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Dental Lab Techs Job Overview

Dental lab technicians prepare crowns, bridges, dentures and other dental prosthetics for dentists. The dentist sends a specification of the item to be manufactured, which the technician then receives digitally and creates a model of the patient’s mouth. Dental lab technicians can specialize in areas such as orthodontic appliances, crowns and bridges, complete dentures, partial dentures or ceramics.

Dental Lab Techs Schools and Degrees

In 2006, the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education accredited four orthotic and prosthetic technician programs, which award associate degrees or a one-year certificate for orthotic prosthetic technicians. The programs provide courses on human anatomy and physiology, orthotic and prosthetic equipment and applied biomechanical principles to customize orthotics or prostheses. They also provide clinical rotations to provide hands-on experience. Training in dental lab technology is also available through community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes and the Armed Forces.

In 2006, 20 programs in dental lab technology were accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in conjunction with the American Dental Association. Accredited programs normally take 2 years to complete and lead to an associate’s degree. A few programs take 4 years to complete and offer bachelor’s degree in dental technology. Graduates of 2-year training programs need additional hands-on experience to become fully qualified.

Job Requirements

The American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics offers certification for orthotic and prosthetic technicians. Applicants are eligible for an exam after completing a program accredited by NCOPE or obtaining 2 years of experience as a technician under the direct supervision of an ABC-certified practitioner. After successfully passing the appropriate exam, technicians receive the Registered Orthotic Technician, Registered Prosthetic Technician or Registered Prosthetic-Orthotic Technician credential. Dental lab technicians should have manual dexterity, good vision and the ability to recognize very fine color shadings. They should be able to distinguish variations in shape and an artistic aptitude for detailed and precise work.

Nature of Work

Dental lab technicians usually work in clean, well-lighted and well-ventilated labs. Most of them work a standard 40-hour week, but some work part time. They need to wear goggles to protect their eyes, gloves to handle hot objects and masks to avoid inhaling dust. They may also have to spend a great deal of time on their feet.

Dental Lab Techs Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, dental lab technicians held about 53,000 jobs in the U.S. This number is expected to grow by 4% in the next ten years. Employment is the highest in the following industries:

• Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
• Federal Executive Branch
• Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing
• Offices of Dentists
• Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers

The mean hourly wage for dental lab technicians in the US is about $17.23, while the mean annual salary is around $35,850.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 53,000 dental lab techs can be found working in the US. A low unemployment level has been the case recently. Employees without jobs were about 3%.

Area Job Conditions

Finding dental lab techs is easiest in Gainesville (Georgia), Decatur (Alabama), and Jackson (Michigan), and by comparison more challenging in Rochester (New York), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), and Houston (Texas).

The pay is best in Bethesda (Maryland), Coeur d'Alene (Idaho), and Napa (California) and worst in Sarasota (Florida), Dothan (Alabama), and Tucson (Arizona).

Training and Education

You'll generally want long-term on-the-job training for this career path. Of current dental lab techs, 12% graduated from college with degrees. Some 46% of workers attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. A high school education was sufficient for 43% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Dental lab techs working part-time accounted for 13% of those employed in 2008. Self-employed workers represent an estimated 13% of the total.

Dental Lab Techs by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin