Dental technology: finding its rightful place within Nigeria’s professions
Article by:
Olufemi Olubodun, University of Lagos, College of
Medicine
Dental technology is a demanding and distinguished vocational
career that offers a great deal to individuals and society. Yet it
has often suffered from a lack of professional esteem, in Nigeria
and elsewhere. Experienced dental technologist Olufemi Olubodun
describes the status of his vocation in Nigeria and the constant
challenge of encouraging wider participation in, and greater
government support for, his profession.
Vocational careers are many and diverse, with the potential for
successfully growing economies within countries worldwide. This is
largely because vocational skills provide the essential elements
for running large industrial corporations. Despite being a
hospital-based profession, dental technology, a major arm of
dentistry, falls under the vocational career category, with the
same high level of potential.
A multi-faceted profession
Dental technology represents the entire technical arm of dentistry,
with some notable specialities. Just as medical laboratories serve
the medical sciences in disease diagnosis and treatment, so dental
technology serves dental surgery. There are different views about
the place of dental technology within the dental profession. Some
believe it is an artisans’ vocation while others argue that it is a
technical profession that has solid scientific grounding in its
training and practice. I believe and firmly attest that dental
technology is a multi-faceted profession that combines technical
skills and knowledge with scientific knowledge of materials, the
human oral system and chemistry, in order to understand human oral
conditions. A dental technologist combines a knowledge of human
biology and chemistry with the mechanical functioning of oral
apparatus in the laboratory fabrication of a wide range of
prostheses to restore and correct oral maladies in humans, and
sometimes even in animals. As a dental technologist I find that I
combine skills from different domains of knowledge with a wide
range of dexterity in my daily routine job. What stands me out,
however, from other professionals in the dental team is my
knowledge of the human body, the interconnectivity of oral diseases
with medical conditions and being able to translate this into
technical ideas for the manufacture of restorative appliances that
are functional and compatible with the oral environment.
A dental technologist must multi-task every day in order to
conduct the simplest laboratory procedure. Why? It is necessary for
him or her to apply knowledge, principles and techniques from
different domains like metallurgy, carpentry, welding, masonry etc,
in order to complete the manufacture of a dental appliance.
The need for synergy
It is widely accepted in Nigeria that only two categories of dental
professionals exist − clinical and laboratory. This seems to be the
same in many parts of the world except in countries where clinical
dental technologists (those who are originally dental technologists
but with additional clinical training) are allowed to perform
clinical functions, as in Britain. Despite this categorisation I
see the field of dentistry fusing into one in future. The clinical
cadre which includes dental therapists and dental nurses is led by
the dentist, while the laboratory cadre is led by the dental
technologist. Within the ranks of dental technologists are
specialities like orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial, crowns and
bridges and prosthetic technologists – and this list is not
exhaustive. Among such a wealth of specialisms, one thing is
certain − the success of the dental team depends on a consistent
and sustainable synergy.
Dental technology education in Nigeria
Dental technology has a long history that started in the 1960s with
the training of young Nigerians in British schools and colleges
with City & Guilds certification. British-trained dental
technicians, as they were then known, championed the establishment
of the first dental technology school in Broad Street, Lagos,
Nigeria. Today we have close to a dozen training schools for
different qualifications that could lead to certification and
recognition by the Dental Technologists’ Registration Board of
Nigeria (DTRBN). Among the early technologists in Nigeria was the
fondly remembered Mr E. E. Eyo who, until his death, was the
pioneering chairman of DTRBN.
Struggles and setbacks
Dental technologists with City & Guilds certificates had to
struggle for recognition in Nigeria because dental technicians were
labelled as artisans, hence regarded as having no scientific
knowledge and so unable to be trusted to handle the fabrication of
dental prostheses without dentist supervision. This struggle for
recognition was successful and was consummated by the establishment
of a dental board that has regulated until today the practice of
dental technology in Nigeria, placing dental technologists on the
same level as other professionals. However, the profession
continues to suffer a low esteem problem as none of Nigerian
universities have offered it at undergraduate level until recently,
when a federal university at Owerri graduated the first set of
bachelor degree students. Unconfirmed reports place the number of
registered dental technology practitioners at around 1,000 in a
population of about 150 million people − a far cry from the
acceptable international norm.
