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Dental Technician
Description:
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Carries out preventative dental procedures under the direction of a Dentist.
Typical Work Tasks (may include any combination of the following):
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Dental technicians work from a mould of a client’s mouth made by a dentist or a
clinical dental technician, and custom-make a wide range of appliances for the
mouth, including: removable partial dentures; crowns (covers for broken or
damaged teeth); dentures; removable orthodontic appliances (plates with wires
to straighten teeth); mouthguards; splints for broken or cracked jawbones; antisnoring devices; teeth whitening trays. Clinical dental technicians: assess oral
tissue; recognise abnormal conditions of the mouth; take impressions of teeth;
make partial dentures, full dentures and other oral devices; reline dentures that
are ill-fitting.
Typical Work Environment:
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Works indoors usually at hospital or private dental laboratories.
Works in an adequately heated, well ventilated and lit workspaces
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Typical Physical and Mental Demands :
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Light physical demand level. Frequently stands or sits at workbenches.
Also walks about the workspace to gather equipment or materials and to move
from work area to work area.
May occasionally sit when studying dental impressions prior to commencing
modelling or development process.
Stretching and/or twisting movements are not a significant feature.
Light lifting, pulling or carrying is not a significant feature of the job.
Repetitive hand and arm movements are necessary for many modelling and
construction tasks.
Driving is not a significant feature of the job.
Uses a range of precision technical and specialised workshop equipment
and materials including power and hand tools, a range of precision engineering
(including small lathes, micro-welding equipment and tools), casts and moulds,
metals and wire, small furnaces, porcelain and wax and plastics to create base.
Bending over workbenches is likely to be frequent.
Squatting, crouching or kneeling is not a significant feature of the job.
Mental skills necessary include technical, model-making, problem-solving and
planning skills.
Further Comments:
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There are opportunities for flexibility of movement.
Key Entry Requirements (Skill Level/Qualifications/Licenses):
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A New Zealand Register Level 5 or 6 qualification or at least three years relevant
experience (ANZSCO Skill Leve2). In some instances particular experience
and/or on-the-job training may be required.
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Registration or licensing is required.
This document is based on ANZSCO, 2013 (code 411213). Other sources of information that may have been
consulted are industry contacts, employers, newspapers and internet-based sources. For physical demand level
definitions see Matheson, L.N. (2003). Functional Capacity Evaluation.
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