How easy is it for a Dental Technician to be self-employed?

I am seriously looking for a career where I can work for myself and Dental Technology is one of the careers I am thinking of. I intend to step into it by studying the course at a college for 2 years at least.

Please, is the career an easy route into self-employment? Is it expensive to set up a modern dental Lab? What do you see as a problem in getting a dental lab up and running? How does one establish contact with potential customers? Please tell me all you know about the chance of self-employment which Dental Technology offers.

Thanks in advance

Depending what country you are in but in the UK you can work in a dental lab on a self emp's basis or work from a surgery where you basically take on all their dunture and crown work but work from the surgery. It costs a lot for the equipment though if you went down that route.

Your best bet would be to look in the Yellow Pages for local dental labs and contact them to see if you could visit to find out more about the job.
I'm assuming that you have looked at the job description on various internet sites so you should be aware that dent techs can work alone or in small, medium and large labs.

It would be very expensive to set up a lab from scratch. When you visit one you will see for yourself the amount of equipment needed. It is difficult to estimate a cost as it depends on whether you would do only prosthodontics or crown & bridge or orthodontics or everything.

Try getting in contact with the Dental Technologist Association, you can apply to do a 2year full time course or a 3 years part time course.

The address is as follows The Dental Technologist Association
PO Box 6520
Northampton
NN3 92X
08702430753
Email-sueadams@dta-uk.org
They should be able to give you all the info you need, if not try contacting these guys, this is the lab that my surgery uses and they should be able to help as well 02086892905

you could probably get a pretty nice set up going in your garage for under 50,000. the problem is going to be trying to find dentists to send you work. i'd go work at a big lab for a few years with the plan of starting your own once you are established.

good luck. for what i pay for crowns i know you'll make money!

Are you absolutely crazy??????

yes i admire your enthusiasm but it would cost you an arm and leg to get fitted up //try something a little less ambitious