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Dental Laboratory Technicians

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

What you’d do

  • Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
  • Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
  • Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
  • Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
  • Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
  • Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
  • Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.

Skills that matter

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Time Management
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Active Learning

How to get there

Little to some preparation: usually a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs do not need one

Also called

  • Dental Ceramist
  • Dental Laboratory Technician (Dental Lab Tech)
  • Dental Technician (Dental Tech)
  • Denture Technician (Denture Tech)
  • Ceramist
  • Crown and Bridge Dental Laboratory Technician (Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Tech)

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