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To
be a successful Dental Laboratory Technician you should:
- Be able to work with three-dimensional art (sculpting).
- Be able to read instructions and follow them to create
appliances.
- Be able to focus, concentrate, and have patience.
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| What
type of education and/or training do I need?
Dental laboratory technicians receive their education
and training with a 1-year course covering dentures, partials,
cast partials, crown and bridge, porcelain fused to metal,
and all the vocabulary related to the above.
Some dental laboratory technicians learn their craft
on the job. Becoming a fully trained technician requires
an average of three to four years. |
| Do
I need a license or certification for this career?
Licensure is not required in the state of Connecticut.
Prerequisite: After three to five years in the field a
technician can take a national test to become a Certified
Dental Technician (CDT). |
| Where
can I get more information? National Association
of Dental Laboratories
1530 Metropolitan Boulevard
Tallahassee, FL 32308
(800) 950-1150
www.nadl.org |
| What
is the salary for this career? $26,915 and
Higher (Source: National Health Council's Health Careers
Book) |
|
| What
will my job be like? The dental laboratory
technician's job can be very rewarding, monetarily and
mentally. A dental laboratory technician takes raw materials
and almost like magic, creates Mother Nature-like teeth
to help people who have lost them for one reason or another.
This job involves creating works of art that are functional.
Dental Laboratory Technicians may specialize in
the following:
- Dentures - Full and Partial
- Crowns and Bridges
- Orthodontic Appliances
- Implants
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| Where
could I work? Once trained as a dental laboratory
technician one will find the doors are open to go to commercial
dental labs, doctor offices, supply companies to sell
dental lab supplies, manufacturers of dental appliances,
and other dental-related products. |
| What
is the future of this career? Although job
opportunities are favorable, little or no change in the
employment of dental laboratory technicians is expected
through the year 2008. |
Where
can I get the education and/or training?
- Eli Whitney Regional Vocational Technical School,
Hamden
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