Legal regulation and establishment of the Bulgarian Association of Dental Technicians

Abstract: The professional association of dental technicians called Union of Dental Technicians in Bulgaria was revived in 1990. Although the union did not have the status of a class organization, it performed such functions by protecting the rights and interests of dental technician professionals. The membership was based on a voluntary principle and from the very beginning the desire of all the members was the union to be transformed into a legally legitimate class organization. Unfortunately, despite the legal prerequisites, this became possible in 2019. The concept of a ‘regulated profession’ was first introduced in the Bulgarian legislation in 2005 with the amendment to the Law on Vocational Education and Training. The dental technician profession was in the list of regulated professions along with the other professions in the system of health care. There was a rule that each regulated profession had to be represented by a class organization. The professional field of Health Care included several separate specialties which were in the list of regulated professions, but there was only one class organization which did not include dental technicians. Near the end of 2018 the long-awaited changes regarding the Law on the Class Organization of Nurses, Midwives and Associate Medical Specialists became a reality. Two new class organizations with their own independent management systems were created – the Bulgarian Association of Dental Technicians and the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists. The remaining regulated professions from the Health Care professional field are still members of the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals

Origin And Development Of The Activity Of Dental Technicians In Bulgaria

Abstract: The current article aims to present facts about the development of the profession of the dental technician from its origin to the formation of its present status which is a result of the great social and political changes taking place near the end of 20th and the beginning of the 21st century in Bulgaria.To achieve the goal, we studied literature sources, normative documents, personal archives, in-depth interview narratives related to the history of the association "Union of Dental Technicians in Bulgaria". The profession begins its development as a private practice activity. The practitioners are apprentices, journeymen and dental master technicians. Along with the private practice, a small number of public laboratories and organized cooperatives emerge. After the beginning of 1974 dental technicians work only for state and departmental laboratories. Subsequently, the state dental technical laboratories are transformed into  municipal ones. After 1990 dental technicians working for the state sector are given the opportunity to register and work additionally from 2 to 4 hours as private entrepreneurs. Gradually the municipal and departmental laboratories are closed. The laboratories subordinate to the dental faculties remain the only active ones and private practice becomes predominant

Opinion of applicant students on the Introduction to Dental Modeling training course part of the dental technology programme at the Medical University of Varna

Modelling, the sense of shape and size as well as manual skills are basic for the dental technician profession. One of the prerequisites for quality training is the intial control on the selection of students. In the years, the admission criteria for this educational programme have changed many times. Given the academic autonomy, each university determines these criteria itself. An Introduction to Dental Modeling course for applicants has been held in Medical University - Varna each year since 2013. Our aim is to study the opinion of the applicants who have attended the course. To achieve the goal, we used the following methods: literary sources study, sociological method, graphical and descriptive analysis. The subject of the study were 63 applicants who attended the course, representing, as we consider, 48.46% of all course participants. The survey was conducted in the period 2013-2019, after the completion of the training. In data processing and their analysis, we found that organizing and conducting the course satisfied the majority of the respondents and helped them acquire knowledge and skills which were useful in view of the applicants' exam in Мodelling

Application of sports guards/protectors to prevent traumas in the maxillofacial area

 Injuries in the maxillofacial area are characterized by specific features and lead to simultaneous distortion of both the functions of many organs and various tissues (soft and hard). They are a consequence of various diseases in the maxillofacial area and traumas of different types, including sports, which cause fractures of the facial and maxillary bones. The sports guards are a prophylactic preventative device aimed at weakening the impact force and prevent the hard and soft tissues in the tooth-jaw area from traumas. Our goal was to investigate the degree of use and the type of sports guards used by athletes practicing contact or martial sports. To achieve the goal, we used a sociological method by conducting an online survey among 100 athletes. The questionnaire was self-developed and contained 6 questions. The survey was conducted in March 2019. We used descriptive and graphical analysis to present the results. The study involved participants with the following gender distribution -75% men and 25% women. An alarming fact was that less than half of the athletes surveyed worried about possible tooth and jaw injuries, and wore teeth/sports guards both during tournaments and workouts (47%). A very large number of the respondents used boil and bite mouth protectors, although they found them uncomfortable, and about one third of the respondents were unaware of the existence of custom-fitted mouth protectors and their advantages

