Plan, explore, and apply to college using these great tools.
Career Details :: Dental Laboratory Technicians
Description
Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Tasks
- Assembles, carves, grinds, and polishes metal and plastic appliances, using pliers, spatula, grinders, and polishes.
- Fills chipped or low spots in surface with acrylic resin.
- Casts plastic, plaster, and metal framework and removes mold from frame.
- Melts metals or mixes plaster, porcelain, or acrylic paste, and pours material into molds or over framework to form dental apparatus or prosthesis.
- Rebuilds or replaces linings, wire sections, and missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Applies investments or mixtures, such as porcelain paste or wax, over prosthesis framework or setup, using brushes and spatula.
- Fabricates dental appliances or apparatus, such as dentures, retainers, or metal bands.
- Reads prescription or specifications and examines models and impressions to determine design of dental products to be constructed.
- Removes excess mixture and investment and polishes surface of prosthesis or framework, using polishing machine.
- Tests appliance for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulator and micrometer.
- Shapes and solders wire and metal frames or bands for dental products, using soldering iron and hand tools.
Related Careers
- Bench Workers, Jewelry
- Model and Mold Makers, Jewelry
- Precision Printing Workers
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
- Timing Device Assemblers, Adjusters, and Calibrators
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Evaluating Information Against Standards
- Implementing Ideas, Programs, etc.
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Consequence of Error
- Indoors
- Using Hands on Objects, Tools, Controls
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.