How to become a Dental Technician
Dental technicians construct and repair dentures (false teeth) and other dental appliances, including crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances.
Personal requirements for a Dental Technician
- Good communication skills
- Good hand-eye coordination
- Able to do precise and detailed work
- An eye for form and design
- Able to concentrate for long periods
Education & Training for a Dental Technician
To become a dental technician you usually have to complete a VET qualification in dental technology. Entry may require employment in a dental laboratory for technical and work training. As subjects and prerequisites can vary between institutions, you should contact your chosen institution for further information. You can also become a dental technician through an apprenticeship or traineeship in Dental Technology. Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require Year 10. Alternatively, you can become a dental technician by studying dental technology at university. Entry usually requires you to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Prerequisite subjects, or assumed knowledge, in one or more of English, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics are normally required.
Additional information
Before undertaking clinical placements required by courses, students will need to obtain a National Police Certificate, a Provide First Aid Certificate and immunisations, and undergo a Working with Children Check. Contact the institutions you are interested in for more information.
Duties & Tasks of a Dental Technician
Dental technicians:
- Make models of the mouth and teeth from impressions of the patient's mouth (taken by the dental prosthetist, dentist, dental hygienist or dental therapist)
- Use models and moulds to make dental restorations such as inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns and bridges
- Polish and finish the appliance prior to placement in the patient's mouth
- Make appliances for patients with cleft palates, braces and plates for correcting irregular teeth
- Make mouthguards.
Tasks
- Take impressions of teeth.
- Anti-snoring devices.
- Removable orthodontic appliances (plates with wires to straighten teeth).
- Splints for broken or cracked jawbones.
- Crowns (covers for broken or damaged teeth).
- Make partial dentures, full dentures and other oral devices.
- Mouthguards.
- Reline dentures that are ill-fitting.
- Dentures.
- Dental technicians work from a mould of a client's mouth made by a dentist or a clinical dental technician, and custom-make a wide range of appliances for the mouth, including: removable partial dentures.
- Teeth whitening trays. clinical dental technicians: assess oral tissue.
- Recognise abnormal conditions of the mouth.
Working conditions for a Dental Technician
Dental technicians work in dental laboratories on their own or in small groups. They use a wide range of materials and techniques in their work, including plaster casting, electro-spot welding, metal casting, metal polishing, wax modelling, ceramics, wire bending, electroplating and sandblasting. The use of small CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/manufacturing) units is increasing in the design and manufacture of some dental products. Dental technicians work closely with dentists and dental prosthetists and usually have no direct contact with patients.
Employment Opportunities for a Dental Technician
Dental technicians may work independently in hospitals or dental laboratories, or for dental group practices.
Specializations
Dental technology may be divided into the following categories:
- General prostheses
Dental Prosthetist
A dental prosthetist works as an independent practitioner in public or private clinics to provide complete and partial dentures and mouthguards to the public, consulting directly with patients about their removable dental prosthetic needs.
Dental Prosthetist
A dental prosthetist works as an independent practitioner in public or private clinics to provide complete and partial dentures and mouthguards to the public, consulting directly with patients about their removable dental prosthetic needs.
Dental Technician
Dental technicians construct and repair dentures (false teeth) and other dental appliances, including crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances.
Average age
41
Future Growth
N/A
Gender Share
40% female
Average full-time
42 hours
Weekly Pay
N/A
Skill level rating
High skill
Unemployment
Lower unemployment
Full-Time Share
67%
Employment Size
2,800
Employment by state
ACT: 1.4%
NSW: 27.5%
NT: 0.4%
QLD: 20.7%
SA: 7.2%
TAS: 1.3%
VIC: 25.9%
WA: 15.6%
Age brackets
15-19: 1%
20-24: 7.5%
25-34: 27%
35-44: 25.8%
45-54: 18.9%
55-59: 10.1%
60-64: 5.6%
65 and Over: 4.1%
Education level
Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 47.5%
Bachelor degree: 13.6%
Certificate III/IV: 28.6%
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 1.2%
Year 10 and below: 1.4%
Year 11: 0.9%
Year 12: 6.8%
