Study Dental Technology at Otago

• Overview
• Career opportunities
• Admission
• Contact details
• Qualifications
• Papers
• Programme requirements

Overview

A dental technician makes a wide range of dental appliances. The three-year Bachelor of Dental Technology degree (BDentTech) enables you to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills to become a competent dental technician and work independently as a member of the dental team. Dental technicians can have direct clinical contact with patients, following completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology, providing a service in removable denture prosthetics. There is also the option to do the Bachelor of Dental Technology with Honours (BDentTech(Hons)), which involves doing additional research-based papers.

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Career opportunities

Dental Technology is a global profession. Throughout the world there is a high demand for skilled dental technicians.

In New Zealand and Australia, dental technicians are employed by commercial dental laboratories which provide the bulk of the work for the private dental industry, the defence forces, hospitals and state health dental services. The ratio of employer to employee is approximately 1:3 and many dental technicians ultimately set up business for themselves. There are no barriers to becoming self-employed.

Once you graduate you can register with the Dental Council of New Zealand and work in many different areas of dental technology. There are opportunities for postgraduate study at the University of Otago, such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology (PGDipCDTech), Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Technology (PGDipDentTech), the Master of Dental Technology (MDentTech) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.

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Admission

To be admitted to the course directly from school, you should have attained a minimum of 14 credits in each of two National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3 approved subjects (or equivalent) from Science, Mathematics or Technology.

Application is made online through the website otago.ac.nz/healthsciences and must be completed by 15 September of the preceding year. Late applications may be considered. In addition, you must complete university enrolment procedures.

100-level papers

If you wish to study for the Bachelor of Dental Technology degree, you must take the following 100-level papers:

• DTEC 101 Dental Materials 1
• DTEC 102 Dental Technology 1
• DTEC 103 Oral Health Sciences for Dental Technology
• CHEM 191 The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
• PHSI 191 Biological Physics

200-level and beyond

200-level papers include dental biomaterials and the construction of partial dentures, orthodontic appliances and conservative restorations by means of traditional and digital technologies.

300-level includes marketing, practice management, biomaterials research, digital manufacturing technologies and construction of complex appliances for crown and bridge restorations; implant restorations and dentures.

Health and conduct

The Division of Health Sciences requires all applicants applying for any of its health professional programmes to declare any criminal or disciplinary charges they have faced, or are facing, and any health status issues which could a ect their participation in clinical aspects of the programme or their overall fitness to practise.

Contact the Health Sciences Admissions Office for information.

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Contact details

Faculty of Dentistry
University of Otago
PO Box 56
DUNEDIN 9054
New Zealand
Tel +64 3 479 7125
Email oral.rehabilitation@otago.ac.nz

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Qualifications

• Bachelor of Dental Technology (BDentTech)
• Bachelor of Dental Technology with Honours (BDentTech(Hons)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology (PGDipCDTech)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Technology
• Master of Dental Technology (MDentTech)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Papers

See the full list of Dental Technology (DTEC) papers.

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Programme requirements

Bachelor of Dental Technology (BDentTech)

Year	Papers	Points
1st year	CHEM 191  The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health DTEC 101  Dental Materials 1 DTEC 102  Dental Technology 1 DTEC 103  Oral Health Sciences for Dental Technology PHSI 191  Biological Physics	18 18 51 15 18
2nd year	DTEC 201  Dental Materials 2 DTEC 202  Dental Technology 2 DTEC 203  Dental Technology 3 DTEC 204  Applied Design for Orthodontics	18 45 45 12
3rd year	DTEC 301  SSpecial Topic: Dental Technology Research DTEC 302  Dental Technology 4 DTEC 303  Practice Management MART 205  Marketing the Professional Practice	45 45 12 18

Notes: The due date for applications for first enrolment in the programme is 15 September in the year preceding that in which the programme is to be commenced. Late applications may be considered.
Candidates who have passed CHEM 191 and/or PHSI 191 will not be required to repeat those papers. Those who have passed approved equivalents may be eligible for exemption from CHEM 191 and/or PHSI 191. Candidates who are not required to take CHEM 191 and/or PHSI 191 will normally be required to take additional approved papers.

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Bachelor of Dental Technology with Honours (BDentTech(Hons)) (Option B)

Stage	Papers	Points
1st - 3rd years	Prerequisites: All requirements for the ordinary degree of Bachelor of Dental Technology (BDentTech)
4th stage	DTEC 490  Dental Technology Research 3	120
	Note: The due date for applications for Enrolment in the Fourth Stage is 1 November in the year in which the applicant completes the requirements for the ordinary BDentTech degree.

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Bachelor of Dental Technology with Honours (BDentTech(Hons)) (Option A)

Stage	Papers	Points
1st year	Prerequisite: Health Sciences First Year Course Notes: (i) Students enrolled in the Health Sciences First Year course will be required to achieve a satisfactory mark in a standard diagnostic English test or another approved measure of achievement. (ii) For purposes of admission into the second year of the programme, a second attempt in a First Year paper in the Schedule in which a pass has already been achieved will not be considered.	126
2nd year	Prerequisites: DTEC 102  Dental Technology 1 DTEC 103  Oral Health Sciences for Dental Technology DTEC 105  Dental Materials 3 DTEC 204  Applied Design for Orthodontics MART 205  Marketing the Professional Practice	51 15 30 12 18
3rd stage	DTEC 202  Dental Technology 2 DTEC 203  Dental Technology 3 DTEC 205  Dental Materials 4 DTEC 303  Practice Management DTEC 491  Dental Technology Research 1	45 45 6 12 25
4th stage	DTEC 302  Dental Technology 4 DTEC 492  Dental Technology Research 2	45 95
	Note: The due date for applications for enrolment in the Second Year of the ordinary BDentTech programme (after completing the Health Sciences First Year course) and in the Third Stage of the Honours programme (after a year of enrolment for the ordinary BDentTech degree) is 1 November in the year preceding admission to the course concerned.

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Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology (PGDipCDTech)

Papers
DTEC 401  Complete Denture Prosthodontics DTEC 402  Partial Denture Prosthodontics DTEC 403  Dental Health

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Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Technology (PGDipDentTech)

Papers
DTEC 501  Advanced Dental Materials Science; and Two of DTEC 502  Advanced Fixed Prosthodontics Techniques DTEC 503  Advanced Implant Prosthodontic Techniques DTEC 504  Advanced Maxillofacial Prosthodontic Techniques DTEC 505  Topics in Advanced Dental Technology

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MDentTech degree table

Papers and Thesis
DTEC 501  Advanced Dental Materials Science Two of: DTEC 502  Advanced Fixed Prosthodontic Techniques DTEC 503  Advanced Implant Prosthodontic Techniques DTEC 504  Advanced Maxillofacial Prosthodontic Techniques DTEC 505  Topics in Advanced Dental Technology Thesis: DTEC 5

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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2020 Calendar and supplementary material.