Technological Dental Lab

Learning objectives

• Acquire practical skills in dental-technician processing: plaster, resins, waxes, metals, ceramic and composite materials.
• Develop technical skills in digital processes: CAD-CAM, virtual modelling, milling and 3D printing.
• Consolidate anatomical and biomechanical knowledge for creating functional and aesthetic prostheses.
• Promote the use of digital technologies for design, simulation and computer-aided manufacturing.
• Strengthen the ability to work in teams, manage production, and comply with hygiene-health and safety regulations.

Skills developed

• Creation of plaster models from analogue or digital impressions.
• Construction of removable, fixed and skeletal prostheses using traditional and digital materials.
• Use of dental-technician CAD software for designing crowns, bridges, inlays, implant bars.
• Use of milling machines and 3D printers for the production of prosthetic structures.
• Development of skills in lab management: organization, material procurement, digital archiving of cases.

Practical exercises (examples)

• Preparation and mounting on an articulator of plaster models.
• Diagnostic wax-up and construction of full and partial prostheses.
• CAD processing: impression scanning, 3D modelling, CAM file generation.
• 3D printing and milling of models and prosthetic artefacts.
• Polishing, finishing, colouring of removable and fixed prostheses.
• Quality control, fit testing and aesthetic-functional verification.

Technical equipment (examples)

• Individual workbenches with individual extraction, LED lights and articulated arms.
• Preheating, casting and ceramization furnaces.
• 3D printers for resins and waxes and 5-axis milling machines.
• Intraoral and laboratory scanners, dedicated CAD/CAM software (e.g. Exocad, 3Shape).
• Articulators, micro-motors, pliers and complete dental-technician instrumentation.
• Extraction cabinets, small ovens, grinders, micro-sandblasters, polymerizers.

Curricular integration

The lab integrates with the following paths:

• Vocational schools – Services for Health and Social Care track – Dental Technician
• Work-based learning (cross-disciplinary skills and orientation paths)
• Multidisciplinary projects on health, technology, precision mechanics

Accessibility and inclusion

The Technological Dental Lab is designed according to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), to ensure equal opportunities and full participation for all students, regardless of their abilities or personal conditions.

Workstations can be configured in a modular way to meet different motor needs, with height-adjustable benches, ergonomic seating and spaces suitable for assisted mobility. The use of digital equipment and CAD/CAM software allows greater teaching flexibility and facilitates the adaptation of operational activities also for students with visual or hearing difficulties or specific learning disorders.

In addition, the lab can be equipped with:

• Voice synthesis systems and screen magnifiers for students with visual disabilities.
• Software with simplified interfaces and video tutorials to support independent comprehension.
• Customizable, subtitled and highly legible multimedia materials.
• Guided paths and work protocols designed for pair or small-group work, to foster peer cooperation.

Technical support and teacher training

• Support in the design and installation of the lab.
• Methodological and technical training on the use of equipment and software.
• Updated video courses and technical manuals, accessible online.
• Continuous post-installation technical support and consultancy for professional development.

Why choose this lab

Concrete hands-on experience | Updated CAD/CAM technologies | Integrated digital and traditional processing. Enhancement of Made in Italy dental technology | Targeted professional orientation | Safety and innovation.

With the Kyron labs dedicated to dental technology, the school becomes a workshop of excellence, where precision and creativity meet to shape the future of the healthcare and technological sector.