The New Zealand Institute of Dental Technologists (NZIDT) is a professional network which facilitates the advancement of dental technology.

Our primary aim is to support the professional development of clinical and non- clinical dental technicians, and students.

What is the NZIDT?

The New Zealand Institute of Dental Technologists (NZIDT) is a professional network which facilitates the advancement of dental technology. Our primary aim is to support the professional development of clinical and non- clinical dental technicians, and students.

The NZIDT was incorporated in September 1977, following a merger of the New Zealand Dental Technicians Society and the Dental Laboratories Association. The Institute has a President (elected annually for no longer than two consecutive years) and a National Executive Committee consisting of between six and eight members. Semi-autonomous branch committees organise regular meetings in New Zealand’s main centres.

What is a dental technologist?

A dental technologist (also known as a dental technician) is a highly skilled professional who specialises in the design, construction, repair and adjustment of a wide range of dental technologies.

Dental technologists focus on five key areas:

1. Restoring natural teeth through the use of crowns, inlays and veneers
2. Replacing teeth via bridges, dentures and implants
3. Oral reconstruction
4. Orthodontic correction via braces, trays and mouth guards
5. Orthognathic adjustment, ie jaw realignment

Dental technologists must be registered with the Dental Council New Zealand and hold a current annual practicing certificate.

They work closely with practitioners such as dentists, dental specialists and clinical dental technicians, and apply a wide range of techniques that include plaster casting, electro-spot welding, metal casting and polishing, wax modeling, ceramics, wire bending, electroplating and sandblasting.  The restorations produced by dental technicians are supplied to your dentist who will provide the clinical treatment.

What is a clinical dental technician?

Clinical dental technicians (CDT) produce a range of prosthetics directly to the patient, and may include, full dentures, partial dentures, implant supported prostheses, sleep medicine devices and maxillo-facial prostheses.  Patients are able to go directly to the registered clinical dental technician for this treatment.  However CDTs cannot work on patients’ natural teeth:

1. They do not do fillings
2. They do not do extractions
3. They require an oral health certificate from a dentist when making partial dentures.  We tell patients the certificate is like a warrant of fitness which lets us know their teeth are fit for wearing a partial denture

CDTs MUST be registered with the Dental Council New Zealand and hold a current annual practicing certificate.