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Industry Overview
What Does a Dental Technician Do?
Training and Qualifications
What Ensures the Public's Safety and Trust of Dental Devices?
Dental Laboratories and Technicians are an Independent Member of the Dental Team
Continuing Education
For additional information about dental laboratories, contact:
Fast Facts about Dental Laboratories
The U.S. dental laboratory industry produces approximately $5 billion in sales annually. The number of dental laboratory establishments in the U.S. is about 12,000 with the majority being independent commercial businesses with some small laboratories being part of a dental office.
There are approximately 52,000 individual dental laboratory technicians in the U.S. Since technicians are not required to be registered or licensed in most states, tracking has to come from various government and private sources.
Employment prospects for technicians should increase at an average 3-4 rate over the next few years, as the public's improving dental health requires fewer dentures but more bridges and crowns. Additionally, the cosmetic part of restorative dentistry continues to gain in importance to the general public.
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Dental laboratory technicians fill prescriptions from dentists for crowns, bridges, dentures, veneers, orthodontic appliances and other dental prosthetics. First, dentists send a specification of the item to be manufactured, along with an impression (mold) of the patient's mouth or teeth. Then, dental laboratory technicians, also called dental technicians, create a model of the patient's mouth by pouring plaster into the impression and allowing it to set.
Next, they place the model on an apparatus that mimics the bite and movement of the patient's jaw. The model serves as the basis of the prosthetic device. Technicians examine the model, noting the size and shape of the adjacent teeth, as well as gaps within the gum line. Based upon these observations and the dentist's specifications, technicians' build and shape a wax tooth or teeth model, using small hand instruments called wax spatulas and wax carvers. They use this wax model to cast the metal framework for the prosthetic device.
After the wax tooth has been formed, dental technicians pour the cast and form the metal and, using small hand-held tools, prepare the surface to allow the metal and porcelain to bond. They then apply porcelain in layers, to arrive at the precise shape and color of a tooth. Technicians place the tooth in a porcelain furnace to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework, and then adjust the shape and color, with subsequent grinding and addition of porcelain to achieve a sealed finish. The final product is a nearly exact replica of the lost tooth or teeth.
In some laboratories, technicians perform all stages of the work, whereas, in other labs, each technician does only a few. Dental laboratory technicians can generally specialize in 1 of 5 areas: Orthodontic appliances, crowns and bridges, complete dentures, partial dentures, or ceramics. Job titles can reflect specialization in these areas. For example, technicians who make porcelain and acrylic restorations are called dental ceramists.
The dental laboratory business is also a good occupation for entrepreneurs or technicians who also want to run an independent health care related business. A number of laboratories employ Operations Managers, Department Managers, Safety and Quality Assurance Managers, Sales and Marketing Managers and Technology Administrators.
Some dental laboratory technicians work in offices of dentists. Others work for hospitals providing dental services, including U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Some technicians work in dental laboratories in their homes, in addition to their regular job.
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Most dental laboratory technicians learn their craft on the job. They begin with simple tasks, such as pouring plaster into an impression, and progress to more complex procedures, such as making porcelain crowns and bridges. Becoming a fully trained technician requires an average of 3 to 4 years, depending upon the individual's aptitude and ambition, but it may take a few years more to become an accomplished technician.
Training in dental laboratory technology also is available through community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and the U.S. Armed Forces. Formal training programs vary greatly both in length and in the level of skill they impart.
In 2002, 25 programs in dental laboratory technology were approved (accredited) by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in conjunction with the American Dental Association (ADA). These programs provide classroom instruction in dental materials science, oral anatomy, fabrication procedures, ethics, and related subjects. In addition, each student is given supervised practical experience in a school or an associated dental laboratory. Accredited programs normally take 2 years to complete and lead to an associate degree. A few programs take about 4 years to complete and offer a bachelor's degree in dental technology.
Graduates of 2-year training programs need additional hands-on experience to become fully qualified. Each dental laboratory owner operates in a different way, and classroom instruction does not necessarily expose students to techniques and procedures favored by individual laboratory owners. Students who have taken enough courses to learn the basics of the craft usually are considered good candidates for training, regardless of whether they have completed a formal program. Many employers will train someone without any classroom experience.
The National Board for Certification, an independent board established by the National Association of Dental Laboratories, offers voluntary certification in dental laboratory technology. Certification, which is voluntary, can be obtained in five specialty areas: Crowns and bridges, ceramics, partial dentures, complete dentures, and orthodontic appliances. Certification is required in the states of Kentucky, Texas and South Carolina.
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Dental patients should be aware that although dental laboratories are not required to be licensed except in a few states, they do follow standards required by both OSHA, www.osha.gov and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov.
OSHA requires dental laboratories to follow proper infection control procedures regarding blood borne pathogens. The Food and Drug Administration approves of the materials used in the manufacture of dental devices as well as requires that dental laboratories follow minimum quality assurance processes and good manufacturing practices.
The industry has also adopted voluntary competency standards developed by the National Association of Dental Laboratories, which provides a step-by-step process for manufacturing specific devices.
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Because technicians conduct their work based on the prescription of licensed dentists, they are an intrical part of the dental team.
More and more, dentists do not possess a broad understanding of laboratory procedures due to the decline of such curriculum in dental schools. In this regard, laboratory technicians are the expert on restorative procedures and provide a valuable service in educating their dental clients and the hygienists and assistants that work for their dental clients on proper materials, processes and new technologies that are available to assist in the treatment planning of dental patients.
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As noted, most technicians are not required to be licensed. However, through the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology, technicians can achieve the designation of Certified Dental Technicians.
Technicians who achieve this designation do so through a combination of years of experience, successful passage of both a written and hands on examination and required continuing education.
Technicians who maintain their certification must take twelve hours of continuing education each year, including a required hour in OSHO compliant infection control procedures.
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National Association of Dental Laboratories
Bennett E. Napier, CAE, Executive Director
325 John Knox Rd #L103
Tallahassee, FL 32303
phone: (800) 950-1150
fax: (850) 222-0053
email: bennett@nadl.org
website: www.nadl.org
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