Dental Lab Technician I

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direction and supervision of the Chief of Operations and Dental Director, the Dental Lab Technician I is responsible for the construction and repair of full and partial dentures. The Dental Lab Technician must also ensure all OSHA, Dental Board and SCC policies and procedures are properly followed and serve as an infection control officer.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Listed below you will find essential duties and responsibilities to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodation will be granted, as necessary to perform the essential duties and function of this position.

• Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
• Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
• Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatus.
• Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
• Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
• Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
• Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
• Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
• Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
• Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.
• Build and shape wax teeth, using small hand instruments and information from observations or dentists' specifications.
• Mold wax over denture setups to form the full contours of artificial gums.
• Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
• Prepare wax bite blocks and impression trays for use.
• Speak and communicate with Dental team on a regular basis
• Track lab cases being sent out and received
• Help maintain proper patient treatment records
• Immediately Report non-compliance
• Travel site to site to pick and deliver dentures
• Run reports as directed
• Other duties as assigned

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
  • High School Diploma OR equivalent
  • Certified Dental Lab Technician OR equivalent experiences
• SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
  • Practices in a professional manner, and collaborates with other health team member
  • Knowledge of policies, and resources in a community clinic setting.
  • Personal computer skills including Word, Excel, Power point, and Outlook.
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks in a high volume environment.
  • Ability to prioritize and perform a variety of tasks in a fast paced environment.
  • Ability to take initiative, function with a high level of independence and problem solve.
  • Some knowledge on health insurance coverage(s) and how they are applied to patients in all areas of health, including but not limited to medical, behavioral and dental.
  • Effective oral and written communication skills to make presentations
  • Communicates in a positive, professional and effective manner with members of the health care team.
  • Answers inquiries accurately and in a timely manner.
  • Write reports, memos, and evaluation in a complete, clear, concise and timely manner

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment is characteristic of a clinic environment. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands to handle or feel. The employee is also required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must also possess hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the phone. The noise level in the work environment is usually noisy.