A dental laboratory technician makes and repairs a variety of dental hardware for patients, including prosthetic teeth, crowns, bridges, and other orthodontic and dental appliances. Dental lab technician jobs can range from routine to highly specialized practices. Depending on the situation, dental tech jobs may change. Commercial dental laboratories, dental offices, and hospitals are just a few of the numerous opportunities. Orthodontic technicians, dental ceramists, denture specialists, and crown or bridge technicians are among the dental lab tech jobs that require specialization.
Commercial dental laboratories employ the majority of dental lab technicians. The labs are typically small, privately owned businesses, with the lab tech often being the sole proprietor. However, some labs have been known to employ a large number of dental lab techs. Dental offices employ a smaller percentage of the dental lab tech community. They usually work for a group practice with a large number of patients and several dentists in those situations.
Although many people do not consider hospitals when considering dental lab tech jobs, they are a viable option. Special dental departments are sometimes found in hospitals, particularly in veterans’ hospitals. Special dental clinics and the military, on the other hand, have a need for skilled dental laboratory technicians.
An orthodontic technician is one of the most well-known specialized dental lab tech jobs. An orthodontic technician works with metal and plastic to create and repair teeth-straightening appliances. Retainers, positioners, and teeth bands are examples of orthodontic appliances.
The dental ceramist is another one of the many specialized dental lab tech jobs. To make crowns or bridges, she applies layers of porcelain or acrylic over metal framing. Because the color of the porcelain or acrylic must match the natural color of the patient’s teeth, it can be a time-consuming process. Without this level of attention to detail, the newly fabricated tooth would stand out and blend in poorly with the rest of the patient’s teeth.
Another type of dental lab technician is a denture specialist. They have the ability to place the teeth in the denture base. Their work is especially beneficial to patients who are having their teeth completely restored. For patients who have only lost a few teeth, denture technicians can also make removable partial dentures. In that case, the tooth’s frame is covered with porcelain or acrylic, and a new tooth or two is created.
Most dental lab tech jobs are “behind the scenes” in nature. Because the majority of their time is spent fabricating the perfect dental appliances out of the appropriate material, they may have limited patient contact. Plastic, ceramic, porcelain, stainless steel, and even gold, silver, or platinum are all possibilities. Precision tools like wax carvers, scrapers, fine electric drills, buffing wheels, and electric lathes are used them. They are in charge of ensuring that patients are comfortable and satisfied with the final result of their dental hardware.