Denturism and the Scope of Practice

A Denturist is a registered oral healthcare professional, one of many that are regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. 

The Denturism Act, 1991 sets out the scope of the practice of denturism:

• assessment of arches missing some or all teeth; and
• design, construction, repair, alteration, ordering and fitting of removable dentures.

As a registrant of a self-regulated profession, a Denturist must engage in safe, competent and ethical practice that promotes oral health and the well-being of the public of Ontario.

The Denturist must be educated to be able to fulfill responsibilities in the areas of:

1. Complete denture fabrication
2. Partial denture design and fabrication
3. Immediate denture fabrication
4. Implant-supported denture fabrication
5. Relines, rebases and repairs of patient or practitioner removable dentures

The process around the fabrication and fitting of dentures involves seven phases:

1. Gathering information related to the patient’s relevant medical history and assessment of oral conditions
2. Treatment planning and design
3. Impressions
4. Assessment of centric and protrusive occlusion
5. Try-in
6. Insertion
7. Professional records and responsibilities

In all activities and environments, the Denturist works independently with the patient, and collaboratively with other healthcare providers where necessary.

 

Scope of Practice Update Proposal

In 2024, the CDO along with the Denturist Association of Ontario and the Denturists Group of Ontario formed a working group to explore potential opportunities to better meet the evolving needs of patients and advancements in technologies in oral health. A proposal to update the scope of practice was developed that aims to maximize the capabilities of the oral health care team, promote access to care, and greatly reduce barriers for interprofessional collaboration between Denturists and Dentists/Dental Surgeons.

The proposal also aligns with current efforts to reduce provincial barriers for health care professionals, facilitate seamless labour mobility, align scopes of practice, while reducing costs for patients and governmental dental programs.

The proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Health in 2025 for their evaluation. It can be viewed here:

• Scope of Practice Proposal

 

The following criteria were used to evaluate items for the proposal:

1. Public & patient interests
2. Promoting access to care
3. Safety and risks 
4. Reducing barriers for joint collaborative care with Dentists/Dental Surgeons and other oral health professionals
5. Reducing costs for patients, governmental programs, and insurance providers
6. Competencies, skills, and educational requirements that registrants already possess or is readily obtainable by upskilling
7. Proposal items that stood the largest chance of successful implementation​