Program graduates (having completed the 71-hour program) will be competent in the fabrication of fixed or removable oral prosthetic and orthodontic devices. With the degree, they are eligible to take both the Recognized Graduate exam and the Certified Dental Technician exam, offered through the National Board for Certification of Dental Technicians. If these examinations are passed, the graduate will become a Certified Dental Technician or CDT.
Graduates can continue toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Laboratory Sciences through The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC-SA), or go right into the workforce.
Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, an accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education, the AAS Degree in Dental Lab Technology at SAC is the first accredited program of its kind in Texas - the certificate program in this subject was transferred from UTHSC-SA.
In a collaborative effort, for the first three years, UTHSC-SA will contribute financially to the program by providing classroom space and equipment, while SAC provides the instruction and administration, and grants the college credit. New facilities at SAC are expected to be available by year four, and the Dental Laboratory Technology equipment currently used in the program inventory at UTHSC-SA will be transferred as assets to San Antonio College.
"Placement of the program in a community college setting seems a better fit than in the university setting, and that it allows program graduates to work toward an associates degree instead of just a certificate," said Thomas Anthony, program coordinator, who has worked in the dental laboratory technology field for 23 years.
Prior to joining the SAC faculty, Anthony was employed in the same program under the UTHSC, where he taught for the past 18 years. He also owns and operates a commercial dental laboratory that specializes in orthodontics and complete dentures.
"We are seeing an increased demand for cosmetic dentistry; people are generally more aware of the different types of restorations that are available to them than in the past. Additionally, the population is growing in age and requiring more dental restoration. Hence, we want to ensure that there are educated people to meet industry needs."
According to Anthony, the 2002 Bureau of Labor Statistics report estimates that 47,440 workers were employed as Dental Laboratory Technicians.
Approximately 1,970 of those were employed in the state of Texas, with 140 employed in Greater San Antonio.
In June 2005, SAC conducted an informal telephone needs survey of 26 local dental-related businesses, with responses from ten dental laboratories and supply companies. Results indicated an approximate 20% growth in employment for Dental Lab Techs over the next year - from 95 current employees to 113 - as well as a need for skills upgrade education for 21 additional employees.
An Advisory Committee of local industry professionals helps guide the program by reviewing and approving the curriculum. Members include dentists, dental laboratory owners, dental technicians and dental laboratory students.
In addition to basic courses in English, sociology and psychology, SAC Dental Laboratory Technology students will become well-versed in following a dentist's written instructions to create replacements for natural teeth and corrective devices; fabricating dentures, bridges, crowns and orthodontic appliances; and working with various materials such as waxes, plastics, alloys, and porcelains to fabricate dental restorations.
In line with the new program, SAC will add Level Two classes for the Complete Denture, Fixed Restorative and Removable Partial Dentures Techniques courses, a third level for Fixed Restorative Techniques, and Orthodontics/Pedodontics I and II, Dental Implants, Dental Laboratory Management, and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, as well as a Preceptorship Lecture class and a Clinical/Lab course for workplace experience.
For more information, contact Dental Laboratory Technology Coordinator Thomas Anthony at (210) 567-3063 or visit www.accd.edu/sac/alldhlth/denttech/default.htm.
