We either need to train the gamer, (who is great on the computer), in dental technology, or our trusted lab tech (who is a pretty good waxer) in computer skills. Easy, right??

There is a lot of talk these days about how many labs are going to close in the next 5 years or so due to retirement of the old guard. At PTC we are also seeing renewed interest in younger technicians ready to start their own labs. Regardless if you are an old timer or a young entrepreneur this message is for you.

For the past 10 years or so, in PTC’s Taking Control Seminars, we have given away a very ...

According to the feedback I have received, many of you are interested in achieving certification in dental laboratory technology.

We are proud to announce the addition of Contouring Posterior Bridges to the TechBook series.  This book has been completely rewritten, with a new streamlined step by step procedure and over 150 detailed images.  View more information on our TechBook page.  The Contouring Posterior Bridges TechBook can be purchased on the Blue Dolphin Products website or by calling PTC at (800) 448-8855.

Certified Dental Technicians (CDT) must accumulate 12 hours of CE credits each year to renew their certification. These credits include:

• 1 hour regulatory systems education
• 6 hours scientific or technical education, and
• 5 hours of additional scientific, or professional development education.

CDT credits can be earned by completing technical courses, attending clinics, or completing online training courses or webinars.

Courses and clinics are hosted across the country throughout the year at participating laboratories, trade shows, and at companies such as Dentsply, Ivoclar Vivadent and Zahn, ...

I recently took both the comprehensive and specialty (written) exams, and passed. This feat could not have been accomplished without PTC (training). I’d like to share a little about the experience, and how useful PTC training and materials are to CDT exam preparation.

Dental technicians create crowns, bridges and dentures after receiving an impression of the patient’s teeth from a dentist.  There are three main departments in a dental lab: Crown & Bridge, Porcelain, and Dentures.  Some dental technicians attend a 2 year school before working in a dental lab.  However, the majority of training occurs on-the-job and through courses.

Average Annual Wage

The average annual income for dental technicians, as of May 2010, was $37,980.  This corresponds to ...

I’ve been thinking about average lately. In my over four decades of dental laboratory “experience” I’ve seen lots of average; average dentists, average patients, average dental techs, and average dental work.

I can find no clearly defined borders to average. Is it the middle 50%, the middle 25%, the middle 80%? In 1977, in a forward to Dr. Peter Dawson’s book Evaluation diagnosis and Treatment of Occlusal Problems, Dr. L.D. Pankey said about dentists, “It has been said, and ...

There are three main departments in a dental lab: Crown & Bridge, Porcelain, and Dentures. Many dental technicians only work in one department. This makes it easier to become a dental technician because you do not need to learn everything, only a specific skill or group of skills.

We’ve been hard at work developing the Contouring Posterior Bridges TechBook. The program has been available as a TechMaster module and we’re excited to add it to our TechBook series. The TechBook will features 52 contouring steps and over 180 images.