How to Become a Laboratory Technician
Training and Education Jobs and Salaries
Most medical, dental, and ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn their craft on the job; however, many employers prefer to hire those with formal training. High school students interested in becoming medical appliance technicians should take mathematics, metal and wood shop, and drafting. Medical appliance technicians usually begin as helpers and gradually learn new skills as they gain experience. Formal training is also available. There were four orthotic and prosthetic technician programs accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE).
These programs offer either an associate degree or a one-year certificate for orthotic or prosthetic technicians. The programs instruct students on human anatomy and physiology, orthotic and prosthetic equipment and materials, and applied biomechanical principles to customize orthotics or prostheses. The programs also include clinical rotations to provide hands-on experience. Dental laboratory technicians begin by learning simple tasks, such as pouring plaster into an impression, and progress to more complex procedures, such as making porcelain crowns and bridges. Becoming a fully trained technician requires an average of three to four years, depending upon aptitude and ambition, but it may take a few years more to become an accomplished technician.
High school students interested in becoming dental laboratory technicians should take courses in art, metal and wood shop, drafting, and sciences. Courses in management and business may help those wishing to operate their own laboratories. Training in dental laboratory technology also is available through community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and the Armed Forces. Formal training programs vary greatly both in length and in the level of skill they impart.
Twenty programs in dental laboratory technology are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in conjunction with the American Dental Association. These programs provide classroom instruction in dental materials science, oral anatomy, fabrication procedures, ethics, and related subjects. In addition, each student is given supervised practical experience in a school or an associated dental laboratory.
Accredited programs normally take two years to complete and lead to an associate degree. A few programs take about four years to complete and offer a bachelor degree in dental technology. Graduates of two-year training programs need additional hands-on experience to become fully qualified. Each dental laboratory owner operates in a different way, and classroom instruction does not necessarily expose students to techniques and procedures favored by individual laboratory owners.
Students who have taken enough courses to learn the basics of the craft usually are considered good candidates for training, regardless of whether they have completed a formal program. Many employers will train someone without any classroom experience. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians start on simple tasks if they are training to produce lenses by hand. They may begin with marking or blocking lenses for grinding; then, they progress to grinding, cutting, edging, and beveling lenses and finally, they are trained in assembling the eyeglasses. Depending on individual aptitude, it may take up to six months to become proficient in all phases of the work.
Employers filling trainee jobs prefer applicants who are high school graduates. Courses in science, mathematics, and computers are valuable, manual dexterity and the ability to do precision work are essential. Technicians using automated systems will find computer skills valuable. A few ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn their trade in the Armed Forces or in the few programs in optical technology offered by vocational-technical institutes or trade schools.
These programs have classes in optical theory, surfacing and lens finishing, and the reading and applying of prescriptions. Programs vary in length from six months to one year and award certificates or diplomas. A high degree of manual dexterity, good vision, and the ability to recognize very fine color shadings and variations in shape also are necessary for dental technicians. An artistic aptitude for detailed and precise work also is important.
Voluntary certification for orthotic and prosthetic technicians is available through the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC). Applicants are eligible for an exam after completing a program accredited by NCOPE or obtaining two years of experience as a technician under the direct supervision of an ABC-certified practitioner. After successfully passing the appropriate exam, technicians receive the Registered Orthotic Technician, Registered Prosthetic Technician, or Registered Prosthetic-Orthotic Technician credential.
Certification may help those orthotic and prosthetic technicians seeking to advance. With additional formal education, medical appliance technicians who make orthotics and prostheses can advance to become orthotists or prosthetists, technicians who work with patients who need braces, artificial limbs, or related devices and help to determine the specifications for those devices. In large dental laboratories, dental technicians may become supervisors or managers.
Experienced technicians may teach or take jobs with dental suppliers in such areas as product development, marketing, and sales or they can open their own laboratory to advance and earn more. The National Board for Certification, an independent board established by the National Association of Dental Laboratories, offers certification in dental laboratory technology. Certification, which is voluntary except in three states, can be obtained in five specialty areas: crowns and bridges, ceramics, partial dentures, complete dentures, and orthodontic appliances. Certification may increase chances of advancement. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians can become supervisors and managers. Some become dispensing opticians, although further education or training generally is required in that occupation.