Dental Laboratory Technicians
Dental lab technicians construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
The major duties of dental laboratory technician jobs consist of reading prescriptions or specifications and examining models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed, testing appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometres. Also, dental technicians can perform melting and mixing of materials like plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into moulds to form dental prostheses or apparatus. Creating a model of the patient's mouth with the help of plaster and then placing tooth models on apparatus and evaluating the functionality of the model are core tasks of a dental technician.
Although major knowledge of medicine and dentistry is required, is it vital to have a good understanding of the design aspect that includes design techniques, tools, and principles involved in the production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models, customer and personal service and production & processing, i.e. dental lab technician must be familiar with costs, raw materials, production processes & quality control.
To be successful in the area of dentistry and become a successful dental lab technician, you need to complete a high school diploma and hold work-related skills and experience. Expect a high annual dental laboratory technician salary in this occupation compared to other technicians.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- Diploma Dental Hygienist
- Diploma Dental Technician
- NSQF Level 4 Dental Assistant
Tasks
- Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatus.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
- Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
- Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
Progression Routes
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