Dental technician - what he does and what is required from a specialist

A beautiful smile is an indicator not only of beauty, but also of health. Facial surgery can correct the effects of injuries, abnormal jaw structure and birth defects.

A dental technician is the one who deals with such issues. Back in the 7th century BC there were specialists who performed similar operations.

What does a dental technician do?

Photo source prostooleh/freepik

A dental technician is a medical professional whose work involves the repair and manufacture of dentures and appliances. The technician is not always a doctor; he often has a paramedic education. He works closely with orthodontists, oral surgeons and dentists.

For this reason, it is customary for representatives of the profession to identify narrower areas of activity. For example, there is a direction of orthodontic technician. His responsibility is to create removable jaws and dentures.

Another feature of the dental technician profession is the abundance of tools. In his work he uses:

• device for stamping crowns;
• anvils;
• hammers;
• jigsaws.

Dental technicians also actively use 3D printers and programs that help with computer modeling of three-dimensional models of dentures.

What qualities should a person want to become a dental technician have?

Let's list the main ones, without which work will bring neither pleasure nor profit.

Responsibility. Perhaps one of the main advantages that any medical professional should have. Without a serious attitude to the results of your work, nothing good can be expected. The appearance and health of the patient who comes to the orthopedic dentist’s office with the dream of a beautiful smile depends on how responsibly the dental technician approaches the work.

Desire to constantly learn. In order to become a good and sought-after specialist in your field, practice alone is not enough. Science does not stand still, and new materials and equipment appear with enviable regularity, therefore, in order to always be on top, a specialist must constantly learn and improve his skills.

Perseverance. The work of a dental technician is quite monotonous and requires the ability to remain at the table for hours, bringing every detail to perfection.

Well-developed hand motor skills. Representatives of this profession often have to deal with very small elements, so a person must be able to control the work of his fingers well and regularly train their mobility.

A penchant for exact sciences will be useful in order to competently make the necessary calculations. Knowledge in the field of mathematics, chemistry and physics will definitely not be superfluous.

Love for creativity. Despite what is written in the previous paragraph, a good dental technician cannot be a “techie” in its pure form. A creative streak is a must for him, because he sculpts and carves new perfect smiles for his patients, just as a skilled sculptor sculpts his next masterpiece from clay or marble.

Good health. The production of dentures is considered harmful for a reason. Constant sedentary work, the need to strain your eyesight, vibration from the instruments used, inhalation of dust and fumes of acids and alkalis can negatively affect the general condition of the body, so it is better for people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory system and visual organs to abstain from this profession for the sake of their for your own good.

pixabay.com / Ri Butov

Responsibilities of dental technicians

The list of responsibilities of a representative of this profession can include:

• working with patients;
• creation of prototypes of prostheses or implants and real models;
• repair and restoration of devices.

Also, a dental technician is someone who works with documents: draws up reports on materials, purchasing plans, etc.

To be able to competently and efficiently perform assigned tasks, a specialist must know:

• features of the materials used;
• purpose and characteristics of equipment;
• principles of creating prostheses and devices.

Subtleties of specialization

During the course of their studies, a student at a dental prosthetic technology college gains skills in working with various materials. That is, the matter is not limited to one theory, no matter how necessary it is. Regular workshops allow you to get a feel for the materials you will have to work with in the future, master a wide range of tools, and get advice from experts in your field.

Yesterday's student graduating from college must have a technical minimum, consisting of:

• Ability to create removable and fixed prostheses.
• Manufacturing of orthodontic and maxillofacial structures.
• Foundry business.
• Modeling.

All this requires the skills of a welder, mechanic, milling machine, galvanizer, and knowledge at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and anatomy. You cannot do without knowledge of the most modern technologies in the form of 3D modeling, with knowledge and ability to use the appropriate computer programs.

After receiving a diploma, a newly minted dental technician can choose a type of activity that implies a special specialization in accordance with his inclinations, as well as taking into account the needs in the labor market.

Production and technological direction

This is work directly related to the production of individual prostheses, implants and other orthodontic structures for each patient, as well as monitoring the condition of finished products.

Although this type of activity does not involve any communication with patients, in the case of repairs or adjustments to dentures, the dentist communicates directly with his clients. In most cases, no contact with the patient is required, but the dentist should have close interaction with the dentist. In addition to purely professional skills related to the manufacture of products entrusted to him, the prosthetist must be a sociable person, capable of contact.

In large clinics, where the work of a dentist is associated with in-line production, it is possible to specialize in a particular area. This can be prosthetics using implants, manufacturing removable or fixed dentures, casting, modeling frames, metal processing, etc. Large laboratories, organized on the principle of manufactories or even conveyors, can employ from 3 to 10 or more technicians with strict specialization by process.

