What type of profession is a dental technician? Dental Technician

Most chief assistant orthodontist. He is the one who manufactures dentures and other orthopedic structures: crowns, veneers, clasp and bridge prostheses, fixed and removable structures. The specialist’s responsibilities also include the creation of facial and jaw prostheses, therapeutic orthodontic devices, etc.

As a rule, an experienced dental technician has several assistants, since the process of manufacturing dental orthodontic structures is very painstaking and time-consuming. After training, young specialists work for some time as assistants, and only after gaining experience can they independently manufacture prosthetics.

Dental technician is a very ancient profession. The Etruscans were already installing prosthetics; this happened around the seventh century BC. Yes, and in almost every ancient civilization Drawings or records have been preserved that tell about the activities of dental technicians.

Training in this specialty takes place in medical colleges and schools, but of course, to become real professionals, one diploma and a certificate giving the right to engage in the manufacture of orthodontic structures is not enough. A dental technician must have good spatial imagination, be attentive and diligent, understand physiology and anatomy, and have a good knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Practicing specialists must regularly improve their skills through professional courses. As a rule, qualification confirmation and training take place at least once every two or three years. There are various courses and master classes where dental technicians can become familiar with new materials and technologies used in dental practice. Many specialists undergo training abroad, increasing the level of their own knowledge and gaining experience working on the most modern equipment.

Like dental technicians, dental technicians learn throughout their lives. After all, every year new technologies, equipment, and materials appear. And for those who want to be in demand in the labor market, as well as receive a decent salary, constant training is a vital necessity.

Today, a dental technician is a very popular profession. And despite the fact that many higher secondary medical educational institutions are engaged in training specialists, good specialist will always find a decent job.

The article was prepared and edited by: surgeon

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Most people know that everything medical manipulations done by a dentist with teeth. But few people think that the concept of dentistry combines several areas. Most patients most often encounter a dental therapist when they need to treat their teeth (install a filling, remove a nerve, clean canals). There is another specialty that most patients are not familiar with - this is a dental technician. In the hands of this specialist, the future Hollywood smile is created.

Why is a dental technician not a dentist?

A dental technician is responsible for the beauty of a smile; he has little to do with dental health. This specialist never meets most of his patients in person. His work takes place in the dental laboratory, where he creates veneers, crowns, various dental prostheses and bridges. From the sense of taste of a dental technician the final appearance of the product that the patient will wear in his mouth will depend.

When dentistry as a science was just developing, the dentist performed everything related to the patient’s teeth. Gradually, with the development of prosthetics, when the manufacture of dentures became more and more difficult and required a lot of time and talent, a separate specialty appeared, that of a dental technician.

Where to get a specialty

You can obtain a specialty as a dental technician at a medical college. It is possible to enroll after 9th grade, then the duration of study will be 4 years. Or after 11th grade, in this case, the period of study at college will be reduced to 2 years 9 months.

To be admitted you must pass a competition. Special attention should be given to subjects such as physics, Russian language and chemistry. A holder of a higher education degree can obtain a specialty as a dental technician. medical education. To do this, it will be possible to take a retraining course for specialists.

During training, the student consolidates all theoretical knowledge with practical exercises. This practice is very important for the future technician, as it will allow you to develop and consolidate most of the necessary skills. A young specialist will be able to start working immediately after receiving a diploma.

Responsibilities of a dental technician

A dental technician makes dentures, orthodontic appliances, and maxillofacial appliances. Quite often, dental technicians make prosthetics for the eye, nose or ear, and other parts of the face. The dentist installs these structures for patients.

Manufacturing of dental structures takes place in a dental laboratory, based on impressions of the patient’s teeth made by the dentist. This is why the dental technician does not meet with the person for whom he is making the denture. Sometimes such a meeting is possible if there is a need to improve and adjust the prosthesis.

This specialty is mainly technical. In Germany, for example, precision mechanics include not only jewelers and watchmakers, but also dental technicians. Despite this, most The creative process also takes up work. The dental technician creates each product unique, like a sculptor, manually modeling even an element that seems insignificant at first glance.

What personal qualities can you not become a dental technician without?

Each specialty has its own characteristics. The following qualities are very important for a dental technician:

Advantages of the profession

When choosing a future specialty, young people want to know about all the advantages it has. The profession of a dental technician has many advantages, here are the main ones:

Disadvantages of the job

Unfortunately, the profession has significant disadvantages:

About beautiful snow-white smile Almost every person dreams. But, unfortunately, only a few can boast of naturally healthy and straight teeth. Therefore, most people who want to have a perfect smile have to turn to dentists and dental technicians for help. Moreover, if the health of teeth depends on the dentist, then the beauty of a smile depends to a greater extent on the dental technician.

