Work Healthy - Asthma, eczema and your career

Dental technician

Risk level:

Braces for the masses

As a dental technician, you make dentures, crowns and braces for dental patients. It helps to be good with your hands and careful if you want to go into this particular field. You will work with different materials such as gold, porcelain, titanium and plastic. On a less glamorous note, the chemical substances and dust in the air can mean that some people have problems with eczema or asthma.

What are the risks?

Dental technicians sometimes work with various plastics and acrylates, which are chemical substances that can cause contact allergy. This means that eczema develops when the substance comes into contact with the skin.

The job involves sanding down and soldering false teeth and braces. Dust from sanding work and smoke from heated materials can result in coughing and a runny nose, and can sometimes cause asthma.

Prevention and avoidance

Avoid contact with irritants by wearing gloves whenever possible. You can also protect your skin by rubbing a moisturising cream into your hands during breaks and at the end of the day. Good workplace ventilation is important if you are to avoid smoke and dust.

If you suffer from eczema or did so when you were little (atopic eczema), you should find out more about the risks involved before deciding to become a dental technician.

Want to know more?

If you have any questions or want to know more about allergy and eczema when working as a dental technician, get in touch with your school nurse or careers adviser.

» Back