Prosthetic Patient`s Reconstruction After Partial Maxillary Resection

The defects resulting from the treatment of benign and malignant maxillary tumours are among those most extensively studied since the beginning of the last century onwards Functional disorders cover three main functions of the oral and nasal cavity - eating, breathing and speech. Most people need the help of a surgeon and orthopedic surgeon, and in some cases even of a therapist. The patient A. B., 18 years old, with known malignancy, was the subject of study. The prosthetic treatment was preceded by surgery. The purpose was to create functionally and esthetically fit prosthesis for restoration of the primary functions of the nasal and oral cavity and for patient`s resocialization through the establishment of a multidisciplinary team. The prosthetic restoration passed through five clinical and four laboratory stages. Familiarity with the problem and individual approach to it enbled the team to elaborate a functionally and esthetically fit post-resection denture construction by using modern materials and technologies. The patient reported normalization of eating, breathing and speech which enabled his normal social life

Fabrication оf Palatal Expanders (Protocol for Dental Thermoforming Technology)

Introduction. Orthodontic treatment is a lengthy and complicated process, which is why there is such a wide range of orthodontic devices available. The lingual plate is one of the most frequently used devices due to its wide application and simple manufacturing technology. It is used to dilate the jawline and move single teeth or a group of teeth in the vesibulo-lingual or medio-distal direction.Methods. The plate can be made using either the classic method (with acrylic plastic) or the dental thermoforming method.Aim. The aim of the current article is to present a protocol for the fabrication of palatal extenders using the thermoforming method and to assess whether it is appropriate to include this topic in the Orthodontics curriculum of Dental Technician students.Results. We have fabricated a lingual plate using a dental phantom model, following the protocol, and we have found that this technology has both advantages and disadvantages.Conclusion. This topic appears to be inappropriate for the orthodontic curriculum of Dental Technician students.

Mentor`s Opinion About the Usefulness and Quality of Mentoring in the Education of Students in the Speciality of Dental Technician in the Medical College, Medical University of Varna

Mentoring in the education of the students in the speciality of dental technician at the Medical College of Varna manifests itself as a voluntary partnership between the student and the mentor taking place in an independent medico-technical laboratory for dentistry certiWed to be a basis for student`s education. Yis method of education can be assessed through gathering the information about the manner of performance and proposals for its optimization. Ye result can be used as a mean of assessing the quality of the education. It is recommended that such an assessment should periodically be done. Ye purpose of the present study is to Wnd out by using feedback from the mentors their opinion about the quality and usefulness of mentoring. An inquiry examination was used. Subjects of the examination were the workers in 13 out of 31 dental laboratories used (41,93%). While processing these data it was established that all the respondents gave a very positive evaluation of the mentoring as a method of education and of the quality of their work with the students (100%). Yis shows that mentoring is an extraordinarily accessible and e^ective method for delivering work experience, knowledge and professionalism during the practical training and probation prior to graduation

Types of dental prostheses and level of awareness of team work in dental medicine – from the patients’ point of view

Dental health is an essential part of the general health of citizens. According to information from the Bulgarian Dental Association, about 2 million Bulgarians have at least one tooth removed. A total of 20% of the population over the age of 60 have had all their upper teeth removed, 17% have no teeth in their lower jaw and 13% have no teeth in their mouth. Dental care associated with the development of structures for restoration of dental crowns and tooth rows is carried out by dental team (dentist, dental technician, dental assistant or nurse).Our goal was to investigate the presence and type of dental prostheses and awareness of team work in this area. To achieve the goal we used the following methods: study of literary sources and documents; sociological method - anonymous survey (via self-developed questionnaire). Data processing was performed with Microsoft Office Excel 2007, and graphical and comparative analysis were used to present the results. Based on the results, we found that: a relatively small part of the interviewed people indicate the presence of non-removable or removable dental prosthesis structures because of dental crowns and tooth rows defects; the vast majority of the respondents are not aware of the fact that dental services related to the manufacturing of dentures are performed by a team (dentist, dental technician and dental assistant/nurse)

Technology for Fabrication of Sports Mouthguard Using Thermoforming Technology

Dental damage to the maxillofacial area has distinct characteristics and can cause not only concomitant organ dysfunction but also impairment of hard and soft tissues. Such dental damage may be caused by various injuries, including mostly sports injuries. Practicing certain sports, such as contact sports and martial arts, can easily result in facial and jaw bone fractures. To accomplish his training goals in an injury-free manner, the athlete must be familiar with reliable means of self-protection. The sports mouthguard is a preventative device designed to reduce the force of hits and protect hard and soft tissues in the maxillary area from trauma. The aim of the present article is to present a protocol for the fabrication of a three-layer mouthguard using thermoforming technology. Despite the presented protocol being long, it does not require much time to be implemented because the manipulations it contains are relatively fast and short.