Dental Laboratory Technicians

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

People in this career often have talent in:

• 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.
• 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.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
• Apply parting agents or other solutions to molds.
• Inspect medical or dental assistive devices.
• Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
• Place materials into molds.
• Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.

• Cast molds of patient anatomies to create medical or dental devices.
• Measure clients to ensure proper product fit.
• Load items into ovens or furnaces.
• Construct customized assistive medical or dental devices.
• Repair medical or dental assistive devices.
• Trim excess material from workpieces.
• Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
• Instruct workers to use equipment or perform technical procedures.
• Direct operational or production activities.
• Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
• Solder parts or workpieces.
• Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.

• Medical Equipment Preparers

• Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers

• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

• Print Binding and Finishing Workers

• Upholsterers

• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

• Medical Appliance Technicians

• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators