Program Description

The Dental Laboratory Technology career area program requires dental laboratory students to have skill, accuracy, artistic ability and attention to detail. They must enjoy working with their hands and working independently. A career as a dental lab student offer a wide range of challenges, and dental lab duties are comprehensive and varied. Students follow detailed written and oral instructions provided by the dental lab instructor to make dental prostheses, maxilliofacial prostheses, and other complicated oral prostheses and mechanical devices, such as complete dentures, orthodontic appliances, removable partial dentures, crowns, bridge, and porcelain restorations.

It is important for students to create tooth replacements and body parts that are esthetic in order to improve a patient's appearance. They will work with a variety of materials including waxes, plastics, silicone rubber, non-precious alloys stainless steel, and porcelain.

Students also receive training in team building, safety practices, business ethics, and employability skills. Dental technicians hold over 60,000 jobs in the United States today. They work in commercial labs, private dental offices, hospitals, military installations, and companies that manufacture dental supplies. Dental laboratory technology programs also offer teaching positions for qualified technicians.