Dental Technician Profile
In the field of dentistry, dental technicians have the least amount of contact with the patients for whom they perform jobs. Secluded in laboratories, they combine their knowledge and skills to produce the dental prostheses the patients need. Examples of the items produced include dentures, dental implants, and bridges. In order to create these, the technicians are required to have an artistic aptitude, as well as the ability to attend to details while they follow comprehensive instructions from the dentists.
Dentists may write or dictate specific instructions relating to the needs of patients, and the technicians need to follow them so they can prepare the required molds. Veneers, crowns, partial or full dentures that are removable, are some of the prosthetics that dental technicians construct. They may also be involved in the making of devices used for straightening teeth, which include retainers.
Skills Required for Dental Technicians
Tiny equipment such as polishers, drills, and shaping devices are an integral part of dental work. For this reason, dental technicians must be able to master their usage in order to carry out the detailed instructions the dentists give. The end result should be properly contoured and shaped prosthetics.
As much work is done with molds, a technician in a dental laboratory needs to be excellent at handling them. The job involves transposing and adapting impressions, as well as molds, to objects of the three-dimensional variety. Being able to artistically match colors and create dental implants and dentures that look natural, for individual patients, is another very important skill a dental technician must possess.
Training Needs
To be equipped for a career as a dental technician, a prospect must have at least a high school education or its equivalent. Some states allow students to pursue apprenticeship training for five years, the successful completion of which secures certification. Such training would adequately satisfy the requirement for practical experience.
In addition to the high school training, a dental technician program may be pursued for two years to receive certification or an Associate degree. There are accredited dental colleges and universities which offer tuition in dental technology, which is a four-year baccalaureate course. Each of the programs offers a hands-on component which provides practical training for the dental technicians. This component is usually done in laboratories and clinics under the watchful eyes of supervising instructors.
A dental technician is a very skilled worker in the field of dentistry. Years of targeted training facilitate the development of the specialized skills required for handling the small equipment used to produce dental prosthetics. The result is expertly contoured and shaped prostheses which fit the patients with whom the technician has little or no contact.
