Individuals considering various jobs in the dental field may wonder what is a dental lab technician. A dental lab technician is a person who supports orthodontists and dentists. He gives that person assistance in the back office with dental equipment. The technician may be involved in one duty or he or she might have several assignments to handle.
Generally, the technician acts as a sculptor, creating devices that will help the patient to look and feel better and improve his or her smile. Dental technicians are trained in a wide variety of areas and have a background in dental hygiene, constructing, and adjusting certain devices. They learn other duties from the dentists they work with on a daily basis.
Dental Lab Technician Job Duties
For the most part, a dental lab technician is responsible for creating devices after the dentist has taken a mold of the patient’s teeth. These molds are used to make dental devices such as crowns, bridges, and false teeth. They must perform all the grinding and shaping of the devices to fit the patient’s teeth as closely as possible. Later, the technician will assist the dentist by helping to adjust these devices. A skilled technician will be able to produce dental devices in a very brief amount of time. Speed is one of the most important qualities of a successful technician.
Becoming a Dental Lab Technician
No formal college major is required for a person to become a dental lab technician. However, one should seek to acquire dental lab technician training from an accredited dental institution. The student will most likely choose a specific area of study such as orthodontics so that he or she can obtain employment in that field. Licensing exams will be required in some situations but not in all situations.
Dental Lab Technician Salary
The salary of a dental lab technician will vary according to the level of education and the state that he or she works in. The person’s employer will also have a bearing on his or her hourly and annual wages. It also depends on the technician’s area of expertise. The average yearly salary of a dental lab technician is $32,000. The more experience that person accumulated, the higher his or her chances will be for a higher salary. Workers with more years of educational training are likely to have higher pay rates. Individuals in areas of higher demand will naturally be paid more for their work.
