Dental Technology is the technical side of dentistry where dental technicians make appliances to improve patients' appearance, speech, or ability to chew.
Dental technicians are a crucial part of the dental team. They use their understanding of dental material science, and their skills of design and fabrication, to recreate people's teeth.
The satisfaction comes from knowing you are the one that made it possible for that person to smile again.
What is Dental Technology?
Dental technicians work as part of the dental care team within a dental laboratory, and so don't usually have direct contact with patients. They design and construct artificial teeth (in various forms), and orthodontic appliances.
Working with dentists, dental technicians use a wide range of materials including gold, porcelain, and acrylic, to design and construct appliances to meet each patient's needs.
The fact that the products they make can affect the health and appearance of a person, demands of the technician a high level of responsibility and accuracy.
Dental technicians work with their hands on detailed and delicate items, and have good hand-eye co-ordination. A dental technician learns to visualise in a 3D perspective. They typically have an eye for detail to get things just right.
Why study Dental Technology?
Dental technology is the technical side of dentistry. Dental technicians make appliances to improve patients' appearance, speech, or ability to chew.
Dental technology teaches you how to:
- Design and construct artificial teeth and removable orthodontic appliances
- Create appliances to meet each patient's needs
- Make appliances from a wide range of materials including gold, porcelain, and acrylic
- Work with a high level of responsibility and accuracy, as the product you make can affect a person's health and appearance
- Visualise in 3D perspective and develop an eye for detail
More information about Dental Technology
- Admission to Dental Technology
- Bachelor of Dental Technology (BDentTech) course details
- Dental Technology papers
- Careers in Dental Technology
- Download the Dental Technology infosheet (PDF)
“You are constantly challenged to solve intricate and sometimes very complex problems in order to help your patients, while also striving to achieve natural harmony with the various tissues involved. I really enjoy hammering out these challenges!”
BDentTech Graduate