Denturists examine patients and design, construct and repair removable dentures. Most denturists work in private practice.

• Measure patients' jaws to determine size and shape of dentures required.
• Make impressions of patients' teeth, gums and jaws.
• Design and construct dentures or direct other workers to construct dentures.
• Insert, fit and modify new dentures.
• Repair dentures.
• Reline, rebase and adjust dentures.
• Fabricate mouth protectors, anti-snoring prostheses and removable prostheses on implants.
• May order radiographs.
• May prepare partial dentures.
• May perform denture whitening and cleaning.

• dental mechanic
• dental mechanic apprentice
• denture mechanic
• denture technician
• denture therapist
• denturist
• denturologist

To work in this field, you should have good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. Patience and the ability to handle stressful situations may be needed. You must be efficient and accurate, yet sensitive to the needs of patients. Hand-eye coordination and an aptitude for detailed and precise work are necessary. Artistic ability may also be helpful.

• Completion of a two- or three-year college program in denturism/denturology is required.
• An internship in a registered denture clinic may be required.
• Licensing by a provincial or territorial regulatory body is required.

Most denturists work in private practice.

This is not a large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities may not be that frequent. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Denturists most commonly work full-time hours. Furthermore, the jobs are typically permanent positions.

The median employment income for 38% of Denturists who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)

Hourly earnings data are from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. Data are not available for all occupations. Hourly earnings are calculated based on usual hours worked per week. This is how an annual salary, for instance, gets converted to an hourly rate. The data include full and part-time workers along with new and experienced workers. Self-employed workers are excluded.

Annual employment income data reported in the Work Prospects section, are from the 2011 National Household Survey by Statistics Canada. Much of the data (around 70%) came directly from tax records. The data relates to the year 2010 and includes total wages and salaries and net income from self-employment.

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