Dental Laboratory Technician

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Ceramist; Crown and Bridge Dental Laboratory Technician (Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Tech); Dental Ceramist; Dental Laboratory Technician (Dental Lab Tech); Dental Technician (Dental Tech); Denture Technician (Denture Tech); Metal Finisher; Orthodontic Laboratory Technician (Ortho Lab Tech); Porcelain Technician (Porcelain Tech); Waxer

Tasks

• Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
• Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
• Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
• Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
• Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
• Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
• Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.

Knowledge

• Administration and Management
• Design
• Medicine and Dentistry
• English Language
• Production and Processing
• Education and Training
• Customer and Personal Service
• Mechanical
• Computers and Electronics

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Monitoring

Abilities

• Finger Dexterity
• Near Vision
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Control Precision
• Visualization
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Written Comprehension
• Selective Attention
• Manual Dexterity
• Oral Comprehension
• Category Flexibility
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Oral Expression
• Inductive Reasoning
• Flexibility of Closure
• Perceptual Speed
• Visual Color Discrimination