Dental Laboratory Technicians
Overview
Dental laboratory technicians create custom dental appliances like dentures, crowns, and bridges that help people eat, speak, and smile confidently. They work with high-tech materials including porcelain, metals, and acrylics, using precision tools like articulators and micrometers to ensure perfect fits. This hands-on career combines artistry with science, requiring attention to detail and technical skills that can be developed through vocational programs or associate degrees. Many technicians work in modern labs that collaborate closely with dental offices, often offering flexible schedules and opportunities for specialization.
Did you know?
Most employers in the US require completion of an accredited dental laboratory technology program and certification from the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology.
At a Glance
Median Wage
$48,889.80 Avg/yr
Growth
Stable
Top Skill
Complex Problem Solving
Key Responsibilities
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Prepare wax bite blocks and impression trays for use.
- Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- Fill chipped or low spots in surfaces of devices, using acrylic resins.
- Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.
- Shape and solder wire and metal frames or bands for dental products, using soldering irons and hand tools.
- Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
- Mold wax over denture setups to form the full contours of artificial gums.
- Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
- Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
- Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
Career Considerations
Technical Certification Requirements
Most employers in the US require completion of an accredited dental laboratory technology program and certification from the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology.
Digital Design Proficiency
Modern American dental practices increasingly rely on CAD/CAM technology and 3D printing, making proficiency in digital design software essential for career advancement.
FDA Regulatory Compliance
Understanding FDA regulations for medical devices and maintaining quality standards is crucial since dental appliances are classified as medical devices in the United States.