What Does a Dental Technician Trainee Do?

A dental technician trainee performs the same tasks as a full-fledged dental technician. The only difference is that a dental technician trainee cannot perform all of the tasks for which a full dental technician is qualified while in training. The trainee learns the most basic dental technician skills first, then progresses to more difficult duties as he gains experience.

In general, a dental technician trainee’s goal is to assist the full dental technician as well as the dentist under whose supervision both the trainee and the technician work. The assistance will be focused on the development of dental prosthetics like bridges and dentures. Dental technician trainees are not the same as dental hygienists, who provide hands-on patient care such as cleaning.

One of the first tasks for a dental technician trainee is to become familiar with the dental office’s computer systems, machines, and organizational and other policies. This is rudimentary due to the need for good record-keeping and efficiency, as well as the fact that specific technologies assist technicians in forming the desired prosthetics. This part of the training is usually brief, and written instructions are usually provided in handbooks and manuals. Because the trainee’s knowledge of specific dental procedures is limited, the full dental technician may ask the dental technician trainee to assist in keeping the work area clean a little more.

The dental technician trainee then moves on to more fundamental tasks like pouring plaster into an impression. Despite the fact that the majority of a dental technician’s work takes place in a back-office laboratory rather than in the patient treatment area, the full dental technician and dentist teach the dental technician trainee how to assess the patient’s prosthetic needs through non-invasive visual inspection. This ability is important because the trainee can apply what he sees to the prosthetic’s construction for a better fit. In many cases, the technician trainee is taught how to assist the dentist in the creation of molds.

When the dental technician is satisfied with the trainee’s basic skills, the trainee moves on to using the equipment available to perform more advanced services like carving and grinding. Another common task is polishing. Because these skills allow for fine-tuning of the prosthetics’ appearance and physical feel, they require more finesse.

Some dental technician students enroll in formal education programs that lead to a certificate, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree. These programs are not required, as people can still learn on the job, but they can give you a significant hiring advantage. When people who have completed formal programs are hired, they may not receive as much on-the-job training. Some people combine classroom learning with on-the-job training. If you want to learn dental technician skills through classes, make sure the courses or programs are approved major organizations like the American Dental Association.