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Also, as discussed below, it is widely believed that dental education has recently de-emphasized removable prosthodontics and that dental students may not have recieved sufficient training to feel confident in third skills.

d. Denture care as a part of dental education

The goals of a dental education, as described by the American Dental Association, are to provide the graduate with:

"(1) diagnostic and treatment planning skills which are based upon the biologic sciences, including phsiology, and pathology; (2) technical competence; and (3) an appropriate level of skill and clinical experience."

It is difficult to assess the portion of a dental education that is related to furnishing complete denture. Many parts of the dental curriculum interrelate so that principles which are the subject of discrete teaching areas will be applicable to removable prosthodontics. Two examples might be anatomy and occlusion. As the ADA points out:

"Significantly, instruction at the clinical level focuses on not only providing quality prosthodontic services but, of equal importance, on the application of the biological sciences in providing these services."