A dental technician is a member of the dental team who, upon prescription from a dental clinician, constructs custom-made restorative and dental appliances. There are four major disciplines within dental technology. These are ''fixed prosthesis'' including crowns,

bridges A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somet ...

and implants; ''removable prosthesis'', including

dentures Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable ( removable partial denture or comp ...

and

removable partial denture A removable partial denture (RPD) is a dentures, denture for a partially Edentulism, edentulous patient who desires to have replacement teeth for functional or aesthetic reasons and who cannot have a bridge (dentistry), bridge (a fixed prosthodont ...

s; ''maxillofacial prosthesis'', including

ocular prosthesis An ocular prosthesis, artificial eye or glass eye is a type of craniofacial prosthesis that replaces an absent natural eye following an enucleation, evisceration, or orbital exenteration. Someone with an ocular prosthesis is altogether blin ...

and

craniofacial prosthesis Craniofacial prostheses are prostheses made by individuals trained in anaplastology or maxillofacial prosthodontics who medically help rehabilitate those with facial defects caused by disease (mostly progressed forms of skin cancer, and head ...

; and ''orthodontics and auxiliaries'', including

orthodontic appliances Orthodontic technology is a specialty of dental technology that is concerned with the design and fabrication of dental appliances for the treatment of malocclusions, which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships ...

and

mouthguard A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws c ...

s. The dentist communicates with the dental technician with prescriptions, drawings, and measurements taken from the patient. The most important aspect of this is a

dental impression A dental impression is a negative imprint of hard and soft tissues in the mouth from which a positive reproduction, such as a cast or model, can be formed. It is made by placing an appropriate material in a dental impression tray which is design ...

into which the technician flows a gypsum dental stone to create a replica of the patient's anatomy known as a dental cast. A technician can then use this cast for the construction of custom appliances.

Fixed restorations

A fixed dental restoration is an appliance designed to replace a tooth or teeth that may have been lost or damaged by injury, caries or other oral diseases. These restorations are distinguished from other restorations by the fact that once they have been placed by a dentist the patient can not remove them. Such restorations include crowns, bridges, veneers, fixed implant restorations, pivot teeth, inlays and onlays.

Removable restorations

Removable restorations are dental appliances to replace one or more teeth that have been completely lost. These restorations ideally remain stable in normal function but can be removed by the patient for cleaning and at night. Removable restorations are either retained by the patients soft tissue as in full dentures, anchored and stabilized by other teeth as with partial dentures and

overdenture Overdenture is any removable dental prosthesis that covers and rests on one or more remaining natural teeth, the roots of natural teeth, and/or dental implants. It is one of the most practical measures used in preventive dentistry. Overdentures c ...

s or on implant attachments as with implant-retained overdentures and partial dentures.

Orthodontics

Orthodontic technicians make removable orthodontic appliances with wires, springs, and screws on prescription from an

orthodontist Orthodontics (also referred to as orthodontia) is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, as well as misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modificati ...

to either move teeth to form a more harmonious occlusion and aesthetic appearance of teeth or to maintain the position of previously moved teeth.

Specialization

Training to become a dental technician requires a combination of academic study as well as experience gained from working on the job. Therefore, regardless of the country that they are from, after becoming a qualified technician (so long as the title of “dental technician” exists there) one has finished their studies, but not their training since these crafts take years of experience to master. Depending on the position held by the dental technician, their specific title could differ as well (“ceramicist”, “polisher”, “orthodontist”, etc.). In fact, due to the complexity of the work that is carried out by dental technicians, a professional generally specializes in one field of dental prosthesis. Since the range of devices to design and create is extremely varied, it would be impossible to make all of them with the same set of skills, further, to completely master any technique may require years of experience. In general, the first step a dental technician makes is to “master the plaster”, meaning that they first start in the part of the lab where

s are made, cutting models, and mounting articulators. The dental technician may acquire the ability to carry out various and disparate tasks in the lab, being able to even execute most steps in the production of various prosthetics, such as

s, complete and partially made of resin, and orthodontic devices (including braces and retainers). Nevertheless, as mentioned previously, dental technicians need to specialize; in fact, there are many specific dental labs that exist for each and every type of prosthesis. The distinct specialties are described below:

Polisher

A polisher is a dental technician who dedicates themselves to the setup of teeth, either in making removable prosthetics made of resin or metal, molding the neck of the tooth, or loading the resin. Within their profession, they can also be referred to as a waxer.

