Dental Laboratory Technician

Dental Laboratory Technician Definition: Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

List of Dental Laboratory Technician Job Duties

• Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
• Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient’s jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
• Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
• Create a model of patient’s mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
• Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
• Shape and solder wire and metal frames or bands for dental products, using soldering irons and hand tools.

Qualities of a Dental Laboratory Technician

Dental Laboratory Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work:

• Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Dental Laboratory Technician Salary

Dental Laboratory Technicians make between $25,320 and $64,180 a year. Dental Laboratory Technicians who work in Alaska, Virginia, or Colorado make the highest salaries.

Tools & Technologies Used by Dental Laboratory Technicians

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Dental Laboratory Technicians:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Email software
• Word processing software
• Microsoft Windows
• Spreadsheet software
• Scheduling software
• Graphics software
• Computer aided design and drafting (CADD) software
• Inventory management software
• Database management software
• CAD/CAM
• Computer imaging software

Becoming a Dental Laboratory Technician

What education or degrees do I need to become a Dental Laboratory Technician?

Who Employs Dental Laboratory Technicians?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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