Health in America”    http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/oralhealth/nationalcalltoaction.html

“Regulating the denturist profession across the Nation in providing affordable denture care for the economically disadvantaged is the little thing we can do to make a big difference in the wellness of people. People are healthier and more productive when they have a denture that functions properly.”  Gary W. Vollan L.D. 

The balance of the working relationship between the dentist and denture technician has always tipped more favorably on the side of the dentist than the denture technician.

A number of denture technicians moved forward in the profession by becoming denturist because of the expectations of being the dentist’s counter-part but rarely with the denture technician receiving the deserved gratitude of those expectations.

Instead we worked long hours (not by choice), didn’t get paid for those long hours which usually involved remakes due to error of the dentist or assistant doing procedures.

Our jobs as denture technicians were usually held over our heads for us to jump, reach, and grab at, while the dentist decided which dental lab they would use if and when we complained or insisted that things be done differently and maybe even getting paid for the 60 or 90 day past due lab invoice.

As a denturist I enjoy my work. I enjoy the working relationship of a chosen dentist or oral surgeon for referral services for my patients.

The good fight is not with any current or past dentist. I’ve worked with some good dentist as a denture lab technician and as a denturist. A good majority of the dentist would rather spend their chairtime in restorative and cosmetic dentistry not dentures.

So what’s the problem? Corporate ADA. The American Dental Association’s big money politics, waste and not being able to relate to the dental needs of the people. It’s nothing different than what denture technicians and denturist have always dealt with as the counter-part of the dental profession.

Corporate ADA has no faith in its ability to provide for the dental needs of the American public. Even as denture technicians, we have always known we we’re better at being able to meet the denture needs of the American public and the American Dental Association knows it. We are a thorn in ADA’s side and they want us gone.

The American Dental Association has in place, a number of build up and award programs for dental lab technicians for good reason and then it supports outsourcing of dental prostheses. Something’s not right with this picture.

It’s one thing to pay pennies to the dental lab technician for dental prostheses but yet another thing to outsource the work away from the mom and pop dental labs across  America.

More and more people are doing without dental care because of ADA’s policy making. They spend 10′s of thousands of dollars for meetings to establish these policies that are leaving more and more people without dental care.

The policies discriminating against the economically disadvantaged Americans are those that are directed at stopping denturist, dental health aides and independent practices for dental hygienist.  The American Dental Association sends money to state dental associations with expectation that the state associations will uphold ADA’s policies but in turn it’s a negative reflection on the state associations because their using the money for reasons other than meeting the dental needs of the people of the state.

The American Dental Association could better serve the dental needs of the American people by giving the dental hygienists the freedom of their own boards and independent practices so they can better serve the preventive needs of the American people by serving in the area of public health.

Corporate ADA can take the necessary steps to establish boards for independent practice of the denturist profession and the dental health aides across the Nation. This would free up dentist to use their eight or more years of schooling and experience in extensive restorative dentistry and specialty areas of dentistry.

It would direct the need for more money for education for all areas of the dental profession. This would create more qualified doctors and less of the unethically inclined dentists that are in practice today due to dental school programs one size fit all level of the DDS degree.

Dental health aides or therapist would serve the same level that a physician’s assistant serves today. The American Dental Association would organize and regulate dentistry and associated professions across America to better meet the dental care needs of all people.

People need to get on the American Dental Association internet site and do a watch dog of the programs in place and see the money that’s wasted. It’s disgraceful, with the number of Americans doing without dental care. You’d think with all the money, power, and intellect the American Dental Association has it would do things differently.

Please consider this critique of corporate ADA.

Thank you—Gary W. Vollan L.D.

