National
| Median wages (2008) |
$16.43 hourly, $34,170 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
53,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Slower than average (3% to 6%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
12,000 additional employees |
51-9081.00 - Dental Laboratory Technicians
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
Sample of reported job titles:
Dental Technician, Dental Laboratory Technician, Dental Ceramist, Denture Technician, Waxer, Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Technician, Model and Dye Person, Metal Finisher, Porcelain Technician, Partial Design and Survey Technician
Tasks
- Read prescriptions or specifications, and examine models and impressions, to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Fabricate, alter, and repair dental devices such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, and appliances for straightening teeth.
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes, and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatus.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
- Remove excess metal or porcelain, and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
- Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
- Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Dental articulators or accessories — Adjustable articulators; Arcon articulators; Articulators; Semi-adjustable articulators |
| Dental finishing or polishing discs — Build-up brushes; Dental buffing wheels; Prophy brushes; Soft brushes |
| Dental laboratory casting machines or its parts or accessories — Crucible formers; Dental laboratory casting machines; Dental laboratory pressure molding devices; Flask presses |
| Dental laboratory furnaces — Dental ovens; Electric burnout furnaces; Inlay furnaces; Porcelain furnaces |
| Dental laboratory lathes or accessories — Conventional lathes; Dental laboratory bench lathes; Dental laboratory high-speed lathes; Dental laboratory pumice lathes |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Accounting software — Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks |
| Data base user interface and query software — Database management software; Easy Solutions Easy Lab; Laboratory Systems Group Lab Manager; Mainstreet Systems & Software DentaLab/PC II |
| Graphics or photo imaging software — Computer imaging software; Graphics software |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software — Mainstreet Systems & Software DentaRX; Microsoft Word |
