A dentist creates and repairs prosthetic devices for the mouth, including caps, bridges, and dentures. They use a variety of equipment and tools to shape and sculpt the parts. Aspiring dentists require a high school diploma and two years of training to become a dental lab technician.
A dentist creates and repairs prosthetic devices for the mouth. He builds and repairs artificial teeth. He may work in a dentist’s office or in a lab that works with many dentists.
When people lose their teeth due to illness, gum disease or accidents, they often require artificial teeth. They may only need a partial replacement on the top of one tooth or several teeth. This prosthetic device is commonly called a cap or crown. In these cases, the dentist builds the artificial tooth to fit snugly over the existing tooth.
If several teeth in a row require replacement or caps, the technician builds a tooth bridge to create an illusion of real, healthy teeth. The bridge is held in place by small, invisible wires when the device is correctly placed in the patient’s mouth. He may need to adjust the bridge a few times to make the fit perfect.
Many patients require a complete set of false teeth, called dentures. Occasionally, only the upper or lower teeth require replacement. In either case, the dentist makes a plastic or wax impression in the patient’s mouth and on the original teeth, if possible. The dentist presents these impressions, along with detailed instructions on the desired gum and tooth colors, to the dentist. Using these guidelines, the dentist creates artificial teeth.
Depending on the preferences of the dentist and the patient, as well as the availability of materials, the dentist creates his dentures using plastic or porcelain. In some cases, small devices such as caps or crowns may be constructed of gold or other metals. If your goal is to create false teeth or bridges to match your patient’s real teeth, he refers to a color matching chart with hundreds of colors to choose from.
In constructing their dentures, a dentist uses a variety of equipment and tools. To create the original pieces, he typically uses a high-temperature oven to solidify the plastic or porcelain. He then shapes the parts with lathes, electric drills and presses. Final touches to pieces are traditionally done with hand tools made for shaping and sculpting.
An aspiring dentist requires a high school diploma to be admitted into a training program for dental lab technicians. Traditionally, this program lasts about two years and provides classroom and laboratory instruction. Once training is completed, most regions and surrounding areas require board certification before a dentist can be hired as an entry-level dental lab technician.
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