Frequently Asked Questions

1. WHAT DO DENTAL TECHNICIANS DO?

Dental Technicians are health care professionals who fabricate dental appliances prescribed by your Dentist, or requested by your Denturist. Dental Technicians fabricate complete dentures, partial dentures, crowns, inlays and onlays, bridges and dental ceramics, appliances in orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery, and appliances used in other dental specialties.

Full lower denture	Partial upper denture	Porcelain fixed bridge	Orthodontic appliance

2. HOW DO I BENEFIT FROM RECEIVING THE SERVICES OF A REGISTERED DENTAL TECHNICIAN?

Because this is a regulated profession, you are assured your appliance has been fabricated by a health professional who:

• has received extensive education and training
• has been tested and registered by the College of Dental Technicians of BC
• is required to take continuing education courses
• must maintain practice standards and adhere to a professional code of ethics
• is accountable to the College for services provided to you
• carries professional liability insurance.

3. WHERE DO DENTAL TECHNICIANS WORK?

Many Dental Technicians operate their own commercial dental laboratories, while others work as employees in a dental laboratory. See Meet Dental Technicians
There are about 300 laboratories in British Columbia. Most are small 2 - 5 person laboratories. About 6 laboratories in BC have over 30 employees.

4. WILL I MEET THE DENTAL TECHNICIAN WHO HAS MADE MY APPLIANCE?

You may meet your Dental Technician if:

• your Dentist refers you to a dental laboratory to have your crown colour selected or verified
• your Dentist calls in a Dental Technician to share technical expertise in planning a procedure
• you attend at a dental laboratory to replace a tooth in a denture, or have a structural repair to a removable dental appliance.

5. WILL I RECEIVE A BILL FROM THE DENTAL TECHNICIAN?

Your Dentist or Denturist will pay the Dental Technician directly for their services. In some cases you may have an insurance plan which has established a laboratory fee that they are willing to pay for lab services. Your Dentist will only charge you what was actually paid by them for the laboratory service, as their College requires that any savings negotiated are passed on to you directly. You may wish to discuss the actual lab fee paid by your Dentist or Denturists with them directly.

6. IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY MY DENTAL TECHNICIAN, WHAT CAN I DO?

All registrants are accountable to the College for the standard of service they provide. The role of this College is to ensure that you are provided with competent ethical services from Dental Technicians. If you are concerned about the service you have received the first thing you should consider is talking the problem over with your Dentist or Denturist. Most problems arise from misunderstandings or poor communication. If you are still not satisfied you may contact this College. If you wish to launch a formal complaint in writing you may wish to review our Complaints page or review our Inquiry Process Brochure (in PDF format, 36K).

7. HOW DO I KNOW MY DENTIST IS USING A REGISTERED DENTAL TECHNICIAN TO MAKE MY APPLIANCE?

You can ask your Dentist. In some cases however Dentists elect to use non-registrants for their exclusive practice. You can call the College of Dental Technicians of BC or e-mail us at registrar@cdt.bc.ca should you wish to confirm if a person is a Registered Dental Technician.

8. WHAT ATTRIBUTES SHOULD I HAVE IF I AM CONSIDERING BECOMING A DENTAL TECHNICIAN?

Dental Technology is a combination of science, skill and art. Most training facilities advise that the successful student should have:

• an interest in health care, and sciences generally
• the potential to develop skill with small hand instruments
• an interest in doing precision work
• excellent hand-eye coordination
• an ability to focus on small details
• creative artistic inclinations
• Good color perception

9. WHERE DO I GET THE TRAINING TO BECOME A DENTAL TECHNICIAN?

There are five Colleges in Canada that provide training in Dental Technology:

• Vancouver Community College, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Edmonton, Alberta
• Calgary Dental Technology College, Calgary, Alberta
• George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario
• College Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec

Vancouver Community College - Dental Technology Class of 2001

10. IF I HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, HOW DO I BECOME A REGISTERED DENTAL TECHNICIAN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA?

The requirements for registration are set out in the Registrant Pages, under Registration. For a complete registration package, contact the College office.

Applicants from out of the country also need to be able to work in Canada, and generally will be Canadian Citizens or landed immigrants.

11. ARE THERE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN BC?

B.C currently has a shortage of skilled Dental Technicians, particularly in the area of crown and bridge, ceramics, and orthodontics. Individuals with an interest in the profession, or with skills in the field, can also work as Assistants while waiting to becoming a Dental Technician. To provide any dental technician service in BC, you must first register with the College. As an Assistant, you will work under the supervision of a Dental Technician.

Dental Technology offers many challenges and opportunities such as:

• ability to work part time
• mobility
• the option to own your own business
• opportunity to work collaboratively with allied dental health professions
• the satisfaction of providing an essential health service.

12. CAN I WORK IN A LABORATORY WITHOUT BEING A DENTAL TECHNICIAN, OR WHILE I AM TRYING TO BECOME LICENSED AS A DENTAL TECHNICIAN?

You can work in a laboratory, as a Dental Technician Assistant, under the supervison of a Dental Technician. You must be registered with the College BEFORE you begin working in the laboratory. See the Registration page of this Web Site for further informaton regarding the requirements for registration as an Assistant, and/or contact the College office.

IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION: CONTACT US at registrar@cdt.bc.ca.
IF YOUR QUESTION IS OF GENERAL INTEREST, WE WILL TRY TO POST IT ON THIS PAGE.