// Unit group · 3214

Medical and Dental Prosthetic Technicians

Medical and dental prosthetic technicians design, fit, service and repair medical and dental devices and appliances following prescriptions or instructions established by a health professional. They may service a wide range of support instruments to correct physical medical or dental problems such as neck braces, orthopaedic splints, artificial limbs, hearing aids, arch supports, dentures, and dental crowns and bridges.

3 Technicians and Associate Professionals / 32 Health Associate Professionals / 321 Medical and Pharmaceutical Technicians / All level 4

// Working conditions

Air and dustChemicalsMachinery

// Hand tools

  1. 1General Hand Tool Operation
  2. 2Pliers and Wire Cutters

examining, interviewing, and measuring patients in order to determine their appliance needs, and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit

conferring with medical and dental practitioners in order to formulate specifications and prescriptions for devices and appliances

interpreting prescriptions or specifications to determine the type of product or device to be fabricated, and the materials and tools that will be required

making or receiving casts or impressions of patients' torsos, limbs, mouths or teeth for use as fabrication patterns

designing and making orthotic and prosthetic devices using materials such as thermoplastic and thermosetting materials, metal alloys and leather, and hand and power tools

fitting appliances and devices onto patients, testing and evaluating them, and making adjustments for proper fit, function and comfort

repairing, modifying and maintaining medical and dental prosthetic and supportive devices, according to specifications

bending, forming, and shaping fabric or material so that it conforms to prescribed contours needed to fabricate structural components

fabricating full and partial dentures and constructing mouth guards, crowns, metal clasps, inlays, bridgework and other aids

instructing patients in the use and care of prosthetic or orthotic devices.

Included occupations

Examples of the occupations classified here:
- Dental mechanic
- Dental technician
- Denturist
- Orthopaedic appliance maker
- Orthotic technician
- Orthotist
- Prosthetic technician
- Prosthetist

Excluded occupations

Some related occupations classified elsewhere:
- Dental aide - 5329
- Surgical instrument maker - 7311

Notes

Occupations included in this category normally require some medical, dental and anatomical and engineering knowledge obtained through formal training. Technicians who construct and repair precision medical and surgical instruments are not included here.

Indexed job titles 21