2002 IFD COUNTRY REPORTS as presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, USA.

Australia
The South Australian Act giving Denturists the right to provide partial dentures direct to the patient has been held up and not yet enacted. The Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (ADPA) has made a submission to the National Regulating Authority to investigate areas of future increase in scope of practice, i.e. Overdentures, Sleep Apnea, Anti-Snoring Devices and Bleaching Splints.

The ADPA recently engaged a professional submission writer and lobbyist to assist with lobbying the Department of Veterans Affairs for parity of benefits paid to Prosthetists and Dentists. Currently there is a difference of about 20%.

Education at colleges in both Sydney and Melbourne has been standardized by the Australian National Training Authority to an Advanced Diploma Level. Both colleges provide distance education to states that do not have training facilities. Courses are being offered by TAFE NSW to allow Technicians and Prosthetists to upgrade to Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels respectively.

The ADPA, in conjunction with the Australian Dental Laboratories Association, has just launched an Occupational Health and Safety Document that will likely be used by Registration Boards as their guideline. The training institutions are also likely to use the guideline as a course text document.

The next biennial conference of the Australian Dental Prosthetist Association will be hosted by the Queensland Association at Surfers Paradise, October 1-4, 2003. The Queensland committee is calling this a conference of "Oral Health" in an attempt to bring the entire dental team together.

Canada
The main focus of activities in Canada has been negotiating with the Canadian Dental Association for a message standard for Denturist e-claims. The use of the CDAnet for Denturist claims is timely, cost effective and has been resolved through a pleasant working relationship with the CDA. The Denturist network, to be called DACnet (patent pending), will hopefully be launched by the end of 2002. Through participation on the Federal Dental Care Advisory Committee, the Denturist Association of Canada has been able to resolve many issues, including a pilot project for implant claims, increase of reline claims, and are currently working on the problem of Denturists being required to submit x-rays with claims. The DAC intends to form a task group to navigate a movement to change legislation to allow Denturists to order radiographs. The government of the Province of Québec has established protocols for radiographs and implants.

The Curriculum Advisory Committee has redrafted the accreditation document and will present it for ratification at the DAC's annual meeting. The document includes education competencies to bring accreditation educational requirements in line with current education philosophies.

DAC's 2003 annual meeting will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland. A Congress is being planned for 2004 in Montreal.

Denmark
Denturism has been in Denmark since 1843. Dentists have tried many times to fight the profession, without success. There are approximately 250 Denturists in Denmark, of which 200 belong to the national association. A recent needs survey indicates that there will be a requirement for additional Denturists in the future. There is a 4-1/2 year course of study for Denturists.

The Netherlands
The recent political upheaval due to the assassination of Pim Fortuyn has led to new thinking regarding police, immigration, and health care. There is research being done on how dental care should be delivered. In The Netherlands, Denturists make 60% of dentures and the percentage is growing. There is a shortage of dentists, which will continue for at least 10 years. There is also an anticipated shortage of Denturists because of attrition. Many Denturists work well with dentists, although the dentists do not get information from their two organizations. The Denturist Association has sent a mailing to all dentists explaining about Denturists. Denturists can do complete dentures without prescription and partials, immediates, overdentures and dentures on implants with prescription from a dentist. Immediate goals are expanded education in partials and implants, a government funded school, standardization of fees, and to promote the profession through trade shows and fairs.

Social insurance pays 75% of the cost of a denture; private insurance will cover the remainder. Claims are sent to the insurance company once a month and reimbursement is received in approximately two weeks. Denturists are hesitating to submit e-claims because of tracking records that are kept, e.g. how much work is done, what procedures, etc.

United States
There are 6 states with legislation: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and Maine. The Executive of the National Denturist Association has contacted several state governments. All are interested in licensing Denturism but need one group to deal with and push the issues. Many states do not have a recognized association because they are working illegally. There is additional progress in the State of Maine where a denturist can own 49.5% of a dental practice and the Oral Health Certificate has been eliminated. There is a Denturist school at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Washington. Distance education is being provided by IDEC through George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. Recently, six Denturists graduated with full diplomas from George Brown College. There is currently dialogue between the National Denturist Association and other Denturist and Dental Technician groups on issues of mutual interest. The NDA is currently re-drafting its by-laws and has a new website (www.nationaldenturist.com). Their journal has a new look under the supervision of a newly-contracted advertising manager.

Slovakia
The history of bringing legislation to Slovakia was described. IFD was acknowledged for its support of a clinical examination in Slovakia. The clinical examination was a requirement of the Government in the quest for legislation. Fifteen Denturists took the recent clinical exam and passed. There are 65 more Denturists waiting to take the examination. The academic portion is obtained through 2-1/2 years of training in Dental Technology in Slovakia. A candidate must work in a laboratory for five years after college before taking the final examination for a diploma in Dental Technology.

United Kingdom
The Clinical Dental Technicians Association (CDTA) has been involved with both the General Dental Council (the dentists' regulatory body) and Government in moving towards appropriate legislation. It is expected that the necessary legislation will be in place by the Autumn of 2003 and registration of Professions Complementary to Dentistry will commence. The General Dental Council will become a comprehensive regulatory body for the whole dental team. The CDTA is still concerned with Delegated Authority from Dentists (prescriptions), payment of fees direct to Denturists by patients, and competency tests. The CDTA is confident these can resolved in light of proposals for a new European Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications, an enquiry by the UK Office of Fair Trading and the recent decision by the General Dental Council to remove control over the Business of Dentistry from the Dentists Act 1984 and allow them to make changes as necessary.

A further 43 students have completed the IDEC Certificate program and will graduate in November 2002, bringing the total number of Certificate program graduates to almost 100.

Agreement has been reached with The Netherlands and Denmark on equivalence of qualifications.

The Republic of Ireland has joined the CDTA and is undertaking the GBC course. The Irish Government has proposed Clinical Dental Technicians to do complete and partial dentures without prescription. The only qualification would be the IDEC/GBC course. There is a movement to form a national association in Ireland which would work with CDTA and IFD.

Belgium
Communiqué received from Belgium. In summary, a judge has said that, under current EU law, the dentists' organization is not mandated because they are not doctors and are only working in a partial area of medicine. The monopoly position dentists hold in Belgium is no longer realistic in Europe and legally not sustainable. The National Council of Medicine has confirmed they will support Denturists in a political process to the goal of acknowledgement of the profession.