What I do

I make everything from crowns to bridges and little inlays for people’s teeth.

How I became a technician

I had no idea there was such a job when I was at school. I took A-Level Art, and we had a new teacher at the time who was keen on making things rather than painting. I really enjoyed it, so when I found out that I could make teeth I was very interested.

I found a part-time foundation degree, and I applied and got in. It involves one day a week learning and the rest in the lab doing hands-on work. There were a few colleges doing similar courses in London, but I chose one in Cardiff. The course was all online, which was a perfect fit for me.

Hear more about Khadeejah's role by watching the video below...

A typical day in my
working life

First thing, I help with packing the jobs done the day before. Everything goes through quality control before it is carefully packed and sent to the dentist. After that, I start working on my cases. I get 10 to 12 jobs and I separate them into material order – ceramic, zirconia etc. During my first year at the lab, I was taught computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) milling. I worked with specific machines, but after that I was moved to the main room for the next stage of the process, which is what I do now.

There is an artistic side to this work. How a tooth looks is very important when you are making a crown. People have different types and morphology of teeth, so you have to try to make it as similar to their natural teeth as possible, including the colour. The only time we would see a patient is for shade matching reasons – if they have teeth with a lot of ‘character’ we need to see the actual teeth in front of us, in order to get the best match.

I wanted a job where I could make things and I wasn’t stuck in front of a computer all day.

The advice I would give to a younger person

The advice I would give to a younger person is, you will find your way. I took a gap year when I left sixth form because I wanted to study English and become an English teacher, but at the last minute I withdrew my university application because I was done with studying full-time. It was the best decision I ever made. I started thinking about what I really wanted to do, and my dad encouraged me to look online and see what was around. I then tried an apprenticeship in dental nursing to see how it would be. I stayed for one week, and I quit because I didn’t like it. Then I saw dental technology and realised that I would love this. I went to a lab and fell in love with the work.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

You never get two cases that are the same and that means every day is different. For instance, one day you might get a case with multiple crowns and the next, a tiny little inlay. There is a wide variety.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

The most exciting thing for me is seeing the progress I have made in a relatively short span of time. When I first started, I was watching others working and thought it would take me ten years to learn, but I have done it in two years. The course I did was three years, but the first year was CAM, so I feel I really only started working on what I want to do in my career halfway through the second year.

The next steps in my career journey

I love what I do right now, but my ultimate goal is to own or run my own lab. I am a very organised person and like things a certain way. I love planning and I’m very particular. If I can channel all that into running a lab, I will have a great one.

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