Treatment and prophylaxis

With this choice, the activity will be related to the provision of first aid, educational work on hygiene and preventive methods in dentistry. This is a path without the opportunity to become a full-fledged doctor.

Management courses

Yesterday's student will not choose this path - no one will simply trust him to manage a team in the absence of strong production skills and basic life experience. People with a certain life and professional background who have authority in the chosen field of management go into management activities.

What should a dental technician be able to do?

What a dental technician does requires high qualifications and compliance with certain requirements. Here are some of them:

• presence of specialized higher or secondary specialized education in the field of dentistry;
• a valid medical record;
• no medical contraindications.

There are serious health requirements for representatives. In this regard, persons with the following types of diseases cannot work according to their profile:

1. impaired finger motor skills;
2. chronic infectious diseases;
3. epilepsy;
4. nervous disorders;
5. mental illness;
6. visual and hearing impairments;
7. dermatological diseases.

Features of the profession

There are no identical teeth and jaws. If we draw some analogies, the first thing that comes to mind is fingerprints, which are never identical; There will be at least some difference among similar ones. Therefore, after the dentist makes an impression of the patient’s jaw in his office and sends it to the dental laboratory, the dentist’s painstaking work begins.

So far only models, because to a first approximation it is made from special hard and refractory dental wax. Using this model, the smallest details of the working surfaces of future prostheses or implants are worked out, on which the wearing comfort will depend.

After working out all the parameters of the prosthesis, provided that the matrix in the form of a fingerprint coincides with a copy of the working model, it is converted into ceramics, composite or metal. The tolerances in the manufacture of products are not even millimeter, but micron - this is precisely the class of accuracy required for this work.

Which leads to the following requirements for the chosen profession:

• Perseverance;
• attention to detail;
• sufficient tactile sensitivity;
• stable nervous system;
• good vision.

The advantage will be artistic taste: after all, the jaw prosthesis, especially in its front part, which is demonstrated when smiling, must be not only functional, but also aesthetic.

It is the dental technician, and not the dentist, who determines the material from which the prosthesis will be made.

Where to study to become a dental technician

Photo source prostooleh/freepik

You can get the necessary education at a medical college. And you can enroll in your chosen specialty only after the 11th grade of school. The duration of training is about three years. A dental technician can also study at a higher educational institution, where more in-depth training in the field will be offered.

Due to the fact that a dental technician is a medical professional, he needs to regularly improve his qualifications, master new working methods and the capabilities of innovative materials.

Important qualities

A dental technician needs well-developed fine motor skills, accuracy, a penchant for manual labor, observation, high concentration, good working memory, physical and mental endurance. And also sensitivity, empathy, attentiveness to people, the ability to get along with patients. Contraindications: irritability, rudeness, chronic infectious and allergic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses and nervous system disorders, hearing, speech, vision disorders, hand skin diseases.

Dental technician salary

The income of a private practice specialist differs from the salary of a technician who works in an organization. The amounts are individual, as they depend on the chosen pricing policy, client base and region of work of the dental technician.

At the same time, a dental technician at a hospital or clinic with an impressive work experience can earn up to 150,000 rubles.

According to online employee search services, a specialist can count on the following salary:

• Minimum
  - 20 thousand rubles.
• The maximum
  is more than 100 thousand rubles.

These salaries are for salaried employees. When working for yourself, a dental technician's salary can increase significantly.

What is the job

A dental technician is a technical and somewhat creative profession. The technician works with the obtained impressions of the patient's mouth. In his work, he talks with the patient about what kind of teeth he would like, calculates the cost and gets to work. After receiving the impression, the doctor goes to his equipped laboratory and begins designing. To produce a model, you need to be able to draw well and have 3D modeling skills.

The next step is the selection of materials, the choice of the required color of the top layer, and the determination of the type of dentures. The selected prosthesis is equipped with certain fasteners, and at the final stage grinding and polishing are performed. Most often, impressions are taken by an orthopedic dentist, and the technician meets with the client only during the period of fitting and fitting of finished dental structures.

Wage

How successful a dental technician’s career will be depends on the direction he chooses and his desire to master modern working methods. By constantly improving their skills, a specialist gains valuable experience and necessary knowledge. The salary of a dental technician is quite decent and on average their income is from 30 thousand rubles per month. Due to the rapid pace of development of modern dentistry, interest in specialists in this profession is increasingly growing, which is why there is a demand for them and there should be no problems with getting a job. "Center for Dentistry of Innovative Technologies named after. Tikhonova I.E.” in the city of Tula will be glad to hire into its ranks purposeful and willing to develop specialists in the specialty of dental technician. You can view the vacancy on our website. For employment inquiries please call.

What tests should be taken to install prostheses and implants?

