How to Create a Dental Technician Resume (with Example)

Updated 30 July 2023

Dental technicians use highly specialised equipment to develop a range of dental prostheses, such as dentures, crowns, implants, bridges and mouth guards. If this is a career that interests you, it's an excellent idea to create an impressive resume that discusses your relevant experience, qualifications and skills. Having a well-written dental technician resume can attract the interest of prospective employers and increase your chances of securing your desired opening.

In this article, we present a detailed list of steps on how to create a resume for a dental technician role and provide a resume template and example.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

How to create a dental technician resume

Here's a step-by-step guide designed to help you create a successful dental technician resume:

1. Choose a suitable resume format

The three popular resume options among job candidates include the chronological resume, functional resume and combination resume. When choosing which format is right for you, it's helpful to consider your level of experience, skills and qualifications as a dental technician.

For example, if you're a qualified technician with multiple years of dental experience, a chronological resume might be ideal. With a chronological resume, you can use most of your resume's available space to highlight your work history and discuss your career achievements. Using this format can also help hiring managers quickly assess your suitability for the position.

Alternatively, you might have recently completed training in dental technology or have less than three years of experience as a dental technician. In situations such as these, a functional resume might be a better option than a chronological one. The functional resume focuses on showcasing a candidate's most relevant skills rather than their work history.

For instance, with this resume type, you could list a variety of desirable abilities you can bring to the position and then provide examples of instances where you used these skills and knowledge in a prior role or training course.

2. Provide your contact information

After you've chosen your resume format, start creating your resume by listing your contact information at the top of your document. Open with your full name in a large and bold font. Underneath your name, insert your phone number, email address and the city and state or territory in which you live. Here's an example of how this might appear on your resume:

Charlotte Wilson
(08) 5550 5555 | charlotte.wilson@email.com | Perth, Western Australia

3. Write a professional summary

Underneath your contact information, write a professional summary that's two or three sentences long. A professional summary is a brief statement describing your experience as a dental technician and one or two significant skills, achievements or qualifications you wish to showcase. Because a summary is often the first thing a hiring manager reads when reviewing candidate resumes, it's an excellent opportunity to capture their attention and show them why you're a good fit for the role.

When writing your summary, try to tailor it to the job's requirements. For instance, suppose your desired employer is searching for a dental technician who has experience creating full and partial dentures and has excellent teamwork and attention to detail skills. Here's an example of a professional summary that addresses these criteria:

Qualified dental technician with 7 years of experience working alongside senior dental technicians and laboratory teams. Talented at creating full and partial dentures and recognised by former employer for having strong attention to detail and communication skills.

4. Outline your work experience

Next, add a work experience section and provide information about the roles you've occupied as a dental technician and the most relevant tasks you completed in them. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your abilities and achievements and show hiring employers why you're a good fit for the job.

For each job you wish to list, start by writing your employment details. These include the title of the role and your employment dates, followed by the name of the employer and the city and state or territory in which you worked. Here's an example of how this may appear:

Dental Technician | May 2018–Current
Chester Hill Dental Centre | Perth, Western Australia

From here, include a bullet list and write several descriptions of key responsibilities you undertook or achievements you accomplished in the role. Aim to choose duties or achievements that closely match the responsibilities of your desired position. For example, if a key duty of the role involves preparing dental impressions, you might convey your experience performing this task by writing: performed over 100 impressions to create well-fitted moulds for patients.

5. List your technical skills

Because the role of a dental technician requires specialised capabilities, it can benefit you to list your most desirable technical skills. For instance, you could mention abilities and knowledge you may have of dental prostheses, 3-D scanning software, dental procedures, patient care and infection control.

There are a variety of technical abilities that dental technicians use, but if you're unsure about which ones to focus on in your resume, review the job description and note which ones your desired employer values.

6. Highlight your soft skills

Throughout their daily responsibilities, dental technicians also use a variety of soft skills. For example, they may use empathy and interpersonal communication skills when discussing denture, veneer or crown options with patients. A technician might also apply their critical thinking abilities when monitoring and ordering supplies or use their teamwork skills when working in a laboratory environment with senior dental technicians. Because soft skills are significant to a dental technician's role, it's a great idea to highlight any desirable ones you have.

7. Mention your educational achievements

Employers may prefer dental technicians who have completed training in dental technology. For this reason, it can benefit you to add an education section to your resume and mention any relevant certifications you've completed. For each certificate or degree you wish to list, write the title of the certification, followed by the name of the school or institution where you studied. Here's an example of how this might appear on your resume:

Diploma of Dental Technology, Barrington Dental Institute

Resume template for dental technicians

Here's a template you can use as a formatting guide when creating your resume:

[Given name] [Family name], [Degree or certification, if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State or Territory]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience

(For the most recent role, list 5 experience items. For previous roles, list 3.)

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State or Territory]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State or Territory]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]

Education
[Qualification name] | [Name of School or University]

Resume example for dental technicians

Here's an example resume created for a dental technician position:

Julian White, Diploma of Dental Technology (08) 5550 5555 | julian.white@email.com | Perth, Western Australia

Professional Summary
Passionate dental technician with 9 years of experience creating a wide range of dental prostheses and orthodontic appliances. Talented at performing a variety of dental procedures and highly skilled in areas of X-ray treatment, customer service and teamwork.

Experience

Dental Technician | January 2019–Current
Lindfield Valley Dental | Perth, Western Australia

Following company protocols to create excellent quality prosthetic denture products
Preparing children of varying ages for dental-related X-rays and processed films
Creating over 75 porcelain crowns units and conducted 35 opaque crown procedures for patients
Providing new employees with training and mentoring
Managing inventory and research costs of dental products to ensure the business is sourcing quality materials

Dental Technician | March 2014–December 2018
Norton Point Dental Facility | Perth, Western Australia

Determined the right size and design of dentures, crowns and bridges for over 100 patients
Maintained a 95% customer service score for developing excellent relationships with patients
Provided assistance to dentists by organising dental X-ray films

Skills

Education

Diploma of Dental Technology, Chastwood Dental Institute