The route, drawn out
DWG 8CD6 · 5 stops · 3 years to qualify-
Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
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Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
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3 years Fully qualified around £27k
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+3–5 years Experienced up to £42k
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Then Your own business you set the rate
The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.
What the job is
Dental technicians are the people who actually make dental appliances. Working from impressions and digital scans, you build crowns, bridges, dentures and orthodontic appliances in ceramics, metals and resins, increasingly using CAD design and 3D printing alongside traditional hand skills.
It is laboratory work rather than patient-facing, which suits people who want healthcare precision without the chairside contact. Technicians register with the General Dental Council, and experienced ones can run their own laboratories.
A typical day
- Work from impressions, models and digital scans
- Design and construct crowns, bridges and dentures
- Use CAD/CAM systems and 3D printing alongside hand techniques
- Match shade, shape and occlusion accurately
- Maintain infection control and materials records
How you get in
- Usually GCSE grade 4 (C) or above in English, maths and a science
- Excellent fine motor skills and colour vision
- Patience for detailed, repetitive precision work
- You must be employed by a dental laboratory to train
Where it leads
- GDC registration as a dental technician
- Specialise in orthodontics, maxillofacial or implant work
- Clinical dental technician, working directly with patients
- Running your own dental laboratory
Where to train for this
5 colleges and training providers on our list cover Dental Technician training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.