Dental lab technician

A dental lab technician fabricates the crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, and orthodontic appliances that dentists fit to patients. Working from impressions, scans, and prescriptions, they sculpt, cast, mill, and finish restorations from materials like ceramic, metal, and resin, matching shape and color so the finished piece functions and looks natural.

The work is precise craftsmanship done in a lab, usually without patient contact, and increasingly involves digital design and milling alongside traditional handwork. Technicians work in commercial labs or in-house at larger practices, and the role suits detail-oriented people who enjoy skilled manual work and the satisfaction of building something exact.