Material guide: what is what in the laboratory
A quick reference to the materials a dental technician works with and what they are used for
Digital education
§The classic materials
| Material | Typical application | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Plaster | Models of teeth and jaw from impressions | The foundation for much manual work |
| Wax | Building and modelling before casting or printing | Melts easily - requires precision and steady hands |
| Acrylic | Prostheses, night guards, and temporary solutions | Monomer can irritate skin and airways - use protection |
| Porcelain/ceramic | Crowns and bridges with natural appearance | Burnt at high temperature; hits shape and colour |
| Metal and gold | Supporting structures and frames. | Cast, milled or bent; soldered with heat |
§The digital workflow
Alongside the classic materials you increasingly work digitally. Impressions are scanned prosthodontics are designed in CAD and items are manufactured on milling machines or 3D printers. The manual and the digital supplement each other — you must be able to do both.
- 01Scanner to digitise impressions and models.
- 02CAD/CAM software for designing crowns, bridges and prostheses.
- 03Milling machine for cutting parts out of material blocks.
- 043D printer for manufacturing models and prosthetics.
§The choice is determined by the task
In the end, material and method are chosen based on what the task requires: should the solution be strong, aesthetic, cheap or quick? It is the interplay between material knowledge, technique and sense of form and colour that makes you a good dental technician.