Diploma in Dental Technician / Dental Mechanics
Dental Technician / Dental Mechanics
Overview: A specialized healthcare diploma program designed to train students in fabricating, repairing, and customizing artificial dental prostheses and appliances.
Role & Function: Dental Technicians work in dental laboratories. They process impressions sent by dentists to craft complete/partial dentures, crowns, bridges, orthodontic appliances, and custom implants.
Key Focus: Hands-on laboratory craftsmanship, dental materials science, casting/molding techniques, and modern digital dentistry (such as CAD/CAM operations).
Total Duration: 2 Years (Full-Time Diploma Program)
Structure: Divided into two academic years (Primary / Year 1 and Final / Year 2), featuring classroom lectures, extensive laboratory practicals, and clinical demonstration sessions.
Internal Assessment (20% to 30% Weightage):
Periodic class tests and laboratory logbook assessments.
Pre-clinical carving/wax-up exercises and project submissions.
External / Year-End Theory Exams (50% to 70% Weightage):
Written papers containing short essays, objective questions, and structured short-answer questions.
Practical & Viva-Voce Examination:
Practical Tests: Hands-on evaluation of impression boxing, tooth carving, wire bending, and denture wax-up/acrylization.
Viva-Voce: Oral examination on dental materials, metallurgy, laboratory instruments, and infection control protocols.
Year 1 (Primary Level) – Fundamentals & Basic Sciences
Applied Physics, Chemistry & Mechanics: Physical properties of matter, heat expansion, surface tension, acid-base titrations, and electrical equipment used in dental workrooms.
Applied Oral Anatomy & Histology: Structure of teeth, jaws, muscles of mastication, tooth carving in wax/plaster, and occlusion basics.
Dental Mechanics (Primary): Impression preservation, cast preparation, special tray fabrication, bite blocks, articulators, and tooth arrangement.
Infection Control & Lab Safety: Sterilization procedures and safe handling of dental materials.
Year 2 (Final Level) – Advanced Prosthetics & Technology
Dental Materials & Metallurgy: Composition and handling of plaster, waxes, resins, ceramics, dental cements, gold, silver, titanium, stainless steel, and casting alloys.
Complete & Partial Dentures: Removable Partial Dentures (RPD), metal frameworks, surveying, flasking, dewaxing, curing, and polishing.
Crown & Bridge Work (Fixed Prosthodontics): Die preparation, wax-up, casting techniques, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns, and CAD/CAM fabrication.
Orthodontic Appliances & Maxillofacial Prosthetics: Wire bending, acrylic plates, splints, and retention appliances.
Computer Skills & Lab Management: Basics of computing, record keeping, material inventory control, and office management routines.
