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Dental Laboratory Technicians

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

Related: Dental Assistants Medical Appliance Technicians Medical Equipment Repairers Molders, Shapers, & Casters Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Industries: Manufacturing Health & Counseling

Summary
Details

Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
Prepare wax bite blocks and impression trays for use.
Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
Fill chipped or low spots in surfaces of devices, using acrylic resins.
Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
Shape and solder wire and metal frames or bands for dental products, using soldering irons and hand tools.
Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.
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.
Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.
Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
Shape and solder wire and metal frames or bands for dental products, using soldering irons and hand tools.
Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
Mold wax over denture setups to form the full contours of artificial gums.
Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.
Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.
Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.

Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.

Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

56360/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

27.1/hr

Currently Employed

860

Yearly Projected Openings

110

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Achievement Orientation

Air compressors
Binocular light compound microscopes
Chucks
Crucibles for dental casting machines
Culture tubes
Dental amalgamators
Dental articulators
Dental burs
Dental cutting or separating discs
Dental finishing or polishing discs
Dental handpieces
Dental impression material syringes
Dental impression material water baths
Dental impression trays
Dental instrument sharpening accessories
Dental knives
Dental laboratory air abrasion units
Dental laboratory burners or torches
Dental laboratory casting machines
Dental laboratory curing units
Dental laboratory dies
Dental laboratory dust collectors
Dental laboratory flasks
Dental laboratory furnaces
Dental laboratory gold platers
Dental laboratory lathes
Dental laboratory model trimmers
Dental laboratory sandblasters
Dental laboratory soldering machines
Dental laboratory vacuum units
Dental laboratory vibrators
Dental laboratory waxing units
Dental lasers
Dental marking devices
Dental material pluggers or tips
Dental pin drivers
Dental plaster knives
Dental retainers
Dental scalers
Dental shades
Dental spatulas
Dental stones
Dental wax carvers
Desktop computers
Digital cameras
Flow sensors
Gas burners
Laboratory balances
Laboratory beakers
Laboratory mixers
Laboratory vacuum pumps
Laser printers
Mallets
Micrometers
Milling machines
Notebook computers
Orthodontic pliers
Personal computers
Pestle or mortars
Pneumatic press
Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
Tissue culture coated plates or dishes or inserts
Ultra pure water systems
Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
Water baths

Accounting software
Calendar and scheduling software
Computer aided design CAD software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Internet browser software
Inventory management software
Office suite software
Operating system software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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Dental Laboratory Technicians

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