Almost every person dreams of a beautiful snow-white smile. But, unfortunately, only a few can boast of naturally healthy and straight teeth. Therefore, most people who want to become the owners of a perfect smile have to seek help from dentists and dental technicians. Moreover, if the health of teeth depends on the dentist, then the beauty of a smile depends to a greater extent on the dental technician.

By the way, many people mistakenly believe that dentist, dentist and dental technician are the names of the same profession. In fact, a dental technician is an independent specialty, which is fundamentally different from the specialty “dentist” not only in professional responsibilities, but also in the requirements for the personal qualities of a specialist. But today we’ll talk about what these differences are.

What is a dental technician?


Dental Technician - qualified specialist, an employee of a dental laboratory who manufactures dentures, maxillofacial and orthodontic devices, various implants, etc.

The name of the profession comes from the Old Slavonic zѫb (that which grows in the mouth) and the ancient Greek τέχνη (art), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European word tek "s (hew, trim). Figuratively speaking, representatives dental technician professions can safely be called sculptors in the field of dentistry. The history of the profession goes back to ancient times (already in the 7th century BC in prehistoric Italy, mammalian teeth were used to make dentures), but it was identified as an independent specialty only at the beginning of the 20th century.

An interesting fact, since the work of a dental technician is somewhat similar to the work of a jeweler and watchmaker, in Germany today representatives of this profession are not classified as medical workers, but as precision mechanics specialists, on a par with jewelers and watchmakers.

In the process of development of prosthetics, the profession of dental technician was divided into several narrow specializations. For example, a ceramist makes dentures from metal ceramics, an orthodontic technician specializes in devices for correcting bites, and a renter specializes in the manufacture of removable jaws.

But regardless of specialization, professional activity of a dental technician includes the development of a model of teeth (or a tooth) based on a cast made by an orthopedic dentist, the selection of materials and designs for prostheses, modeling the product, casting the model from wax and then from metal, metal-ceramics or nylon, equipping the prosthesis with the necessary fasteners, its grinding and polishing In other words, the responsibilities of a dental technician include the entire process of making dentures, crowns, implants, etc.

What personal qualities should a dental technician have?

Our beautiful, luxurious smiles are “born” not in the dentist’s chair, but in an inconspicuous laboratory, where dental technicians pore over many small details, like jewelers. Therefore, these specialists, first of all, must have developed fine motor skills, perseverance and patience. In addition, perform your duties efficiently dental technician jobs Personal qualities such as:


Let us note that a dental technician can successfully perform his job only if he has extensive knowledge in areas such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, anatomy, materials science (that is, knowledge of the variety and properties of materials used today in dental prosthetics) , metalworking, milling and engraving. He will also need the skills of a foundry worker, welder, electroplating chemist and computer scientist (modeling prostheses in 3-D graphics).

Benefits of being a dental technician

Main advantage of being a dental technician is in demand today. After all, the services of these specialists are sought both out of necessity and for aesthetic reasons, when the teeth seem to be healthy, but one also wants them to be flawless. appearance. At the same time, a good master can easily get a job both in specialized clinics and in dental departments of hospitals or private dental clinics.

It is quite natural that a beautiful smile that helps achieve life success, people are willing to pay enough large amounts. Therefore, it is not surprising that good dental technicians have high level income (the average monthly salary of dental technicians in Russia is 50-70 thousand rubles).

Well, the most important advantage of this profession is moral satisfaction from the fact that a specialist not only helps people who have problems with their teeth, but makes them happier and more confident.

Disadvantages of being a dental technician


If speak about disadvantages of the dental technician profession, then, first of all, it is necessary to note harmful conditions labor.

  • Firstly, when making prostheses, a specialist has to work with materials that are harmful to his health. chemicals, and in some cases with radioactive ones (in particular, the whiteness of artificial ceramic teeth is achieved by adding inclusions of uranium).
  • Secondly, the dental technician almost everything work time spends in sitting position, which negatively affects the master’s musculoskeletal system. Well, working with small parts causes excessive eye strain, which can cause deterioration in the specialist’s vision.

We cannot remain silent about the fact that in the process of his work, a dental technician needs to be extremely careful. And not only because the functionality and aesthetic appeal of prostheses depends on his work. Quite often, a specialist has to redo a failed prosthesis or implant at his own expense.

Where can you become a dental technician?

Medical University invites you to take part and After completing the course, a certificate or diploma of the established form is issued. Training takes place in part-time using remote educational technologies, which will allow you to combine study with work.