Metalworker

A metalworker is a dental technician who is in charge of casting dental rods, which means they mold the metal and obtain the metallic frames for fixed prostheses, similar to the removable prosthetics made of resin. They are also in charge of processing and reworking said metal. These professionals can also be in charge of designing the wax patterns of removable metallic prostheses, such as the copings of crowns and fixed bridges. Among other things, this depends on the dental technician and the lab in which they work.

Prosthetic orthodontists

It is very common to differentiate a prosthetist who works with removable orthodontics, as it is normal to find professionals who specialize in this field. Removable equipment consists of a variety of different devices, each with specific naming and characteristics. Prosthetic orthodontists should be both agile and precise when handling different pliers and manipulating wires.

Ceramicist

A ceramicist is a dental physician who has specialized in the final stage of making fixed prosthetics, which consists of the assembly of ceramic on different prosthetic structures such as:

, crowns, prosthetic implants or prosthetic attachments. This technique is complex and requires artistic talent, so much so that dental technicians can achieve different levels of ability, developing their creativity to a greater or lesser extent to give your teeth the most natural look possible. As such, ceramicists are often considered valued professionals.

Products

Dental technicians predominantly make

, or similarly, create artificial parts that are intended to basically replace the natural, missing teeth of the patient. Therefore, dental technicians make complete resin prosthetics (commonly called ''dentures''), partial prosthetics (being metallic or made of resin), bridges and crowns of any type ( fixed prosthetics, also called

dental implants A dental implant (also known as an endosseous implant or fixture) is a prosthesis that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, or facial prosthesis or to act as an orthod ...

), and mixed prosthetic devices. Further, dental technicians also make all removable orthodontic devices (removable orthodontics), dental splints, individual compression trays, temporary resin prosthetics, bite plates, as well as study models. Dental technicians are also in charge of making composites (the repairing of prosthetics in case they break) and relining (the readjustment of prosthetics when they are too big or become flimsy in the mouth due to the reabsorption of

alveolar bone The alveolar process () is the portion of bone containing the tooth sockets on the jaw bones (in humans, the maxilla and the mandible). The alveolar process is covered by gums within the mouth, terminating roughly along the line of the mandibu ...

over time). All of these, concerning the plaster models or instructor models, being a crime that acts on the patient's mouth. In every country that legally regulates the profession of dental technicians, the prosthetist is the only professional trained and authorized by law to make the previously mentioned products. By law, dental technicians can never, even if there is a medical prescription, take

impressions An impression is the overall effect of something. Impression or impressions may also refer to: Biology * Colic impression, a feature of the gall bladder * Duodenal impression, medial to the renal impression * Gastric impression, a feature of th ...

- the client of the prosthetists is legally the dentist, and it is considered an intrusive crime by the Penal Code if a prosthetist touches the mouth of the patient.

Objectives

The goal of a dental technician can be summarized as restoring functionality, health, and aesthetic of the mouth. The only goal of a prosthetist is not just to create a prosthetic, but rather to restore the loss of functionality of a patient's mouth, from

mastication Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is comminution, crushed and ground by the teeth. It is the first step in the process of digestion, allowing a greater surface area for digestive enzymes to break down the foods. During the mast ...

and

swallowing Swallowing, also called deglutition or inglutition in scientific and medical contexts, is a physical process of an animal's digestive tract (e.g. that of a human body) that allows for an ingested substance (typically food) to pass from the mou ...

to speaking and correct

phonetics Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds or, in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians ...

. Through the work of a prosthetist, a patient's oral health, mechanical function, hygiene, and comfort are revamped, including the aesthetic of the mouth and face. This objective is a combined effort between clinical and lab members, an effort that is, in part, coordinated and achieved by the dentist and the prosthetist. That said, the only one in charge of the creation of prosthetics is the prosthetist, being a handcrafted, personalized, unique item designed in the dental lab.

Commemorative days

* March 7 - Dental Technician Day in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

* March 19 - Dental Technician Day in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

* March 24 - Dental Technician Day in

Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

* March 24 - Dental Technician Day in

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

* May 6 - Dental Laboratory Technician in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

* The Entire Month of June - Dental Technician Appreciation Day and Certified Dental Technicians (CDTs) in

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

* First Friday of June - Dental Technician Day in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

* December 4 - Oral Health Professions Day in

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

* September 24 - Dental Technologists Day in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

* October 8 - Dental Technician Day in Venezuela * October 27 - Dental Technician Day in Colombia

References

External links

Dental Technicians Association

Dental Equipment Repair & Maintenance
{{Authority control Dentistry occupations Technicians