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Dental Laboratory Technician

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AVG. SALARY

$50,860

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EDUCATION

High school preferred +

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JOB OUTLOOK

Decreasing

Interviews

Insider Info

Years ago, Blaine Pardy worked for a gas company. But he was laid off when times got tough in the industry. Suddenly he found himself searching for a new trade. A job training position in dental technology opened up, and Pardy jumped at the chance.

"I didn't even know that the job existed," says Pardy. "I thought all this kind of stuff was done at the dentist's office. I thought I'd give it a try."

Pardy enrolled in a four-year apprenticeship program and never looked back. "It was fluke it happened," he says. "I'm so happy I took the chance. I feel it's what I was meant to do."

Pardy works on a variety of artificial mouthpieces. "Dentists don't have the time to make these pieces, so they contract work out to us."

The dentists send a prescription, description and impression of what needs to be done in the lab. Then Pardy sculpts the different orthodontic pieces, bridges, crowns, dentures and even mouth guards. Much like a jeweler or a fine craftsperson, he has to visualize what the piece will look like and make it natural looking and fitting.

"Usually, the dentists send in the shade they want it to be. After a while, you can visualize what needs to be done. It's like working on a skeleton. It doesn't have lips or cheeks, but you can see enough to match the teeth," says Pardy

After sculpting, Pardy has to match the ceramic coloring with the natural teeth.

"It's finicky work and it's not for everyone," he says. "You have to have an eye and a knack for it."

"If you're not artistic and you don't want to work in a lab, this is not the career for you," says Sandra Bailey. She's the coordinator of a college-level dental technician program.

It's not always easy to know what work you would be good at, Bailey admits. For this reason, she advises anyone considering this career to do their homework carefully.

"I encourage anyone going into a health career to investigate the career by going to a facility. Go to a dental lab, have a look around, see what people do. It's different on paper. Once you start really looking at what people do, it either turns you off, or just affirms that, yes, this is what you want."

When he was growing up, David Nunally didn't dream of running a dental technology lab. But he knew he'd have a career in the dental industry.

"My father's a dentist, my brother's a dentist, his wife's a dentist, her brother's a dentist. But I wasn't really interested in the hands-on part of the work."

Nunally didn't enjoy being in the workstation as much as he liked dealing with clients. He now runs a dental lab, and has all but retired his prosthesis-making equipment.

"I run the office, talk with the doctors, look after customer service and sales," he says. Nunally is in charge of a 3,000-square-foot lab with 45 operating workstations. "We have 20 people working for us, but we're looking for more."

Nunally trained as a dental technologist and worked as an apprentice for two years to learn the trade. As soon as he had enough knowledge under his belt, he opened the lab. He expects the business to continue to grow.

"Baby boomers are at the stage where their teeth are breaking down," he says. "They're making more money and so [they] will probably pay to have their teeth repaired rather than pulled."

Nunally is prepared to meet clients' needs and put a smile back on their faces. "Running this business is just the greatest thing."

Pardy agrees that restoring a person's teeth is rewarding work. "I get satisfaction trying to make my work perfect. It's great to think that I'm creating something that will look good in a patient's mouth and will make them feel good."

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