www.wysda.org      307-568-2047

DENTURISM IN MONTANA as I experienced it’s beginnings; by Ron Olson—————————————————- It was early in 1984 that I received a letter pertaining to an initiative being placed on the ballot in Montana called “Freedom of Choice in Denture Care.” We were living in Lewistown and we had a dental laboratory which was experiencing some “down trends” due to my recently raised prices which I was “forced” to lower. I attended the next scheduled meeting of these men and threw my hat in with them in March. I did not do a lot of traveling to acquire signatures for the initiative because we mainly used seniors at senior citizen centers in the smaller and more remote counties, and a lot of this was lined up and being done when I joined the men. The men involved were: Brent Kandarian-Kalispell, Lee Wiser-Livingston, Dave Comer-Great Falls, John Mateskon-Bozeman, Frank Stone-Butte, Frank Brisendine-Kalispell, Everett Vanden Eaton-Billings, Ron Olson-Lewistown, Rob Carnahan-Missoula, Cliff Christenott-Libby, Gary Vollan-Kalispell. In July we went to Pocatello, Idaho at the Idaho State College and took very concentrated & comprehensive classes by Dr. Ron Gerghety. We took additional weekend classes and some long distances courses as well. The bill was written primarily by Lee Wiser & Brent Kandarian and they also did the work in Helena at the capitol with legal affairs. Our attorney was Jim Bartlett from Kalispell. By August the Montana dentists got very vocal & nasty! The ADA gave the MDA an undesignated check for up to $l million and said, “Defeat this denturist bill in Montana.” Their strategy was to bring confusion in the minds of the public as well as a fear that denturism would ruin people’s health. Their advertising and articles were filled with lies. The dentists in Lewistown also put together their own strategy and came to me with a proposal if I would not become a denturist, but all of my respect for them was wasted and I could see right through them. For us, money was very slim and the future very uncertain. We prayed and trusted God for the outcome and to provide for our family of 4 teenagers. The night of the election will be forever in our minds as we called polling stations and called in numbers to our “headquarters.” When the TV stations signed off the air, they each said, “The denturist initiative is defeated.” In the morning, the papers said it passed by 51%, but as the absentee ballots were counted, the margin was higher. This was a very real miracle! In December we again went to Pocatello and took our license exam both written & practical. If we thought the stress of the initiative was difficult, we were in for only more struggles! We opened our doors to the public on December 1, but people were not eager to come to us. We lacked experience in every area of the business as well as confidence in our abilities. Insurance companies wouldn’t pay us, and the dentists got ready to attack in every way that they could and sent in patients to “frame us.” Every day was difficult and we needed support from family and wisdom from God. I realized we would not get enough business in Lewistown for me to become competent as a professional denturist, so I opened another small clinic in Billings in July 1985. I worked in Billings M-T-W, and I was open in Lewistown Th-F. I worked this way until July of 1988 and then was in Billings full time. Yes, it was a slow, rough start, but in many ways it was rewarding feeling we were real pioneers and forged some inroads for those who would follow. I served on the state Board of Dentistry being appointed by the governor as the denturist representative, and I served as the president of the Montana Denturist Association as well as president of the National Denturist Association. I also took the exam from the BIA in Oklahoma to have an Indian denturist license along with my son, Grant, who had a practice in Roosevelt County on a reservation. I have also been involved with the former Oregon Denturist College and George Brown College in Toronto. Today as I look back on this very accepted and worthy profession, my feelings are as they have always been. We need to do our very best for every patient. We must have a real desire to help people and find things that make people comfortable. I feel we should use the very best products and techniques available and be looking for ways to improve. Yes, education should excite us, and we should communicate and be united within our state, within our region, nationally and internationally. It does seem to me that too many of the denturists are mavericks and not professional enough. This concerns me greatly. I feel that these last 22 years for me have been a challenge and gratifying, but it really doesn’t matter about me. What I see now is that dentists and oral surgeons acknowledge and accept us as colleagues, and the general public are confident and respectful and complimentary every single day. Yes, the change is drastic, and we have come a long ways in Montana. For this to be a very accepted profession nationwide is imperative! Your friend and brother Denturist, Ron Olson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Olson is a well respected denturist among his peers. He owned West Park Denture Clinic in Billings, Montana but is now semi-retired. His son Grant has taken over the clinical responsibility. Grant and I graduated from the Oregon Denturist College in 1992, and each of us holds our profession in standards as high as those of his father Ron Olson —- Gary W. Vollan

Okay, okay what are we after here? You know I’m just not sure.  At some point I need you all to raise some plain old fashion heck. Affordable and quality denture care is possible through the denturist profession. Wyoming is next and then your state. You don’t wear dentures? Who does? Someone you know does. You remember the old trickle down theory. It all has to do with our neighbor and what we all do for our neighbor. We can work together and push for passage of a denturist bill or initiative,  Wyoming Denturism Act , for affordable denture care in our states. This is the right thing to do. It gives people freedom of choice in denture care.

