Dental laboratory technicians possess the skills, competencies and
knowledge that is invaluable to the practice of modern dentistry.
Through the unique Dental Laboratory Technology Program situated at the
well equipped laboratories at the SUNY Erie South Campus, students are
instructed in all aspects of dental laboratory technology. Opportunities
are available for second-year students to work with doctors in private
practice, at hospitals and at commercial dental laboratories as they
prepare to join the profession and the oral health team.
The goal of the Dental Laboratory Technology Program is to train
students to be capable of the design, fabrication and production of
dental prostheses, including full and partial dentures, crowns, bridges
and orthodontic appliances. New state-of-the-art techniques, equipment
and materials are emphasized, i.e. implantology, cosmetic dentistry and
CAD/CAM technology.
The curriculum, offered on a full-time basis during the day,
highlights coursework in anatomy, physiology, occlusion, biomedical
materials, dental metallurgy, dental prostheses, ceramics technology and
computer assisted design. Classroom learning is supplemented with
laboratory experiences in our well equipped laboratories at the college,
as well as at local hospitals and commercial laboratories.
The Dental Laboratory Technology laboratories at the South Campus
have been designed to accommodate students confined to wheelchairs.
Employment opportunities are available in commercial dental
laboratories, private dental practices, hospitals, public dental health
facilities, manufacturers of dental supplies, materials and equipment
and in research facilities and educational institutions. Our graduates
are employed in various types of positions: research and development for
large manufacturing companies; quality control; technicians working at
the bench; and lecturers and demonstrators. Several are on the faculty
of dental and/or dental laboratory schools; some are denturists in
Canada and in the several states in the U.S. that license denturism; and
some open their own laboratories. Several graduates have gone on to
dental school. SUNY Erie also has a transfer articulation agreement with
Canisius College. Students who complete all the required courses in the
Dental Laboratory Technology program and who use their SUNY Erie
electives as advised can earn a B.S. in Professional & Technical
Studies degree at Canisius.
The National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory
Technology's (NBC) Recognized Graduate (RG) Examination is offered to
students during the fourth semester of the program. SUNY Erie students
traditionally exhibit one of the highest overall averages in the nation.
SUNY Erie's South Campus is also a site for the NBC's Certified Dental
Technician (CDT) examinations.