What a career in Dental Technology looks like

Deciding on a career path can seem like a tremendous task to begin with. After studying multiple subjects for years, you finally have an idea about what you enjoy learning and potentially a career to pursue. The next step is to look for a degree in the industry you want to head into.

In this blog, we’ll look at the roles that Dental Technicians have and how they develop in their careers. Not many people realise the importance of the work that is done. Dental Technicians do not speak directly with patients, so their role is downplayed quite a lot. Fortunately, dentists and orthodontists realise that their job would be impossible without a technician’s help. By the end of this blog, you’ll have more understanding of the work involved and hopefully become inspired.

Potential careers

By starting a career in Dental Technology, there are a variety of options you can choose from after graduation, but the main one is becoming a dental technician. As broad as the term seems, there multiple types of dental technologists, specialising in a variety of areas.

Dental Technicians focus on providing patients with false teeth that simulate a real tooth. This might be because there’s have been removed, are damaged, or they wish to change the look of their teeth. Technicians can provide temporary and permanent solutions for patients, but it is down to the dentist to communicate with patients as to what their needs are.

Day-to-day, Dental Technicians will pick up new requests from the dentist and begin working on them. Sometimes it can take an entire day or more to make one tooth so most of the time, technicians will be focusing on one task at a time. For example, to make a crown, in the morning, you would spend time preparing and fabricating the crown; then in the afternoon, contour, grind, stain, and glaze it.

In the spotlight

Barry Cockcroft began his career at Birmingham Dental School, but since then he has had an incredible career resulted in him receiving a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list. He was the Chief Dental Officer for ten years, before becoming the non-executive director at MyDentist, one of the largest providers of NHS and private dentistry in the country.

If you’re considering a career in the dental sector, the best place to start is by obtaining a relevant Undergraduate degree. The University of Bolton’s state-of-the-art facilities, ensure you are learning with industry-spec machinery, enhancing your employability opportunities. For more information, click here.