Denturists are invaluable in the field of oral health. These professionals help clients live their best lives by ensuring their oral prostheses are in good shape. Working with dentists, hygienists, assistants, and others, denturists make up an important part of an effective and well-functioning oral health team.
Denturists work hard to assess clients’ problems, create a variety of oral prostheses, and make relevant repairs and adjustments. Individuals who work in this field should be caring, creative, methodical, and responsible. If you’re considering studying for a career as a denturist, read on to find out a few reasons why this field is so lucrative and rewarding.
Feel Good About Helping Others
If you’re an empathetic and generous individual who likes to make a difference in other’s lives, a career as a denturist may be a good choice for you. Though not as renowned as doctors or nurses, the work a denturist does has a real, positive impact on the quality of life of their clients. A person’s smile is an important social cue that’s part of their existence in the world as a social being, and poor oral health can negatively affect a person’s navigation of society.
Many adults feel the impact of oral disorders in their daily lives, with pain, difficulties with eating, and social problems arising due to teeth problems. The impact doesn’t stop there. Studies have consistently found that oral issues have a profound impact on a person’s self-confidence, happiness, and overall mental health. Especially late in life, there is a notable association between oral health and depression. With a denturist career, you can help patients feel good about their mouths and improve their quality of life.
A Denturist Career Has Good Job Prospects
Denturists have the privilege of practicing a necessary and highly specialized skill that renders them invaluable to the Canadian job market. Because of this, employment opportunities tend to be promising and stable. In Canada, the median salary of a denturist reaches nearly $55,000 a year, while the high end of salaries surpasses $110,000 annually.
The outlook on job prospects according to recent Job Bank research is fair. The combination of widespread employment growth, plus older denturists retiring, will likely lead to a greater number of denturist positions becoming available.
An Aging Population Needs Denturists
Between falling birth rates and increases in longevity due to modern medicine, older people increasingly make up a larger part of the population. By the year 2050, it’s estimated that North Americans over the age of 65 will make up approximately 22% of the population. That’s a significant leap from the 13% they made up as of 2014.
Importantly for those interested in denturist training, aging is a large risk factor for the oral problems that cause tooth loss, whether that be a disease like periodontitis or simply the natural loss of teeth through aging. Studies have shown that in Canada, over 20% of older adults between the ages of 60 and 79 have no natural teeth left at all. An increase in an older population means an increase in the number of toothless adults who require dentures.
Do you want to begin a denturist program?
Contact Oxford College for more information!