Get a profession as a dental technician It is possible either in one of the specialized universities, or in a technical school or college. Future dental technicians also have the opportunity to master this specialty in special training centers and dental laboratories. However, you need to understand that the huge amount of knowledge that a true professional has behind him will require you to either combine the acquisition of practical skills with self-education, or enroll in training centers already having a diploma in a related specialty in your pocket.

In addition, we should not forget that dentistry is constantly evolving: new technologies, materials and tools are constantly appearing, so a specialist has to constantly study new products and regularly attend exhibitions, seminars, master classes, etc.

It is quite natural that if you want not only to get a diploma, but also to achieve professional success (and therefore material well-being), then you need to choose best medical educational institutions in Russia, regardless of whether it is a university, technical school or college. For example, the best medical colleges that train professionals in the specialty “Orthopedic Dentistry” include:

  • Medical College of Volgograd State University;

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Reference

A beautiful and healthy smile is part of a person’s image. But some diseases of the teeth and oral cavity, abnormal development jaws, getting various injuries deprives people of the opportunity to smile. In addition, speech defects appear, difficulties in eating, and as a result, many begin to feel embarrassed about their smile. According to the prevailing stereotype in society, the absence of teeth is associated with old age, infirmity or ill-being. It is not surprising that people strive to restore lost teeth as soon as possible. Fortunately, medicine makes it possible to return not only what was lost, but also to preserve healthy teeth. A specialist who can restore a person's healthy smile is called a dental technician.

The first specialists in this field appeared in the ancient Etruscan tribes that inhabited prehistoric Italy. They created prosthetics from the teeth of various mammals already in the 7th century BC. Nowadays, medical technology has reached such heights that it is difficult to distinguish artificial teeth from real ones.

Demand for the profession

Quite in demand

Representatives of the profession Dental technician are quite in demand in the labor market. Despite the fact that universities graduate a large number of specialists in this field, many companies and many enterprises require qualified Dental technicians.

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Description of activity

Dental Technician is a healthcare worker. He works together with the dentist, receiving orders from him for the manufacture or repair of dentures and orthodontic treatment devices. There are different specializations in the dental technician profession. For example, an orthodontic technician creates devices for correcting bites, ceramists make dentures from metal-ceramics, and a renter makes removable jaws.

Dental technicians make different types artificial crowns, various bridges, removable clasp dentures (used in the absence of more than three teeth in a row), as well as maxillofacial structures.

For each type of work, special tools are used: machines for stamping crowns, anvils for beating crowns, various hammers and jigsaws. Often, a technician’s work involves chemicals that are harmful to health. Some dentures can be radioactive because uranium is added to the ceramic component of artificial teeth to make them white. Therefore, the dental technician works in gloves, a protective mask and goggles.

Wage

average for Russia:Moscow average:average for St. Petersburg:

Uniqueness of the profession

Quite common

The majority of respondents believe that the profession Dental technician cannot be called rare, in our country it is quite common. For several years now, there has been a demand in the labor market for representatives of the profession Dental technician, despite the fact that many specialists graduate every year.

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What education is needed

Secondary vocational education (college, technical school)

To work in a profession Dental technician, it is not necessary to have a higher professional education in the relevant specialty. For this profession, it is enough to have a high school diploma vocational education received at a college or technical school, or, for example, it is enough to complete special courses.

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Job responsibilities

Dental Technician - Chief assistant to the orthopedic dentist. He receives from the doctor plaster casts of the patient’s teeth and recommendations on selecting the shape and color of the future prosthesis. Based on the impression, a dental model is developed. Depending on the client’s wishes or the dentist’s recommendations, the dental technician selects materials and designs for dentures. Next comes the process of modeling the prosthesis. The model is cast in an induction machine, first from wax, and then from cermet, metal or nylon. IN difficult cases when the patient has an unusual face type or non-standard oral cavity, you have to work from photographs. The dental technician supplies the finished prosthesis with the necessary fasteners, grinds and polishes it.

Type of labor

Mainly mental work

Profession Dental technician- This is a profession predominantly of mental work, which is largely associated with the reception and processing of information. In progress Dental technician the results of his intellectual reflections are important. But at the same time, physical work is not excluded.

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Features of career growth

Dental Technician- this is a promising job. Human teeth tend to decay, so the services of this specialist will always be in demand.

A dental technician can work in hospitals, clinics, medical centers, sanatoriums, nursing homes, private dental offices and clinics. Experienced and ambitious specialists start their own business - they open private laboratories for the production of dentures.

Career Opportunities

Minimum career opportunities

According to the results of the survey, Dental technicians have minimal career opportunities. It doesn’t depend at all on the person himself, it’s just a profession Dental technician does not have a career path.

