If you are interested in earning your dental laboratory technician diploma, then you need to find a school that offers the program. You should look at all the technical and community colleges around you, as the program is usually only 2 years. As expected, you must meet all general education requirements, but you do not need to advance in mathematics, as is required in some fields of medicine.
After you finish your general education classes, or while you take them, you will be required to take an extensive list of specific courses to earn your diploma. Dentistry classes will include all of the primary specialties in the field, from dentures to crowns. At first it will seem like an incredible task, but I assure you that it is not. The entire program is designed to progress at a perfect rate. In the second semester, more progress is made, but with previous knowledge now it will seem easier and more logical.
As your senior year approaches, you will need to be prepared to be more independent. You no longer have to follow a standard set of classes, but will typically have one. For our class it was Orthodontics. The rest of the time was split between dentures and crown and bridge. You are given due dates and scheduled to turn in projects or receive a loss in grade. In the second half of the year it will essentially do the same thing, however we were given the option to run an external test at a local lab. In my opinion, this is the best way to become a great dental laboratory technician.
When you’ve left dental tech school behind you, it’s time to start the process of setting yourself apart from the crowd. For this I would start by becoming a recognized graduate, normally your program will require you to take this at the end of the year. You then have the option to become a CDT or Certified Dental Technician. This is one of the highest keys in the field and is often required by states to allow ownership of a laboratory. The highest paid dental technicians are usually certified, so I recommend getting it as soon as you are able. It will cost you several hundred dollars to take the test, however, as I said, it will increase your salary substantially. The tests are administered at various locations throughout the United States. Many times it is administered on your school campus. Thanks for reading and I hope you have much success on your dental laboratory training journey!