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The differences between dental laboratory technicians and denture technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dental laboratory technician and a denture technician. Additionally, a dental laboratory technician has an average salary of $55,271, which is higher than the $42,557 average annual salary of a denture technician.
The top three skills for a dental laboratory technician include dentures, patients and prosthetics. The most important skills for a denture technician are dentures, relines, and prosthetics.
| Dental Laboratory Technician | Denture Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $55,271 | $42,557 |
| Hourly rate | $26.57 | $20.46 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 60,024 | 6,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dental laboratory technician replaces total or partial natural teeth loss by constructing partial and complete dentures. They restore the natural teeth by fabricating bridges and crowns. These professionals produce removable and fixed devices that assist in correcting dental irregularities. Besides keeping detailed reports, logs, forms, and records to note down actions, dental laboratory technicians also re-design, evaluate, and study processes to enhance care quality. Moreover, dental laboratory technicians keep equipment and supply inventories in working conditions. Also, they follow the right procedures and discretion at all times.
A denture technician specializes in molding and creating metal or non-metal dentures, crowns, and bridges. They typically use models of the patients' mouth as a basis and utilize computer-aided software to design dentures according to the patients' needs. Besides creating, they may also repair or re-adjust dentures and assist patients' by answering inquiries, explaining the extent of procedures, and offering other products and services. Furthermore, a denture technician can usually be found at dental offices, clinics, and even hospitals.
Dental laboratory technicians and denture technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Laboratory Technician | Denture Technician | |
| Average salary | $55,271 | $42,557 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $86,000 | Between $26,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | - |
| Best paying company | DCS | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a dental laboratory technician and a denture technician in terms of educational background:
| Dental Laboratory Technician | Denture Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between dental laboratory technicians' and denture technicians' demographics:
| Dental Laboratory Technician | Denture Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 9.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |