What is dental technician salary in Nigeria

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You may be wondering what dental technician salary in Nigeria is, that is if you are planning to become a dental technician in the country.

There are a lot of career opportunities in Nigeria. although their pay varies from each other. In case you don’t know, Dental technicians are part of the dental team they ensure the optimum care of the patient.

The role of dental technician is somewhat difference from that of the dentist and dental nurse, but they work together as a team to deliver holistic care to the patient.

Before we look in the salary of dental technician in Nigeria, it is appropriate for you to know who a dental technician is, how to become one, as well as what the roles of dental technicians in Nigeria are.

So, let’s get started…

Who is a dental technician?

A dental technician also known as dental technologist is a member of the dental team that is responsible for designing, constructing and repairing a variety of dental devices.

The dentist communicates with the dental technologist with prescriptions, drawings, and measurements taken from the patient involved. The most important aspect of this is the dental impression into which the technologist flows a gypsum dental stone to create a replica of the patient’s anatomy known as a dental cast. A technologist can then use this cast for the construction of custom appliances.

As a dental technician you can specialise in one of the following areas:

fixed prosthesis: it involves implants, crowns and bridges that can be cemented into place
orthodontics: it include devices such as braces to straighten teeth and mouth guards
removable prosthesis: it include dentures and removable partial dentures
maxillofacial: it deals with the reconstruction of faces damaged by disease or an accident. You could work in hospital oral surgeries, burns units and cancer units.

Dental technician works with a range of materials such as plastic, porcelain, wax and metals (including gold and stainless steel) and you will need skills in some areas such as modelling, sculpting, polishing, wire bending, ceramic work and casting. Dental technician works in a dental laboratory, or in a laboratory in a general dentist practice or a hospital.

What are the roles of dental technician in Nigeria?

The following are the roles of dental technicians in Nigeria:

they are involve in all aspects of prosthetic work including making bites and special trays, casting, mouth guards and retainers
they develop partial or full dentures (metal and non-metal) to replace the partial or total loss of tooth/teeth as the case may be
they develop accurate models from dentists’ impressions
they fabricate porcelain veneers for crowns, prostheses, implant restorations and crowns using ceramo-metal techniques
they models of the mouth and teeth from impressions of the patient’s mouth taken by the dentist
make diagnostic wax-ups, Smile Design cases, dental composite work and pressable/e.max restorations
restore natural teeth by fabricating crowns and bridges and applying them to complex implant units and implant-borne restorations
correct dental irregularities by manufacturing fixed or removable appliances, such as dentures, casings to go over teeth and retainers
replace missing facial and body tissues due to injury, disease or developmental abnormality by fabricating maxillofacial prostheses
use traditional methods and CAD/CAM for designing dental devices
maintain dental laboratory records and prepare reports on laboratory activities
update your dental laboratory technician job knowledge and skills by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks and participating in professional organisations.

Let us now take a look at dental technician salary in Nigeria before looking at how to become one.

What is dental technician salary in Nigeria?

The salary of dental technician in Nigeria is N115,000 per month. However, dental technician salary in Nigeria depends on your level of experience and the hospital or clinic you find yourself working for.

Your salary as a dental technician in Nigeria will increase as you progress in the profession. Some hospitals or clinics tend to pay more than the salary stated above while some pay less than the amount stated above.

Now that you have known the salary of dental technician in Nigeria and you wish to become one, keep on reading you will find out how to become dental technician in Nigeria.

How to become dental technician in Nigeria?

To become a dental technician you must have atleast four credits in English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics in WAEC or NECO. You can apply to an accredited university offering Dental technician as a course either through JAMB or through Direct Entry (DE).

Dental technician must either hold a recognised qualification and be registered with the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria and to practice as a dental technician you need to have a valid practising licence issued by the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria.

Skills required as a dental technician in Nigeria?

The following are the skills needed from you as a dental technician in Nigeria:

Ability to work under pressure
Good communication skills
Ability to work well with others
Ability to pay attention to details
Good familiarity with all aspects of prosthetics and the manufacturing of thermoforming appliances
Good experience in crown and bridge metalwork
Good reasoning and thinking skills
Good design skills
Must be knowledgeable
Good eyesight when making crowns and bridges

Conclusion on dental technician salary in Nigeria

Training to become a dental technician requires a combination of academic study as well as experience gained from working on the job. Therefore, regardless of the country that they are from, after becoming a qualified technician (so long as the title of “dental technician” exists there) one has finished their studies, but not their training since these crafts take years of experience to master.

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