How to become A Dental Technician

• Certified Dental Technician
• Dental Laboratory Technician
• Dental Technologist
• Dental Ceramist

What do Dental Technicians do?

A Dental Technician would typically need to:

• Undertake all aspects of prosthetic work by making fixed or removable appliances, such as bites, special trays, casting, braces, plates, mouth guards, and retainers to correct dental irregularities
• Replace facial and body tissues missing due to injury, disease, or developmental abnormality by fabricating maxillofacial prostheses
• Design and implement fillings, dentures, veneers, bridges, and dental implants, or a combination of treatments to restore lost or damaged teeth
• Follow detailed work orders and prescriptions to determine requisite materials and tools; use traditional methods and CAD/CAM to design dental devices
• Use computer programs or three-dimensional printers to create dental devices or to get impressions sent from a dentist’s office
• Bend, form, and shape fabric or materials to construct accurate models from the dentist’s impressions of the patient's mouth; polish and shape appliances and devices, using hand or power tools
• Inspect the final product for quality and accuracy; adjust appliances or devices to allow for a more natural look or to improve function
• Repair damaged appliances and devices
• Improve quality results by studying, evaluating, and redesigning processes and implementing changes
• Enhance dental laboratory reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments
• Maintain dental laboratory records, document actions, prepare reports on laboratory activities, and complete forms and logs
• Utilize and conserve supplies and equipment by the implementation of plaster casting, electro-spot welding, metal casting, metal polishing, wax modeling, ceramics, wire bending, electroplating, and sandblasting
• Maintain supply inventories and operating equipment

In general, Dental Technicians carry out site-based work in hospitals where they work directly with dentists and oral surgeons. They may work for laboratories offering a postal service that allows liaison with dentists from a larger geographical area. There is also scope to work abroad. Typically, you will not have contact with the patients themselves, as you will work to a dentist’s prescription.

Although the dress code varies according to the job and medical facility, patients prefer their healthcare providers to wear white coats rather than scrubs or dress clothes. A well-taken care of and well-fitting uniform, closed-toe shoes for safety, short or secured hair, subtle and mild scents inspire the patient or client to feel confident in you. Goggles, gloves, and masks are mandatory.

Most Dental Technicians work full time, typically from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, although the hours and days can vary. Work over the weekend is a distinct possibility.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Dental Technicians can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.

Self-employment is a definite possibility for Dental Technicians.

Dental Technicians are generally employed by:

• Dental Laboratories
• Dentist Practices
• Hospitals
• Armed Forces
• Manufacturers of Medical Equipment & Supplies
• Professional & Commercial Equipment Wholesalers
• Health & Personal Care Stores
• Educational Institutions
• Research Institutes

Professional associations and organizations are crucial for Dental Technicians interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Exposure to health and safety hazards while handling certain materials
• A great deal of time is spent standing or bending

Experience helps prospective Dental Technicians gain a place in a course or as a trainee. Any experience is a plus point on your job application in locations where you may need to compete against candidates who chose an on-the-job route. By working as a trainee and studying part-time, you can combine a qualification and on-the-job experience, but this route could take up to five years.

Dental Technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. Community colleges and technical or vocational schools offer programs that award an associate degree or a post-secondary certificate.

Some locations need aspiring Dental Technicians to register themselves with an authorized dental council before they can start practicing. Registration requires completion of accredited courses in dental technology following any one of the following options. You could earn a diploma on a full-time basis or part-time while working as a trainee Dental Technician. Candidates who are already working as trainee Dental Technicians or apprentices can aim for a foundation degree. The third option is a full-time university course, which requires excellent high school grades, especially in science, for entry. Check with the course providers for exact entry details for alternative qualifications.

Advanced or specialized dental technology work calls for further qualifications at a bachelor’s or master’s degree level.

Voluntary certification in orthodontics, crown & bridge, complete & partial dentures or implants & ceramics from an objective and reputed organization can help Dental Technicians gain professional credibility, increase their chances for advancement, and carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 percent.

Certification demonstrates competence in a skill or set of skills, typically through work experience, training, the passage of an examination, or some combination of the three. Some countries insist upon registration before a qualified Dental Technician can start practicing.

The need for Dental Technicians is growing faster than the average health occupation and, once qualified, your career can progress along different avenues. Since more extensive laboratories offer more opportunities, you may need to change jobs for career growth.

In large laboratories, Dental Technicians may work their way up to a supervisory level and train new technicians. Experienced candidates can become a Senior or Chief Dental Technician responsible for quality control or management within a larger laboratory.

