PLAN No. 1248. DENTAL MECHANICS AS A VOCATION
This monograph was prepared by Dr. Harold DeWitt Cross, director, the Forsyth Dental Infirmary, Boston, Mass., and Dr. Guy S. Millberry, dean, college of dentistry, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Mechanical dentistry has been practiced by individuals for over a thousand years, though its development in a scientific way can be said to date from the beginning of the last century.
It is a part of the practice of dentistry which is limited to working upon inert matter and does not include work of any kind upon patients. For this reason anyone can become a dental mechanic, for the laws governing the practice of dentistry in all States specifically point out that such are exempt from the licensing requirements and penalties of law.
In presenting this work as a possible vocation, care has been taken to give fair and accurate accounts of what may be expected, the qualifications, and the type of work done. It is not right to say that mechanical dentistry is extremely simple, or that the pay is magnificent. It is right to say, however, that with the proper qualifications, mechanical dentistry offers big returns upon the investment of time and effort required to complete this course of training.
Mechanical dentistry plays a vital part in maintaining and increasing human efficiency. Hence, the skilled dental mechanic may be proud of his work, and may derive a threefold satisfaction from it—the pleasure in the work itself, the gratification of being well paid, and the satisfaction that comes from the knowledge that it is of benefit to mankind.
Class of Work Done.—The work of a dental mechanic consists of making, in the laboratory or work room, artificial dentures and restorations such as plates, bridges, crowns, inlays, etc., for which the impressions have been taken from the patients’ mouths by the dentist, and the work done under his direction.
The work may be divided into two major classes, plate work, and crown and bridge work. Plate work may again be divided into vulcanite or rubber plate work and metal plate work. In addition to this there are a number of types of dental work such as pouring and trimming plaster models of the teeth, making metal dies and counter dies, gold and porcelain inlays and other kinds of incidental work, so that a variety is always to be found in any dental laboratory.
Plate Work.—Plate work by the mechanical dentist consists of assembling plaster or modeling compound, taking impressions of the mouth and teeth, pouring plaster casts from them, making bite plates and the mounting of the models on the articulator, and in the instance of metal plates, making dies and counter dies of zinc and lead or similar metals or alloys for subsequent work. Then the porcelain teeth are set up in wax for trial purposes and the wax is subsequently removed and replaced by vulcanite. In the case of metal plates, aluminum, gold, or platinum is used as a base plate which must be swaged or cast to fit each individual case. This requires a knowledge and skill in the working of metals and frequently includes soldering operations.
Crown and Bridge Work.—Crown and bridge work include the working and soldering of precious metals as gold, platinum, or similar materials, and porcelain or it may be a combination of both precious metals and porcelain. These two classes of work constitute the largest part of mechanical dentistry though each class may offer many different types of cases.