Vocational Training is gaining more and more prominence among people looking for a job opportunity. In this sense, the dental sector is one of the fields with the greatest demand within vocational training for two reasons: concern for oral health care is on the rise and companies need qualified professionals in this field. One of the sectors that creates the most jobs per year is Dental Prosthetics.
The dental technician is a profile requested not only by dental clinics, but also by the Research and Development (R&D) departments of this industry. According to the Annual Labor Market Report by Occupation, created by the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), in the last decade the contracts of this health professional have increased. To access the sector it is essential to complete the Higher Degree in Dental Prosthetics.
This degree lasts two years and in the last decade it has undergone a brutal transformation thanks to the digitalization of some of its processes. What was previously an artisanal and strictly manual process has now become a mechanized and digital work that is carried out through design, 3D printing and milling techniques. Many of the subjects are based precisely on the use of technology.
Celia Marín, coordinator of the Dental Prosthetics Training Cycle at Escola Pejoan, a reference center in the educational field of dental health, explains that in the first year they work more on the analog part and in the second on the digital part. “In both, practice is essential, since it is a profession in which it is essential to memorize processes by repeating them,” she says.
At Escola Pejoan they are committed to a teaching method based on technical skills, personal skills and social skills, combining the theoretical part with practice from practically the first day. “We call it learning by doing -in Spanish, learning by doing-. 70% of the contents are practical while 30% are theoretical,” Marín points out.
Among the subjects that make up the curriculum are Dental Prosthetics Laboratory, Orthodontics and Occlusal Splints and Restorations and Metal Structures in Fixed Prostheses, among others. Marín highlights MP03 and MP04 for complete prosthetics and orthodontics. “They are the most practical and this motivates the students, since they learn without making additional mental effort, although they also need to demonstrate what they have learned in class for the practice to be a success,” he comments.
Celia also highlights the prominence that CAD/CAM technology has been gaining among students. “It enriches both on a technical and technological level, although the dental prosthesis will never lose its analog essence, very necessary depending on the treatments, but it is evident that the sector has incorporated technology to make our work easier, as in all trades,” details the professional.
At Escola Pejoan, the second academic year focuses on the CAD-CAM project, which brings together almost 300 hours between theory, individual practices, design, 3D and CAM processes, outsourcing exercises and learning real protocols with companies. Each student has a computer with which to practice in 3D printing, thus seeing the result of their physical designs.