Profession: Dental Health
Dental Laboratory Technician:
Dental Laboratory Technicians make and repair dental appliances such as dentures, crowns, bridges and braces. They use materials such as gold, silver, stainless steel, porcelain and plastic to fill dentists’ prescriptions for appliances. They may specialize in orthodontic appliances (retainers, braces, mouthguards), crowns and bridges, dentures, or ceramics.
Salary Range: $26,260 - $44,790
Salary Notes: An average hourly salary is about $16.43; with more experience this amount might rise substantially but entry level workers should expect minimum wage.
Where you can study:
Middlesex Community College, Bedford, Bedford, MA
Where you might work:
Commercial Laboratories -
Dental Offices -
Homes -
Hospitals -
Job Outlook: Trainee positions are expected to be abundant over the next ten years. The future might show that advances in preventive dental care will diminish the demand for tooth and teeth replacement, and computers may assume some of the workload once handled exclusively by technicians. Employment is expected to grow more slowly than average.
Education, Licensing and Certification: High school students should take classes in art, metal and woodshop, drafting and sciences. Dental laboratory technicians attend a two-year program at a community or technical college to receive a certificate or associate degree. Dental laboratory technicians may also become certified by completing a five-year apprenticeship program prior to passing the national certification exam.
Professional Organizations:
National Association of Dental Laboratories 800-950-1150 www.nadl.org
National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology 800-684-5310 www.nbccert.org
|
