Dental lab Technician

Duties and responsibilities: Dental technicians fill orders for dental prosthetics, including dentures, bridges, crowns, veneers and inlays. They create models of patients' mouths from physical and sometimes computerized molds. Models are created with plaster, wax, porcelain, metal and hand tools. The model is then placed into a porcelain oven to seal it to the metal framework that holds it together. Dental technicians match the color and shape of the model to the patient's teeth. Porcelain is added to the final product to give the model a finished look.

Dental technicians in large laboratories may specialize in one or two aspects of dental prosthetics. Those with several years of experience or advanced training may take on a supervisory role. Some dental technicians work in sales, marketing, product development or education

Salary: According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics May 2009 report, the average annual salary for a dental lab technician was $37,690 or an hourly wage of $18.12. The median hourly wage was slightly less at$16.74 with the 10th percentile making $10.27 or lower and the 90^thpercentile making over $28.07.

Education: Dental laboratory technicians may receive their education and training through a two-year program at a community college, vocational school, technical college, university or dental school. Graduates of these programs receive either an associate degree or a certificate. There also are a few programs that offer a four-year baccalaureate program in dental technology.

Reflection: well I wouldn’t want to work as a dental lab technician because it seems boring to me, but for other people I would recommend this job to them.