Unemployment is another major setback for the growth of the
dental industry in Nigeria. Less than eight universities among over
120 offer dental surgery at undergraduate level with no more than
an average of 30 students per intake. Successful private practices
among dental professionals are in single figures while government
hospitals remain the major employer of labour. This constitutes a
major challenge to the growth of the industry. Worsening the
situation is the reluctance of retired dental professionals to
establish private dental clinics and labs in order to pass on their
wealth of experience to upcoming younger colleagues.
The rightful place of dental technology
There is a general acknowledgement of the fact that the
contributions of vocational careers (under which dental technology
could be conveniently classified) to the growth of the economies of
developed countries cannot be exaggerated. Vocational education in
small and medium enterprises the world over is the very stuff from
which giant industrial nations have organically built their
economies. Unfortunately, successive governments in Nigeria have
not given this serious thought − otherwise how can the issues of
electricity supply (the most important of them all), financial
policies for loans to SMEs and policies on importation and
exportation of goods and equipment be justified in an unfriendly
investment environment like ours? The bane of the growth of SMEs in
Nigeria is policy inconsistencies, as changes occur whenever a new
government comes to power. Vocational careers, despite their
enormous potential for growing economies around the world, still
suffer esteem problems which threaten their acceptance into the
fold of professionals like engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc. A
young star will often be reluctant when offered a place to study a
vocational subject. But with the world reeling under the weight of
economic problems, vocational careers seem to be the direction in
which world leaders are turning to reposition their ailing
economies.
Dental technology could be a good place to start life for young
stars that are not from rich backgrounds. A qualification in dental
technology could help a young person to start a career that would
earn a living and allow him to hold his head high amongst his
peers. The dental technology profession’s potential to enhance
creativity and encourage self-employment places it above other
vocations in similar categories. However, the dental industry will
only succeed if the synergy that is required is fully understood by
everyone and applied in all possible ways in the workplace.
Comments
Each time i come across this piece, i felt
some kind of emotion that i cannot easily explain. Dental
Technology, a noble profession, yet neglected! We have to do what
we ought to do in order to survive! Viva Dental Technology
profession.
Mbachu Anthony Camron
Mon 25/02/2013
10:28
This is great....... pls where can a dental
technolgist student do his IT/ intership and where he can work. I
will be glad if you can enlighten me.
Oduleye Seun
Fri
04/01/2013 12:23
Oh my God! Nigerians are still in darkness.
Do you know in the developed world, the profession is highly
respected.
Arinze
Sun 18/11/2012 15:27
This piece is quite enlightening! If the
rest of the world knows what Dental Technology is all about, they
would give the first preference to the profession! I mean, those
suffering from the effects of toothlessness can now smile without
having any need to hide their faces! Viva Dental Technology
profession!
Mbachu Anthony
Mon 08/10/2012
09:57
Oh my God!!. Am so loving this article. Makes me so proud to be a
dental technologist in the making (FUTO chapter). Thanks very much
sir. But I would want to ask if there are guaranteed
opportunities for places of IT/Intenship for the dental technology
students in Nigeria??... Wil be glad if a reply iz given. Thanks
once again!
The dental technology knowledge among non dental professionals is
very low. Thanks for bringing this article on line.
Do u know that I was posted to a hospital
for NYSC and they offer to pay me less than they pay a pharmacy, a
medical lab scientist etc just because they don't have an idea
about the profession 'dental technology'. I tried to educate them
about the profession but they still didn't change their mind about
the salary level. They use a retired sales representative with no
licence as their dental technician.
I know that dental technology is a
demanding professional in Nigeria and I will encourage every
dental technologist to be highly esteemed because they are more
important than they know it.
O Benedict
14/08/2012 06:01
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