
DENTAL TECHNOLOGY
A dental technologist (or dental technician) is a member of the dental oral healthcare team who, upon prescription from a dental clinician, construct custom-made restorative and dental appliances such as dentures, crowns, bridges and dental braces for individual patients.
UNSUNG HEROES
Their work requires a high level of manual dexterity, attention to detail and an application of applied aesthetic values.
EACH PATIENT IS UNIQUE
No two pieces are the same, therefore much of the work is carefully done by hand to fine-tune each piece to the exact specification to make sure the device is comfortable and effective for the patient prior to the final fitting with the dentist.
THE WORK
Dental technicians use different tools, equipment and materials to make, modify or repair:
- Various types of dentures
- Crowns and implants to replace individual teeth
- Bridges to anchor a false tooth between natural ones
- Various other types of appliance, such as braces to straighten teeth
- Maxillofacial appliances and prostheses, for patients who have lost part of their face or jaw through
- Disease or accident, or for children born with defects, such as a cleft palate. This is specialised
- Hospital work with limited entry opportunities.

SKILLS
Dental technicians need:
- to be able to do fine, manual work - most jobs are on a very small scale and must be accurately finished
- to be good at concentrating
- good eyesight - normal colour vision is important for some aspects of the work - for example, making crowns and bridges, as subtle colour matching (called shading) is part of the job
- some design flair, and an ability to sculpt and copy shapes
- the ability to apply technology and health sciences to complex and varied tasks.

DENTAL TECHNOLOGY TRAINING
By law, to practise as a dental technician you must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). Visit our Education & Training page for more information on routes to gaining a GDC-approved qualification, institutions, prospects and pay.