Further training at undergraduate or postgraduate degree-level will qualify you to move into advanced or specialist dental technology, including reconstruction sciences such as maxillofacial technology, conservation, orthodontics, and prosthodontics.

Additional teaching qualifications could help you transition into a teaching role as an Instructor Dental Technician. You could also move into related areas, such as sales, or set up your laboratory.

Dental Technicians should have good job prospects, given the demands of an aging population. Technicians who have earned professional certification and are familiar with high-tech skills, such as three-dimensional printing, are likely to have the best job prospects.

Most Dental Technicians learn their skills through on-the-job training, whose duration may vary from one employer to the next. Usually starting as helpers in a laboratory, dental practice, or hospital, they acquire more advanced skills through experience. For example, they may begin by pouring plaster into an impression to make a model, progressing to more complex tasks, such as designing and fabricating crowns and bridges.

Continuing professional development (CPD) throughout one’s career as a Dental Technician helps keep skills and knowledge current. It also maintains one’s registration with professional organizations, with a minimum number of CPD hours and an activity log. Relevant activities include in-house training courses, attending professional events, seminars, lectures, and conferences, writing articles for professional and commercial journals, self-study through online specialist courses, or a master’s degree in advanced dental technology.

The additional pursuit of leadership and management courses would prove immensely helpful in career progression. Some countries offer qualified and experienced Dental Technicians scientist training programs that allow them to progress into reconstructive science and maxillofacial technology.

Tools of the Trade

Dental Technicians work with small hand tools, such as files and polishers. There is an increase in the use of small CAD/CAM units to assist in designing and manufacturing some dental devices.

The Standard Operating Procedure

Following the dentist's specifications, a Dental Technician replicates the natural shape of the patient’s mouth while also keeping aesthetics in mind. They construct the prostheses by following the dentist's prescription; making models of the mouth and teeth from impressions of the patient's mouth taken by the dentist; building-up wax replicas of part or all of the mouth and teeth on the model; encasing the wax in a mold material and melting away the wax; replacing the wax with plastic, metal, or ceramic materials to make the replacement appliance; polishing and finishing the device before the dentist fits it in the patient's mouth.

Small vs. Large Labs

In small laboratories and offices, technicians may handle every phase of production. In larger ones, technicians may be responsible for only one production stage, such as polishing, measuring, or testing.

Specialist Areas in Dental Technology

The field of general prostheses is the largest in dental technology. It involves the construction of partial or full dentures (metal and non-metal) to replace the partial or total loss of natural teeth. Conservation is crown and bridgework that aims to restore teeth and fixtures in the patient’s mouth, using materials such as porcelain, gold, and metal alloys.

Maxillofacial prosthodontics focuses on making prostheses like dentures and implants from chrome, acrylic, or plastic to replace missing facial and body tissues due to injury, disease, or developmental abnormality. It involves the reconstruction of faces damaged by disease or an accident. Dental Technicians specializing in maxillofacial prosthodontics could work in hospital oral surgeries, burns units, and cancer units.

Orthodontics includes manufacturing fixed or removable appliances such as braces to correct dental irregularities in patients.

Growing Demand for Dental Technicians

Demand is growing for Dental Technicians working in specialized areas, such as crown and bridge, and work associated with the increasing occurrence of cosmetic dental surgery. Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs. Full-Time Employment Being a freelance Dental Technician offers freedom regarding flexible schedules, working hours, and location. They have full ownership of the business and can afford selectivity in terms of the variety of projects and clients presented. While it has unlimited earning potential, freelancing comes with less stability and security, with inconsistent work and cash flow. There is more responsibility, effort, and risk involved. There are no paid holidays, and sick/maternity/paternity leaves are almost unaffordable. There is the added pressure of a self-employment tax and no eligibility for unemployment benefits.

However, a full-time Dental Technician has access to company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Despite that, they are susceptible to potential boredom and inability to pursue passion projects due to their lack of time or effort. With a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety, there is also a need to budget extra money for commuting and attire costs.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

Before the toothbrush was invented, people used tree twigs, chewing the twigs and fanning them to clean their teeth.

Never underestimate your ability to make someone else’s life better. As a Dental Technician, you will work your magic to maintain and improve your patients’ oral health, appearance, speech, and chewing ability - and bring a smile to every single face.

Quality. Strive to do the best in everything you create, from straightforward provisionals to complex complete dentures.