Occupation Profile

Dental Lab Technicians

(SOC Code : 51-9081)

in California

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances. Exclude "Dental Assistants" (31-9091).

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Long-term on-the-job training (> 12 months) .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$19.80	$14.54	$17.95	$22.89

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	4,500	4,600	100	2.2	150

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Medical Equipment and Supplies Mfg

3,367

84.9%

Offices of Dentists

26,546

6.3%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Dental Laboratory Technology/Technician

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.

Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.

Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.

Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatus.

Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.

Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.

Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient`s jaw to evaluate functionality of model.

Create a model of patient`s mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.

Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.

Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.

More Tasks for Dental Laboratory Technicians

Top Skills used in this Job

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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Alternate Titles

Crown and Bridge Dental Lab Technicians; Dental Ceramists; Dental Technicians; Denture Technicians; Metal Finishers; Model and Dye Persons; Model Technicians; and Orthodontic Technicians