What Do Dental Laboratory Technician Do?
Career Description Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
Life As a Dental Laboratory Technician
- Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Fill chipped or low spots in surfaces of devices, using acrylic resins.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
Skills Needed to be a Dental Laboratory Technician
Below is a list of the skills most Dental Laboratory Technicians say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Related Job Titles
- Model Technician
- Denture Contour Wire Specialist
- Dental Laboratory Technician Apprentice
- Metal Room Dental Technician
- Bridge Technician
Job Opportunities for Dental Laboratory Technicians
In the United States, there were 38,100 jobs for Dental Laboratory Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5,500 new jobs for Dental Laboratory Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 5,000 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Dental Laboratory Technician are Utah, Michigan, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Missouri, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Dental Laboratory Technician
Dental Laboratory Technicians make between $25,320 and $64,180 a year.
Dental Laboratory Technicians who work in Alaska, Virginia, or Colorado, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Dental Laboratory Technicians in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,540 |
| Alaska | $57,940 |
| Arizona | $45,240 |
| Arkansas | $39,260 |
| California | $43,340 |
| Colorado | $47,210 |
| Connecticut | $49,880 |
| Florida | $41,110 |
| Georgia | $43,420 |
| Hawaii | $39,850 |
| Idaho | $45,920 |
| Illinois | $41,800 |
| Indiana | $38,990 |
| Iowa | $42,740 |
| Kansas | $48,000 |
| Kentucky | $44,720 |
| Louisiana | $37,920 |
| Maine | $42,910 |
| Maryland | $39,180 |
| Massachusetts | $45,650 |
| Michigan | $41,310 |
| Minnesota | $44,670 |
| Mississippi | $46,430 |
| Missouri | $40,850 |
| Montana | $51,200 |
| Nebraska | $48,640 |
| Nevada | $42,080 |
| New Hampshire | $41,320 |
| New Jersey | $42,610 |
| New Mexico | $38,390 |
| New York | $50,250 |
| North Carolina | $43,190 |
| North Dakota | $39,540 |
| Ohio | $43,400 |
| Oklahoma | $42,900 |
| Oregon | $40,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,210 |
| Rhode Island | $44,570 |
| South Carolina | $45,560 |
| South Dakota | $32,790 |
| Tennessee | $41,660 |
| Texas | $41,840 |
| Utah | $47,780 |
| Virginia | $52,220 |
| Washington | $43,710 |
| West Virginia | $39,530 |
| Wisconsin | $39,960 |
What Tools & Technology do Dental Laboratory Technicians Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Dental Laboratory Technicians:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Scheduling software
- Graphics software
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Inventory management software
- Bookkeeping software
- Database management software
- CAD/CAM
- Computer imaging software
How do I Become a Dental Laboratory Technician?
What education is needed to be a Dental Laboratory Technician?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Dental Laboratory Technician?
Where do Dental Laboratory Technicians Work?
Below are examples of industries where Dental Laboratory Technicians work:
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Dental Laboratory Technician may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Dental Laboratory Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Sgt. Dallas Edwards via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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