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Day in the Life
Dental laboratory
technicians generally work in clean, well-lighted, and well-ventilated laboratories.
They have limited contact with the public. Salaried laboratory technicians
usually work 40 hours a week, but some work part time. At times,
technicians wear goggles to protect their eyes, gloves to handle hot
objects, or masks to avoid inhaling dust. They may spend a great deal of
time standing.
Dental technicians usually have their own workbenches, which
can be equipped with Bunsen burners, grinding and polishing equipment, and
hand instruments, such as wax spatulas and wax carvers. Some dental
technicians have computer-aided milling equipment to assist them with
creating artificial teeth.
A high degree of manual dexterity, good vision, and the
ability to recognize very fine color shadings and variations in shape also
are necessary for dental technicians. An artistic aptitude for detailed and
precise work also is important.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
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