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On the other hand, the provincial governments have realized substantial savings by accepting the services of denturists under social assistance programs and reimbursing the denturists at rates well below levels of reimbursement to dentists. The Alberta program for the elderly provides a good example of the cost reductions available by employing denturists to provide denture services. In fiscal year 1974, denturists provided a 6846 complete dentures at a cost of $583,780; this was $464,603 less than the government would have reimbursed dentists for providing the same number of dentures. In fiscal 1975, denturists provided 12,546 complete dentures at a cost of $1,163,597, which was $1,106,820 below the amount these dentures would have cost had they been provided by dentists. In fiscal 1976, denturists provided 10,667 dentures at a cost of $1,108,353, and a savings of $1,077,406. It would therefore appear that, where any sizeable social program covering complete dentures exists, denturists can more than pay for the cost of their regulation and education.