This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians. 

Please check back for updates. 

A Dental Technician makes and repairs crowns, bridges, and other dental appliances based on prescriptions and impressions provided by a Dentist. They need a good understanding of the mouth’s anatomy, how it functions, common diseases, and how oral tissues respond to dental materials and any potential trauma.

Dental Technicians need to understand the materials used in dental technology, including their chemical, physical, and mechanical properties, to ensure they are used safely and effectively for the patient’s benefit. They must also have strong manual dexterity and technical skills across all areas of dental technology.

In addition, good planning and communication skills are important so they can adapt to the evolving needs of the dental profession.

This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians.

Please check back for updates. 

Key Career Interests for Dental Technicians:

1. Realist – Dental Technicians are well-suited to realist personalities, who enjoy finding practical solutions using tools, technology, and hands-on skills. This aligns closely with the technician’s work of constructing and repairing dental appliances with precision and manual expertise.

2. Investigative – Those with investigative interests may be drawn to the scientific and analytical aspects of dental technology, such as understanding materials, anatomy, and how appliances interact with oral structures.

3. Administrative – Individuals who value routine, structure, and working within a larger system may enjoy the organised, methodical environment found in dental labs, often involving documentation and coordination within dental teams.

 View Career Explorer to learn more about the qualities suited to this role. 

Dental technicians typically work in laboratories that are separate from dental clinics.  They follow a dentist's instructions to make crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, and other dental appliances for patients in the lab.

This role requires strong manual dexterity and the ability to work with a variety of materials used in the fabrication process. As the field evolves, dental technology is increasingly incorporating CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) systems into laboratory work.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
• Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
• Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatus.
• Create a model of patient's mouth by pouring plaster into a dental impression and allowing plaster to set.
• Place tooth models on apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
• Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
• Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
• Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
• Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
• Load newly constructed teeth into porcelain furnaces to bake the porcelain onto the metal framework.

This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians. 

Please check back for updates. 

This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians. 

Please check back for updates. 

Once qualified and experienced, Dental Technicians can choose to specialise in areas such as orthodontics, ceramics, prosthodontics, or maxillofacial work. Those specialising in maxillofacial work usually work in hospitals under the guidance of Oral Surgeons.

They may work independently of dentists, as long as they do not perform procedures inside the mouth, such as taking impressions or fitting appliances.

Professional Development 

Irish Dental Association     

Irish Dental Council    

This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians. 

Please check back for updates. 

Finding an Employer

Finding an employer or registering your interest with an official Coordinating Provider is one of the first things you need to do to start an apprenticeship.

To find an apprenticeship and secure an apprenticeship work contract you can search apprenticeship vacancies on the Apprenticeship Jobs Portal . You can search for vacancies by location and by apprenticeship type.

Your local Education and Training Board may also hold details of employers seeking to employ an apprentice.

You should also directly connect with local employers who might be interested in taking on an apprentice. It is a great idea to get a part time job with a local employer who might be more inclined to take you on as an apprentice following a successful work experience placement or a part time job contract.

Online Job Sites

Here are some direct links to employment websites that frequently list apprenticeship vacancies.

Note: These websites may include vacancies that are not QQI accredited Apprenticeships.

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn. The employer pays you a salary while you are being trained on-the-job and off-the-job. The rate of pay is agreed between you and your employer.

This apprenticeship is currently in development with SOLAS, City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and a consortium of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians. 

Please check back for updates.