What Is Dental Prosthetic Technology?

What It Takes

The Dental Laboratory Technologist is both a scientist and an artist due to technological and aesthetic components of this unique profession.

The field requires a degree of manual dexterity, good artistic sensibilities, and the ability to understand and interpret the dental prescription.

What We Do

The Dental Laboratory Technologist designs, constructs and repairs all types of dental prosthetic appliances according to the dentist's prescription and provides an essential support service for the dental profession.

Dental Laboratory Technologists work with a number of different materials and are required to know how to use dental instruments and equipment.

Where We Work

Dental Technologists are employed in commercial dental laboratories, dental offices, education, research and development, dental supply sales.

Commercial dental laboratories vary in size from a few employees up to a few thousand. Private dental offices have their own in-house laboratories, usually with one or two technologists providing the laboratory work for just the dentist(s) practicing in the office.

Various government and private hospitals as well as companies that manufacture dental materials also provide training and employment for a number of dental technologists.

Entrepreneurial options are highly thought after by program' graduates.

Salary

Experienced technologists may find various teaching positions in schools specializing in dental laboratory technology education.

Currently there is a great demand for dental laboratory technologists. The National Institute of Business Management identified dental technology as the third-fastest growing profession in the United States. A News day survey placed it second in New York State. The United States Occupational Handbook; listed it as growing much faster than the national average.

Based on advertised salaries, a skilled technician employed in a quality-oriented laboratory presently might expect to earn annually in the $40,000-$70,000 range.

A laboratory owner’s earnings will depend largely on the clientèle he/she decides to serve, and importantly, on his or her financial management skills.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the average wage for a Dental Laboratory Technician in 2021 was $25-30.