How users rated this criterion:

Everyone knows that dentists make good money. Being a dentist is prestigious, profitable and honorable. But few people know about other specialists working in the field of creating beautiful smile patients of dental clinics. Today IQ Review will tell you what a dental technician does, how he differs from a dentist, and how much they pay for it. As always, the specialist says.

Hello, I would like to tell you about my profession as a dental technician. My name is Larisa. I am now twenty-six years old, and my total work experience is five years in a regular public clinic in dental department city ​​of Kurgan.

Dental technician work consists of the manufacture of dentures: crowns, bridges, removable dentures. Basically, the quality of the technician’s work depends on the orthopedic dentist with whom he works as a team.

Here's how it works in practice. The dentist sees the patient, talks, conducts an examination of the oral cavity, selects a method of prosthetics, prepares the teeth, takes an impression - and then the work of the dental technician begins. We cast a plaster model from the cast and do what the doctor ordered.

Dental technician training

Many people are not even aware of the existence of our profession, thinking that the doctor does all the work. What can I say, I myself knew nothing about this profession before. I accidentally ended up in medical college because I thought it was the most decent educational institution in our town. And when I went to apply to become a paramedic, I saw that the college offered training as a dental technician. I came home, read on the Internet what the work entailed, and enrolled as a technician. At that moment, I didn’t even know what I would have to learn, I just wanted to get a specialty.

The study lasts three years, there are no budget places anywhere, I paid one hundred and twenty thousand rubles for the entire period of study. But still, a person acquires basic skills after getting a job.

How to find a job in dentistry

Getting a job is quite difficult. The fact is that the employer is looking for a specialist who is ready to work, and when we leave college with a diploma in hand, we only have basic knowledge about the process of making dentures - all the subtleties and tricks that an employer needs so much are acquired by a dental technician with experience, trial and error. But still there is dental clinics who are ready to teach young specialist everything, but on the condition that he would then remain to work there.

There are often cases when the technician and the dentist “do not agree”; it happens that the doctor has his own way of seeing what the prosthesis should look like, but the technician does it differently.

Salary

Remuneration is a percentage of the work performed, on average 10-20%. Salary also depends on what type of prosthetics you do and what materials you work with. I’ll go a little deeper into professional specifics. There are three types of prosthetics:

  • removable;
  • fixed;
  • partially removable.

Removable dentures include clasp dentures (a denture with a metal base inside), plate dentures, which can be made of acrylic plastic (a cheaper option) and nylon (a more expensive material). We include implants (they are made of titanium), ceramic bridges, stamped-soldered bridges, ceramic crowns, stamped ones, lumineers, veneers, and inlays.

Dental technician work

The cost of prosthetics depends on the materials and amount of work. The average cost of prosthetics in our region: metal ceramics - from 6 thousand rubles, veneers - from 10 thousand rubles, removable dentures - from 5 thousand rubles. It is important to take into account that if the work was not suitable, the prosthesis turned out to be defective or broke before it was completed guarantee period, the technician bears all the costs of redoing it himself or in half with the doctor, if there are his shortcomings.

I get an average of 30-35 thousand rubles, this is considered very good wages For our region, I make metal-ceramic structures of various complexities, sometimes I take on clasp prosthetics, but for me personally this is still difficult.

Pros and cons of work

The advantages of our work are that it is enough high paying job, creative, where you can show all your artistic skills and, in the end, make a person happier, so that he goes through life smiling beautifully. There are also disadvantages. Firstly, what is it sedentary work, and even more so everyone knows about the harmfulness of such work.

The manufacture of dentures is considered a hazardous industry due to noise, vibration, dust, acid and alkali fumes.

For this, milk is provided in public clinics. Another plus is a long vacation: forty-five days, but, as a rule, this vacation is divided into two parts, for the convenience of the technician and doctor. If dentistry is a success among patients, then very often there are “blockages” of work, since it is not beneficial for anyone to stretch out and delay the process of handing over the prosthesis; the technician can work with early morning until late evening, seven days a week. Of course, like any other work, you can get bored, especially something as monotonous as this, but it has always saved me in such periods that patients look into the laboratory and sincerely thank me for good quality work, and knowing that you are appreciated, you want to continue your activities.

There is no career growth in this profession; the most you can do for yourself is to study new products in prosthetics and try to do it. But there is no limit to perfection, and even technicians with extensive experience always say that they still have something to learn. Of course, you can get a higher dental education, but this is a completely different job, and the study will take 5-6 years, for me this is too long.

For those who decide to enroll to study to become a dental technician, I wish you not to limit yourself to the information taught in lectures, read more specialized literature, this will be useful in the future. Responsibly approach practical classes- this is your main job - and it is advisable before entering or in the first year of study to find a dentistry where you will be accepted for training. All the best, good luck and fewer scandalous patients, more new orders!