Implantation is a full-fledged operation, albeit a minimally invasive one, so before it it is necessary to undergo tests so that the doctor can make sure there are no contraindications. Basic laboratory tests include:

• general blood analysis;
• analysis for infectious diseases - HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, to ensure the safety of treatment;
• a platelet test that determines coagulability is prescribed if the patient suffers from increased bleeding gums;
• If diabetes mellitus is diagnosed, a blood glucose test is prescribed.

In some cases, consultation with other specialists may be required. They are usually necessary if there are chronic diseases - cardiovascular, respiratory tract and others.

Free prosthetics if you have a compulsory medical insurance policy does not give you the right to choose a doctor

How much do they earn in the USA, Europe and Asia?

In the USA, this profession is quite profitable due to the huge number of clients.

Depending on experience, income can be $73,000-$120,000 per year.

In France, a newcomer gets a job with a salary of 3,000 euros, and once they get their teeth in, they earn from 5-7 thousand euros per month.

A dental technician working in Germany begins his career with a salary of 1.5-2 thousand euros, and the average specialist has an income of 3-4 thousand euros. In the rest of Europe, the spread of figures is approximately equal to that of Germany.

Depending on the region, an Asian specialist receives not much higher than a Russian specialist.

The profession of a dental technician is quite profitable compared to other specialties. And the presence of awards and great gratitude from patients attracts novice technicians.

Study program at the College of Dentistry in Moscow

At our college you will be taught:

• Make crowns from different materials and removable dentures;
• Manufacture stump pin inlays;
• Repair removable dentures;
• Manufacture of maxillofacial devices for defects of the maxillofacial area and much more.

The Intercollege curriculum for the specialty “Orthopedic Dentistry” includes both general professional disciplines, such as human anatomy and physiology or first aid, and professional modules, namely:

• Technology for manufacturing removable laminar dentures with partial or complete absence of teeth;
• Foundry in dentistry;
• Manufacturing technology of clasp dentures;
• Manufacturing technology of orthodontic appliances;
• Manufacturing technology of maxillofacial devices and more;

Dental College in Moscow after 9th and 11th grades

Unfortunately, it is impossible to become a dentist after 9th grade. This field of activity requires advanced competencies. You can only study in the Orthopedic Dentistry program if you have a high school diploma. In Intercollege, the specialty profile provides, in addition to serious theoretical knowledge, meaningful educational and work practice. Our students take it in real clinics and, as graduates, already have developed skills, so getting a job after graduating from college is not difficult.

How to find a good specialist?

Today there are many dental clinics, most of them offering prosthetics services. Crowns, bridges and other orthopedic structures are installed for a long time and are expensive, so no one wants to end up in the hands of an amateur. What should you pay attention to when choosing a doctor?

1. Patient reviews. There are several sites on the Internet where patients share information about the doctor’s work. The most important reviews are from patients whose orthopedic construction has been in place for more than one year, this is an indicator of qualified work.
2. Is a prosthetist on the staff of the dental center? Many clinics invite outside specialists to come for 2-3 hours a week. If problems arise after prosthetics, finding the doctor who performed the procedure will not be easy.
3. It makes sense to come for a consultation and discuss issues of interest with the doctor in a personal conversation. It is important to understand what diagnostic tests he will prescribe, how he will draw up a treatment plan, and whether he will take into account the patient’s health condition. The answers to these questions can tell a lot about the professionalism and responsibility of a doctor.

Average prices for a doctor's consultation

The cost of a doctor’s consultation and the prosthetics itself depends on the complexity of the case, the materials used, and the clinic’s pricing policy. Average prices in Moscow are as follows (in rubles):

Pensioners and some other categories have the right to free prosthetics if they have a compulsory medical insurance policy, but in this case they will not be able to choose a doctor.

Advantages and disadvantages of the profession

The positive aspects include:

• high salary level;
• demand;
• short work day;
• full vacation;
• creative and interesting work, there is practically no routine;
• opportunity for career growth. By attending advanced training courses, it is easy to become an orthodontist (of course, with the proper level of professionalism and the desire to develop);
• high social significance, because the results of the work of a dental technician help restore self-confidence to patients.

Negative points:

• low level of physical activity (mostly sedentary work);
• the need to constantly be focused, which is very difficult if you work without rest breaks;
• irregular schedule (sometimes you have to be delayed due to an urgent or complex order);
• harmfulness (some materials used are toxic);
• the need to comply with special safety requirements.

Recently, dentistry has been developing at a very rapid pace, with new methods of prosthetics and modern materials appearing all the time. Therefore, a profession such as a dental technician is still very relevant. But more and more clinics are introducing into their work a comprehensive system of prosthetics using computer modeling, when in just one visit the dentist himself makes the product using modern equipment, without the involvement of other specialists. This greatly simplifies and speeds up the task, and almost completely eliminates manual labor and the associated influence of the human factor on the result.