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Dental Laboratory Technology/Technician

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What to Expect

Upon entering a dental technology program, you'll find a few things that require a lot of your attention and time until you grow accustomed to them.

"New students should be prepared to have patience. It takes a while to get used to working with your hands," says Jennifer Walsh. She studied dental technology.

"Also, there are a lot of dental terms to know, and it takes time to understand everything. To get used to the new terms and concepts, you have to study and familiarize yourself with them. As for the hands-on aspect, [it takes] a lot of practice."

Gus Hovanski took the dental technology program at Lexington Community College in Kentucky. He was surprised by the program's intensity. "It's like being thrown into a lake and being told [to] swim," he says. "I realized my afternoons would be [spent] in the lab practicing and weekends studying."

Expect to spend between one and two hours per night on homework. "Students should be prepared to do homework at night almost every night. This only makes you better," says Melanie Helvie. She also studied the program at Lexington.

"If a student has to work, this could be harder because of time. Just find the time to do the homework and you'll do great. Your main homework will be to practice in the lab."

How to Prepare

Be ready to put in a full day at school. "The teachers teach you everything you need to know starting from scratch," says Melanie Helvie. She studied in the program at Lexington as well.

"When I started, I had no background at all in the dental field. Just be ready to work when you get to the program. There isn't much you can do to prepare. Just practice when you get to the program."

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