When people come to Cotswold Denture Clinic, they’re often surprised to learn that Simon Miles isn’t a dentist — he’s a Clinical Dental Technician, or CDT. So what does that mean, and why does it matter for your dentures?
The Traditional Route to Dentures
In most UK dental practices, the process of getting dentures works like this: a dentist takes your impressions and measurements, then sends them to an external dental laboratory. A dental technician — someone you never meet — makes the dentures and sends them back. The dentist fits them and adjusts them based on your feedback.
There’s nothing wrong with this system, but it does create a separation between the person who examines your mouth and the person who makes your teeth.
What Makes a CDT Different?
A Clinical Dental Technician is a registered dental professional who is qualified to both make and fit dentures directly with patients — without a dentist as intermediary, for edentulous (fully toothless) patients.
CDTs in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) and have completed specialist postgraduate training on top of their dental technology qualifications. They are the only dental professionals outside of dentists who can see patients directly for denture work.
Why This Matters for Your Dentures
When your CDT both makes and fits your dentures, there are several key advantages:
- The person who makes your teeth has met you — they understand your face shape, your smile, your preferences
- Adjustments are faster — no sending dentures back and forth to a laboratory
- Greater personalisation — tooth shade, shape and positioning can be discussed and refined directly
- Deep expertise — CDTs typically focus entirely on dentures, rather than splitting their time across all dental treatments
Simon Miles at Cotswold Denture Clinic
Simon has been working in dental technology since 1989 and qualified as a CDT in 2010 — one of the first in the UK. He runs Cotswold Denture Clinic from our dedicated clinic in Poulton, near Cirencester, with an on-site laboratory where every denture is made by hand.
If you’d like to meet Simon and discuss your options, get in touch to arrange your free consultation.
Yes — for patients who have no remaining natural teeth (edentulous patients), a GDC-registered Clinical Dental Technician can see you directly for dentures without a dentist referral.
No. A dental technician makes dental appliances in a laboratory but cannot see or treat patients directly. A Clinical Dental Technician has additional clinical qualifications allowing them to assess patients and fit dentures.
Cotswold Denture Clinic in Poulton, near Cirencester, is run by Simon Miles, a GDC-registered Clinical Dental Technician with over 35 years of experience. Contact us to book a free consultation.
