Table 1Transition record

dental practitionertodental technician

A dental practitioner already meets 63% of what the dental technician role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From dental practitioner

63%

Overlap1

To dental technician

17 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

44.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 44.4

This move: 44.4 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the dental technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the dental practitioner profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A dental technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a dental practitioner background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held select materials for orthodontic appliances handling and moving
already held handle payments in dentistry management skills
already held manage infection control in the facility assisting and caring
already held inform policy makers on health-related challenges communication, collaboration and creativity
already held use e-health and mobile health technologies working with computers
already held respond to changing situations in health care management skills

All 17 carried skills, including the 15 the dental technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 11 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 handling and moving 4 required

required, not held manufacture dental prostheses required
required, not held polish dental prostheses required
required, not held repair denture prostheses required
required, not held manipulate dental material required

02 information skills 2 required

required, not held examine dental models and impressions required
required, not held test dental appliances for compliance required

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held follow dentists' instructions required

optional, not held train dental technician staff optional
optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional

04 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

required, not held maintain laboratory dental tools required

05 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held supervise dental technician staff optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a dental technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 17 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held accept own accountability skill
already held apply organisational techniques skill
already held communicate in healthcare skill
already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
already held follow clinical guidelines skill
already held listen actively skill
already held manage infection control in the facility skill
already held promote inclusion skill
already held respond to changing situations in health care skill
already held select materials for orthodontic appliances skill
already held use e-health and mobile health technologies skill
already held work in a multicultural environment in health care skill
already held work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
already held handle payments in dentistry skill
already held inform policy makers on health-related challenges skill

3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held supervise dental technician staff optional
optional, not held train dental technician staff optional
optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional

66 held skills the dental technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on healthcare users' informed consent skill
not needed by the target role anaesthetics knowledge
not needed by the target role apply context specific clinical competences skill
not needed by the target role build community relations skill
not needed by the target role carry out local anesthesia in dental procedures skill
not needed by the target role clinical disciplines in dentistry knowledge
not needed by the target role comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
not needed by the target role conduct continuing professional development workshops skill
not needed by the target role conduct health related research skill
not needed by the target role contribute to practice innovation in health care skill
not needed by the target role correct dentofacial deformities skill
not needed by the target role correct temporomandibular joint abnormalities skill
not needed by the target role cosmetic dental procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role counsel on nutrition and its impact on oral health skill
not needed by the target role deal with emergency care situations skill
not needed by the target role deal with patients' anxiety skill
not needed by the target role dentistry science knowledge
not needed by the target role develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship skill
not needed by the target role diagnose abnormalities of dental-facial structures skill
not needed by the target role differentiate between maxillofacial tissues skill
not needed by the target role discuss dental treatment options with patient skill
not needed by the target role educate on the prevention of illness skill
not needed by the target role empathise with the healthcare user skill
not needed by the target role employment law knowledge
not needed by the target role fit dental appliances skill
not needed by the target role impact of social contexts on health knowledge
not needed by the target role interact with healthcare users skill
not needed by the target role interpret findings from medical examinations skill
not needed by the target role keep records for dental prostheses skill
not needed by the target role lead the dental team skill
not needed by the target role manage adverse reactions to anaesthesia skill
not needed by the target role manage dental emergencies skill
not needed by the target role manage edentulous patients skill
not needed by the target role manage healthcare staff knowledge
not needed by the target role manage healthcare users' data skill
not needed by the target role manage occlusion skill
not needed by the target role medico-biological and medical sciences related to dentistry knowledge
not needed by the target role minimise occupational hazards in dentistry practice skill
not needed by the target role mouth anatomy knowledge
not needed by the target role organise public oral health programmes skill

26 further entries not listed here

Index

Other moves recorded from dental practitioner

Full index of moves from dental practitioner

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.