Dental technician

As a dental technician, you could:

• design, make, modify and repair custom dental devices
•  use precision equipment and tools
•  shape materials like gold, porcelain and plastic

You might specialise in orthodontic, crown and bridge work or prosthetics. Depending on your speciality you could:

• create plastic or metal devices, like braces to straighten teeth
•  make items like crowns or bridges to cement in place
•  produce plastic dentures or implants

• the ability to work well with your hands
• knowledge of medicine and dentistry
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
• design skills and knowledge
• the ability to analyse quality or performance
• the ability to work well with others
• thinking and reasoning skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

With experience you could:

• train to become a clinical dental technician if you want more direct contact with patients
•  do further training to become a healthcare scientist through the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) and specialise in reconstructive sciences
•  set up your own laboratory or work abroad
•  become a senior or chief dental technician
•  move into quality control, sales, management, teaching or research