Articles
The history of dental technology – from ivory to digital crownsHistory · 9 minPeople have tried to replace lost teeth for thousands of years. Here we follow the path of dental technology from ancient bound teeth through ivory prosthetics and gold work to today's digital production of crowns and bridges in the laboratory.On the laboratory – this is how a crown is madeWeekday · 8 minA dental technician's work is a chain of precise steps from the dentist's impression to the finished crown. Here we follow the process and see what requires craftsmanship, material knowledge and aesthetic sense along the way.Materials and equipment in the dental technician laboratoryTools and equipment · 8 minDental technology is applied materials science. Here we review the most important materials – ceramics, dental alloys, and acrylic – and the machines, from kilns to CAD/CAM mills, that transform them into finished replacements.Quality, hygiene and working environment in the laboratorySafety and quality · 8 minThe dental technician's work requires both millimeter precision, infection control, and your own safety with machines, dust, and chemicals. Here we review what quality, hygiene, and a good work environment mean in practice.Specialties and career as a dental technicianCareer · 8 minThe dental technician profession encompasses several specialties and an exciting future with digitalization. Here we look at where you can work, which directions you can specialize in, and how digital development shapes your career.How you deliver good service even under stressThe education's structure. · 9 minDental technician is a vocational education where you alternate between school and training at a dental laboratory. Here you get the entire program: basic courses 1 and 2, main course tiers 1 and 2, how long it takes, and what you need to know to get in.PLACEHOLDER_56PLACEHOLDER_2 · 7 minAs a dental technician apprentice you receive wages from the day you sign a training agreement. Here we cover the principles: why wages increase through the course what the collective agreement means and what conditions apply when you are fully trained.Rules, responsibility and making something for a patient's mouthRules and responsibility · 8 minDental technology is about products that must sit in people's mouths and last for years. Therefore, there are both formal requirements for your education and a number of rules about quality, documentation, and medical devices you need to know. Here you get the overview - without myths about authorization.Dust, chemistry and fine motor skills - the working environment in the laboratoryWork environment and safety · 8 minA dental laboratory contains fine dust chemicals heat and machines with rotating parts — and long hours with eyes and hands in close precise work. Here we go deep into the working environment risks a dental technician faces and how you work ergonomically and safely throughout your career.The industry today: craftsmanship meets digital dental technologyThe industry and the job market · 7 minDental technicians are a specialized professional group with steady demand. Here we look at where you can work, what drives demand, and how scanning, CAD/CAM, and 3D printing are changing daily life in the laboratory.What comes after the journeyman certificate?Further and continuing education · 7 minThe skilled certificate is not the end station, but a foundation. As a dental technician, you have several paths: short courses that keep you updated, specialisation within the trade, the path toward clinical dental technician, and further education on top of your background. Here is the overview.The digital workflow – from scanning to the finished crown designTechnique · 8 minIntraoral scanning, CAD design and CAM manufacturing have replaced much of the classical impression and hand-cast model at the dental technician lab. Here we follow the workflow from the scan at the dentist's to the finished designed crown, and look at the benefits, pitfalls and why the craft is still crucial even when the file is digital.Casting technique — from wax model to metal-cast crownTechnique · 8 minAlthough digital milling has taken over a large part of the metalwork casting is still a basic technique in the dental technician trade and it provides an understanding of how metals behave which is useful regardless of what tools you later work with. Here we go through the steps from wax model to finished cast crown or bridge and why each step matters for the final result.Alloys in dental technology — cobalt-chromium, precious metal and titaniumMaterials · 7 minBehind Every Metal Core, Denture Frame or Implant Build Lies a Conscious Alloy Choice. Cobalt-Chrome, Noble Metal and Titanium Each Have Their Strengths and Weaknesses, and the Choice is About a Balance Between Strength, Weight, Biocompatibility and Price. The Article Provides the Overview a Dental Technician Needs When Choosing the Alloy.Zirconia and lithium disilicate – the two major ceramic typesMaterials · 8 minModern all-ceramic prosthetics largely rely on two materials: zirconia and lithium disilicate. The two ceramic types behave very differently in strength, translucency and manufacturing method, and the choice between them is one of the most important professional decisions in daily work. The article gives an overview of their properties and applications.Methacrylates and allergy risk – chemical safety with resinsSafety · 7 minMethacrylates are found in both classic denture acrylic and modern 3D print resins, and several of them are classified as skin-sensitising substances. Repeated, unprotected contact can develop a contact allergy that does not go away again. The article reviews why the substances are problematic and what specific precautions protect you in daily work.Dental prosthetics as medical device — CE documentation and traceabilitySafety · 8 minIt is easy to forget, while your hands are full of plaster or ceramic dust, that the finished work is legally a medical device. The EU's Medical Device Regulation (MDR) sets requirements for documentation and traceability for dental technical work, and as the manufacturer of custom-made devices, the laboratory has an independent responsibility. The article reviews what the rules mean in practice.The path to clinical dental technician – authorization and own responsibilityCareer · 8 minClinical dental technician is an independent healthcare authorization that builds on dental technology craftsmanship but moves the work from the laboratory to the chair with direct patient contact. The article takes a closer look at what authorization gives the right to, what requirements are set along the way and what it takes to eventually run your own clinic.