What we do
Role of the Dental Laboratory Service
- Provide a comprehensive dental technical service to clinical staff of the Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ Dental Institute (LDI) and students of the University of Ä¢¹½tvÊÓƵ.
- Support the training and education of dental technology students, dentists, and commercial dental laboratories.
- Support continuing education of dental technicians.
- Support the research and developmental work of the LDI.
Role of the Dental Technicians
Working to the prescription of suitably qualified clinicians or supervised clinical students, we manufacture a broad range of bespoke products designed to restore, enhance, or protect patient’s masticatory function, facial appearance, speech, and psychological well-being.
Dental Technology is a skilled craft requiring good manual dexterity, an eye for detail and a broad technical knowledge. Technicians work with a wide range of materials such as waxes, silicones, acrylics, composites, porcelain, and metals and utilise an array of hand tools and other specialist equipment.
Dental Technicians initially train to diploma or degree level to enable registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a Dental Care Professional (DCP). Most will then specialise, and within a hospital environment will usually go on to take post graduate qualifications.
Lab staff
The Dental Laboratory employs a team of 22 fully qualified and registered Dental Technicians and 1 Maxillofacial Prosthetist. The team works across 4 disciplines including Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Crown and Bridge and Maxillofacial Technology.
Each discipline is led by a Chief Technician with the support of Senior Technicians and Technicians, dependant on the needs of the speciality. Our Maxillo-facial Prosthetist works independently.
Customers
The Dental Laboratory does not provide a service direct to patients other than for facial prostheses. We work to the prescription of clinical and academic dental staff, undergraduate and post-graduate dental students plus other dental care professionals including Hygiene Therapists and Orthodontic Therapists. Where appropriate we will provide advice on clinic to prescribing clinicians, this may include shade taking or minor chair-side adjustments.