As a dental technician, you would design, build, repair and adjust dental devices for people who have lost teeth or need help to correct the appearance and performance of their teeth. If you're interested in science, and you can concentrate and work accurately for long periods, this job could be ideal for you. To be good at this job you will also need to have good practical skills and a steady hand. You will need to follow complex technical instructions.

You need to be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) before you can work as a dental technician. You will need to complete a number of college and university qualifications to get onto the register.

As a dental technician, you could specialise within one of four key areas, which are:

• orthodontics – creating plastic or metal devices, such as braces, to straighten teeth
• crown and bridge work – constructing items which can be cemented in place
• prosthetics – producing plastic dentures or implants, some of which have metal inserts to help keep them straight
• maxillo-facial prosthetics – helping to reconstruct the faces of people damaged by accident or disease.

You would work with a wide range of materials such as gold, porcelain and plastic to design and make specialist devices to suit patients’ needs. You would use the latest techniques, equipment, instruments, and computer technology to carry out your duties.

You could work in a variety of settings, including private dental labs, the NHS or the armed forces. In a private dental lab, you would create devices and appliances for a number of dental practices covering a wide geographical area. In a hospital setting, you might help dental surgeons by designing and building artificial parts for patients with facial injuries, cancer or cleft palate.

Key skills:

• an interest and ability in science
• the ability to understand and interpret complex, technical instructions
• good practical skills and a steady hand
• the ability to concentrate for long periods
• good communication skills
• good eyesight and colour vision
• a degree of artistic flair
• the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.

Average salary (2014):

The United Kingdom: The pay system in the NHS is called Agenda for Change (AfC).

Dental technicians usually start on AfC band 5, earning between £21,388 and £27,901. With experience you could gain a position as a dental technician specialist and your salary could rise to band 6, between £25,783 and £34,530. Dental lab managers can achieve band 8(a-c) which is £39,239 to £67,805.

Salaries in the private sector are roughly comparable to the NHS salaries.

Qualifications and training required:

You need to be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) before you can work as a dental technician. To get on to the register, you need to complete one of the following qualifications in dental technology:

• a Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma - for this you will often need four GCSEs (A-C) in English language, maths and a science
• a foundation degree – you will usually need to be employed in a trainee dental technician role to get on this course
• a BSc (Hons) degree – entry usually includes five GCSEs (A-C) plus two or three A levels.

For advanced dental technology work, you are likely to need one of the degree-level qualifications.

Source: nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk