Health Careers
Dental Laboratory Technician
Professional Activities
Dental laboratory technicians, working in conjunction with dentists, make and repair artificial replacements for natural teeth and make corrective devices, including dentures, bridges, and crowns. Dental lab technicians (DLT) may work as an employee of a dentist, or they may own and operate their own lab and contract with several dentists. DLTs do not have personal contact with patients except in rare cases, requested by the dentist, that require a visual inspection of the patient’s teeth.
Most dental laboratory technicians in Alaska work in private practices as employees or contractors of dentists.
Educational Requirements
Careers can begin without college level courses through on-the-job-training in dental laboratories or dental offices. However, the American Dental Association (ADA) offers an accredited curriculum within dental schools, community colleges, vocational-technical schools, and private institutions. Most training sequences are similar:
- Graduation from high school or a GED. Biology, English, and office skills are often desirable. Good grades make it easier to be accepted into dental lab technology training.
- DLT programs are generally two years in length and award either a vocational certificate, community college associate degree, or both at the conclusion of the program.
Academic Programs
There are several ADA accredited Dental Lab Technology degree programs across the US. However, none are available in Alaska at this time. A listing of all the accredited dental laboratory technology education programs in the United States can be found on the American Dental Association website at http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/programs/search_dahlt_us.asp. The closest program is in Washington. Because slots are limited, students should submit applications one or two semesters prior to their desired enrollment date.
Bates Technical College
1101 South Yakima
Tacoma, WA 98405
Contact: Jason Carroll
Phone: (253) 680-7312
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.bates.ctc.edu/dentallab/
Contacts
State Contact:
Alaska Dental Society
9170 Jewel Lake Rd. #203
Anchorage, AK 99502-5390
Phone: (907) 563-3003
Fax: (907) 563-3009
Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.akdental.org/
National Contact:
American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
Phone: (312) 440-2500
Web site: http://www.ada.org
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on September 24, 2009
