What Does a Dental Lab Technician Do?
When considering a career in the oral health field, there are many options to choose from. One option is to pursue becoming a dental lab technician.
When a patient sees their dentist, there are certain dental appliances and devices that they may require that are not made in the dental office. Many of these are prostheses for missing or damaged natural teeth. If a patient has tooth loss, they may need a partial or full denture plate or a bridge. A patient with damage to a tooth may need a crown or a veneer. People undergoing orthodontic treatment require a variety of orthodontic appliances and splints to help move their teeth into the desired position. A dental lab technician fabricates all of these. Materials used can include metals, ceramics, plastics, and polymer glasses.
A potential dental lab technician must be able to follow precise instructions, use small hand instruments, understand the mechanics of how the different teeth are used, and have a very keen eye for detail. They must also have an eye for aesthetics, be able to match the shade of the natural teeth, and be able to work independently.
To become a dental lab technician, many students complete a dental lab technician program at a vocational school after completing high school or obtaining their GED. Sometimes community colleges or dental schools have programs available. A bachelor's degree is also available from some universities and colleges. A student can take a board exam and become a certified dental technician if they want to, but this is usually not required. It is also possible to be trained on the job without a degree or certificate, depending on the employer. If a dental lab technician is trained on the job, he can take the board examination after five years of work experience to become a certified dental technician.
Most dental lab technicians work in dental laboratories as an employee. They typically work regular daytime business hours on weekdays. They might work evenings or weekends, especially if they are self-employed. Dental lab technicians work with their hands and with small hand tools. They might work on a variety of different dental devices, or may specialize in one or two types.
Some dental lab technicians work in private dental practices and use onsite labs to do their fabricating. Others may work in hospitals, at dental schools, or may have their own private dental laboratory. Some technicians work for dental suppliers. The majority of dental lab technicians do not work directly with patients, and many never meet the patients that they are designing devices for.
Salaries for dental lab technicians vary according to the number of years of experience they have, their location, and the size of their company, among other factors. Salaries range from $35,000 to $60,000 per year. In general, the highest paid dental lab technicians are self-employed.
The job outlook for dental lab technicians is good. Because the population is always aging, and as people age, they tend to need more dental work, there is a growing need for dental lab technicians. Patients are more apt than ever to want to save their natural teeth, so crowns and veneers are becoming more common. Patients of any age who lose natural teeth often want them replaced in a cosmetically pleasing manner, so partial and full dentures as well as bridges are in demand.
If you are interested in working in the dental field, are good at working with your hands, and have a sharp eye for minute detail, a career as a dental lab technician might be a good fit for you.