Our Diploma of Dental Technology qualification provides the knowledge and skills needed to work as a registered Dental Technician.  Dental technicians work closely with dental prosthetists and dentists.

This course content covers the design, construction, modification and repair of dentures, bridges, crowns and other dental appliances such as mouthguards.

Depending on particular state/territory legislation and regulations this qualification may need to be combined with the specified periods of clinical practice before the graduate can work as a Dental Technician.

This course is conducted at our Ashmore Road campus in our new state of the art laboratory.  It is a full time course of 20 hours per week and will incorporate 1 day per week work placement to provide students the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge in a real working environment to ensure job readiness upon graduation and registration with the Dental Technicians Board of Queensland. 

Frequently asked questions regarding Dental Technology:

Where do Dental Technicians work?

The majority of dental technicians are employed in commercial dental laboratories and hospitals but career opportunities also exist in areas of research, education, appliance invention, sales & marketing and within industry organisations

You’ll enjoy being a Dental Technician if you…

• enjoy working with tools and equipment
• can apply a high level of attention to detail and precision
• possess good eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity
• have artistic ability to construct form and design
• have good time management
• have good colour matching skill

What are the speciality areas of Dental Technology?

• Restoring natural teeth (crowns, inlays/onlays, veneers);
• Replacing teeth (bridges, partial and full dentures, dental implant prosthesis);
• Replacing oral soft and hard structures (aesthetic reconstruction);
• Moving, retaining and protecting teeth (orthodontics: mouthguards, splints, trays, stents); and
• Aligning the jaw position (orthognathics: TMJ, sleep apnoea, etc.)

What are examples of daily work tasks?

• Make plaster and stone models of the mouth and teeth from impressions
• Construct custom impression trays for the dentist to use;
• Build up wax replicas of part or all of the mouth and/or teeth using the model; 
• Form, cut or mould plastic, metal or ceramic materials to make dentures using casting, CAD/CAM
• Design and construct fixed and removable acrylic and metal orthodontic appliances

What career paths exist for Dental Technicians?

Dental Technicians can complete further education to advance their career through Griffith University’s Bachelor of Oral Health in Dental Technology (3 years full-time with credit application possible after completion of 2 year Diploma)

What further study can Dental Technicians do?

• Advanced Diploma (Dental Prosthetics)
• Bachelor degree program (Dental Therapy)
• Bachelor degree program (Dental Hygiene)
• Master of Dental Technology in Prosthetics
• Doctorate of Philosophy in Metallurgy (PhD)
• BDS Degree (dentist)

AICA Education students also have the option to incorporate business skill training designed to assist them in managing their own Dental Technology business.