What is a Dental Technologist?

Dental Technologists and Dental Technicians in Alberta are regulated and licensed by Health Canada as health care professionals who play a role in protecting patients from harm and in providing a safe and effective standard of care. Scope of practice includes the design, fabrication, repair or alteration of dental prosthetic, restorative and orthodontic custom made medical devices. These medical devices include bridges, crowns, dentures, partial dentures, implants, orthodontic and other medical/dental appliances that are prescribed by dentists and other regulated health practitioners to replace or enhance their patients' oral function. Dental Technologists and Dental Technicians also supervise the technical aspects of dental laboratory facility operations who are licensed by the Food and Drug Act of Canada. The mandatory supervision by a licensed Technologist or Dental Technician ensures the safety of materials and components placed in the oral cavity by a dentist or other regulated health care professional.

Professionals who prescribe the manufacture of dental appliances outside of Alberta or use a dental laboratory or agent which outsources dental appliances, outside Alberta, your choice to not use a regulated dental technologist or regulated dental technician in the Province of Alberta puts a particular responsibility on you.

Regulated under the Health Professions Act of Alberta and the Dental Technologists Profession Regulation, a dental technologist is sometimes referred to as a "RDT" and a dental technician is sometimes referred to as a "DT". It is illegal in Alberta for anyone, other than a dental technologist or dental technician registered with the College of Dental Technologists of Alberta (CDTA), to use these titles.
 

We have prepared some short introductory videos to help you understand the various facets of our profession. Clicking on the picture icons below will open up a corresponding video in a pop-up window. Please allow ActiveX controls and pop-up if asked to do so by your browser.

Welcome to the CDTA website. This site provides a wealth of information to the general public and the registered members of the College.

Through the information provided, we hope the general public can gain some insight into what a dental technologist is and what services and products they offer to the public. It is very important for the public to realize that for their best interest and protection, they should only deal with dentists that use or are in partnership with a certified dental laboratory that employs registered dental technologists. Check the "Member Registries" pages to identify qualified technologists that are in good standing with the College.

For members of the College, the information provided here will help them understand their important responsibilities to the public under the regulation of Health Professions Act of Alberta (HPA). Through the website, members will have secure and easy access in order to update their personal profile, membership renewal and continued education points by logging into the secure section of the website - the  "Member Logins" button at the top navigation bar.

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