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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.
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.
$45,700
Overall employment of dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. As cosmetic prosthetics, such as veneers and crowns, become less expensive, there should be an increase in demand for these appliances. In addition, as the large, baby-boom population grows older, there should be increased demand for orthotic devices, such as braces and orthopedic footwear.
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.
There are currently no educational programs available in Connecticut.
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).
National Association of Dental Laboratories
325 John Knox Road #L103
Tallahassee, FL 32303
800-950-1150
www.nadl.org