Most denturist don’t charge for consultations, most denturist don’t charge for adjustments, most denturist take the time to talk about your denture care needs.  Most denturist go through extra procedures for additional care. It’s part of the denturist profession.  Denturist as a rule, value good work ethics. 

If your interested in starting a coalition for affordable denture care in your state, contact the NDA, National Denturist Association http://www.nationaldenturist.com/ and they will be able to give you, contact information for organizations or denturist to contact. You can also contact your state senators and representatives. If your in Wyoming call me and we’ll work together to help our neighbor.  Thank you for your consideration. Gary W. Vollan, state coordinator for the Wyoming State Denturist Association,  http://www.wysda.org/ .

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Hello everyone, Christmas is here once again. Yes, I made it again. Getting through the stores, and seeing the grief and stress on others was a reminder of those that struggle to make ends meet financially. It was tough this year. As a licensed denturist, practicing since 1992, here in beautiful Basin, Wyoming, I was closed down by an injunction filed by the Wyoming dental board. Two months before Christmas and a house full of kids it was a miracle to watch things come together and know the Lord was instrumental in making it work. It was all a reminder of why I love the denturist profession providing affordable denture care. When the Lord sends me His special people I just know I give from my heart. I give the best service I can and the rest falls into place. Just a reminder that I need to do what I’ve been educated to do because that too was a miracle to complete school. It’s all a reminder of how everything works together to the good if we look to Him. This is just a break in my denturist career, a small struggle, and just a reminder of where I come from and why the Lord blessed me with this profession, that I need to serve to the best of my ability, providing affordable denture care to those in need. May the Lord bless and keep you all through the holidays. I look forward to serving you again—gary

As I said earlier, I finished a two year associates degree in dental lab technology in dentures and crown and bridge with the honorable instructors, Cliff Redinski (sp) and Jim Lincoln both dedicated to their profession and their students. This happened at Seattle Central Community College and I graduated in 1980. It was a good time of learning. I worked part time at SS White Dental Supply and made my way through the Medical Dental Bldgs downtown Seattle talking to anyone I could regarding the dental profession, mostly dental technicians, denture, cr. and bridge, frameworks and a few prosthetist here and there.

I always had a love for dentures. I’d spend hours watching the guys working dentures. It didn’t mater if they were a doctor or technician. If they had a denture in their hand I was all eyeballs and ears.

I had the background at this point to communicate with them. Prior to this I was in the Navy from 1971 through 1975 and I finished “A” school as a dental technician and was stationed at Parris Island, S.C., with the Marine Corp doing dental work on the recruits. It was good duty as far as experience in the dental profession.

A number of denture technicians tried directing me into cr and bridge because the professionalism from the dentist and money was better. I heard all the stories both good and bad of being a denture technician and working with dentist. Most of the stories weren’t good, low pay, remakes (most due to error on the dentist part), long hours and the big one, if you complained or asked for the account to be paid then the dentist sent their work to another dental laboratory for awhile. Some would leave with a balance due and wouldn’t send you anymore work.

I was pretty well set on being a denturist at an early stage of my profession as a dental technician. I worked for a few dental labs and saw things happen that I didn’t like. Remakes at the labs expense. Low pay. It was always the talk how dentist abused their, ” lab man”.
Don’t get me wrong. Yes, there are some good professional dentist, but they were and are few.

I ended up going to Montana and starting a dental lab and trying to work through the pit falls of having your own business. The tough part was the economy at that time and having very little business experience. It didn’t take me long to understand that bushwhacking was a part of being a denture technician. For those that don’t know what a bushwhacker is; it’s was a term given to a denture technician ( way back when, I have no idea when and where it originated) that works directly with the patient providing denture care and at the same time in most cases works with a dentist. Yes, you had to be careful. If the dentist found out, you wouldn’t get any more work from them. That’s why a number of people with denture labs can’t come forward when a state works to regulate denturist. If they come forward the dentist would quit sending work to them and they would loose their income and all that they’ve worked for.

Denturist organized in Montana and I come out in support of the denturist and ended up closing my denture lab and headed back to the west coast to work and eventually graduated from the Oregon State Denturist College.