What Do Dental Technicians Do?

Your role as a Dental Technician is an important one. You will need manual dexterity and good eyesight. Working in a dental laboratory, you may fill dental prescriptions for bridges, dentures, crowns, and other dental prostheses. Using a mold of the patient's dentition that the dentist has sent, you may then create a wax model. Using this, specifications from the dentist, and details of the patient's bite, you may set about creating a wax model, filling in gaps, and taking note of adjacent teeth. From this you can then cast a metal framework with which to produce the final prosthesis. You may build up layers of porcelain on the metal framework trying to match the color and shape as closely as possible to the specification. In larger laboratories you may specialize in a specific area such as orthodontic appliances, crowns and bridges, complete dentures, partial dentures, or ceramics. In smaller companies, you may be expected to carry out the whole process.

What Sort Of Training Does A Dental Technician School Offer?

The Commission on Dental Accreditation in conjunction with the American Dental Association accredits Dental Technician School programs. Courses may include: materials science, oral anatomy, fabrication methods, and ethics. You may also gain hands on experience in the manufacture of dental prostheses in your Dental Technologist School or local laboratory. Associate's programs are available which take two years to complete or you can train for four years and receive a bachelor's.