Dental Technician

Start Your Dental Technician Career

Get started as a Dental Lab Technician, one of the hottest trends in the job market. With the best technician skills you'll need, career education is offered from an accredited dental technician school.

Not all dentistry jobs are in dental offices. Individuals with some knowledge, skill and artistic tendency can study at a dental technician school to develop into a dental lab technician in the dental equipment and supply industry. They also can go on to grow their personal private businesses, fulfilling prescriptions for patient crowns, bridges, and other dental prosthetics. Increased interest in cosmetic dental procedures is helping to strengthen demand for dental prosthetics.

To be employed as a dental lab technician, you must first look into a dental technician school. Here you will receive the necessary training to compete in this challenging and rewarding field as a dental technician. Dental laboratory technicians require different training and a unique skill set compared to a dental assistant or dental hygienist. Dental tech schools offer both two-year associate degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees in dental technology. Programs are generally offered at community and junior colleges and technical institutes.

An accredited dental technician school will furnish classroom instruction in dental materials science, oral anatomy, fabrication, ethics, and other related subjects. Students also gain practical hands-on experience, either at school or in an associated dental laboratory. Graduates of two-year programs usually include supplementary on-the-job guidance as trainees. Currently, there are many available programs in dental laboratory technology approved (accredited) by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in conjunction with the American Dental Association (ADA).

Dental technician school graduate's usually work in laboratories at medical equipment and supply companies. Compensation is sometimes better at smaller companies, which require a dental lab technician to perform a wider variety of tasks. Larger firms, however, often present employees the opportunity to advance to higher-paid supervisory roles. Dental lab techs often specialize in one of five areas: Orthodontic appliances, crowns and bridges, complete dentures, partial dentures, or ceramics. Sometimes a dental lab technician will work in private dental offices and hospitals.

Some dental laboratory technicians work in private dental offices and hospitals. Others work in home-based dental laboratories or at dental suppliers in product development, marketing, and sales.