On 2 February, according to a news report that appeared in the newspaper La Vanguardia, the Catalan Government approved a decree that will allow rto regulate the manufacture of custom-made dental prostheses. The initiative, which was launched in 2002 as a result of the collaboration between the Official Association of Dental Technicians of Catalonia and the Department of Health, sets out the technical and health requirements for the manufacture and marketing of these custom-made medical devices.
Whilst it is true that there was already a state decree regulating the profession and the range of activities it encompasses –Royal Decree 1594/1994, of 15 July, implementing the provisions of Act 10/1986, which regulates the professions of dentist, dental technician and dental hygienist – these new regulations place particular emphasis on regulating the facilities where dental prostheses are manufactured, the necessary equipment for its manufacture, the staff qualifications and the training for technical staff.
Furthermore, according to the aforementioned article in La Vanguardia, it sets out the standard operating procedures that laboratories must have in place and establishes the framework for administrative intervention. Finally, the new regulation provides for the creation of a Register of Dental Prosthetics Laboratories in Catalonia.
At the M. Camps Pharmaceutical Technical Office, we are pleased that this publication is the result of a joint effort between eThe Official Association of Dental Technicians and the Department of Health. Mercè Camps had the opportunity to advise the Association in its early days, and we find it gratifying to see how the profession has continued to grow and strive for better regulation. We believe this represents a major step forward for the sector, and we welcome the publication of these new regulations, which we hope will help to standardise and establish clearer criteria for the manufacture of dental prostheses.