DENTISTRY
Dental Laboratory Technician
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.
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, 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.
Specialties
- Dentures - full and partial
- Crowns and Bridges
- Orthodontic Appliances
- Implants
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.
Average Annual Salary
$44,640 per year
What is the future of this career?
Overall employment of dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians is projected to decline 1 percent from 2023 to 2033.
Despite declining employment, about 7,200 openings for dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Type of Education/Training
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.
Where could I get the education/training?
There are currently no educational programs available in Connecticut.
Licensing/Certification
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).
More Information
National Association of Dental Laboratories
325 John Knox Road, #L103
Tallahassee, FL 32308
800-950-1150
www.nadl.org
