When Willie Johnson tells his students that dental laboratory technology is a satisfying career path, he knows what he’s talking about. Johnson has been a certified dental technician for 33 years
Johnson graduated from Atlanta Technical College’s dental lab technology program in 1973, worked for 13 years at a commercial laboratory and then started his own dental lab, which he still runs.
“It’s nice to give back,” said Johnson, who now teaches in Atlanta Tech’s program. “I tell students that there’s a steady demand for highly skilled people in this field and that they can take their career as far as they want to go.”
The field offers opportunity for people right out of high school or workers coming back to school to learn new skills for a second career.
The 18-month dental laboratory technology diploma program is one of 20 in the nation accredited by the American Dental Association, and is the only accredited program in Georgia. Atlanta Tech accepts 20 students each spring and fall quarters, but students can enroll in the summer or winter to take core curriculum classes.
Students in the program begin with an introduction to the field and a course in dental materials. They study the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck before learning to make removable partial dentures, complete dentures, bridges and other crowns.
“About 80 percent of the instruction is hands-on in the lab, because it takes time to learn the skills and become proficient at them,” Johnson said.
During their fifth quarter in the program, students complete an internship in a commercial lab to gain real-world experience, which often leads to a job. There are about 100 commercial dental labs in metro Atlanta.
“Most are small labs [one to 10 people] and midsized labs [50 people and up],” Johnson said. “We also teach a course in laboratory management, so that students learn all parts of the business, not just one facet.”
Right out of school, most dental laboratory technicians earn between $10 and $11 an hour. Their wages increase as they gain experience.
“The median salary is about $35,000 to $40,000, but top technicians make $60,000 and up,” Johnson said.
Successful dental technicians must have a good eye for detail and good vision to discern fine color variations and subtle differences in shape. Manual dexterity is needed to fashion dental devices from raw materials. Dental technicians work from impressions of patients’ mouths made by dentists.
Many of Johnson’s former students have become managers of commercial dental laboratories, while others run their own businesses or work for medical device manufacturers.
“There’s steady employment in dental technology,” Johnson said. “Even in the midst of a bad economy, people lose teeth every day and they need crowns, bridges, dentures and other orthodontia.”
Atlanta Tech’s program prepares students to take the national exam required to become certified dental technicians.
“Dentistry is cutting-edge technology, and certification tells employers that someone will keep up through continuing education,” Johnson said.
For information, contact Willie Johnson at 404-225-4558 or wjohnson@atlantatech.edu, or call Becky Tolson at 404-225-4561. You can also go to www.atlantatech.edu.
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