There are two paths into dental lab technology: a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), or on-the-job training at a commercial dental laboratory — BLS says most dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn on the job.
Neither path is gated by the CDT: the NBC describes certification as voluntary, and there's no federal license requirement for the field (state rules exist — see below).
From either start, technicians can go on to the voluntary CDT — three exams from the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC).
The short answer
You don't need a college degree to become a dental lab technician — you need hands-on skill, and there are two accepted ways to build it.
The first is a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA); the second is on-the-job training at a commercial dental laboratory, learning under working technicians — BLS says most dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians learn on the job, often starting as helpers.
What many technicians pursue on top of either route is the Certified Dental Technician (CDT) credential, a voluntary certification from the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC).
There's no federal license requirement standing between you and the bench — but state rules on dental laboratory work do exist, and the callout below covers what to check.
No federal license requirement — but check your state and your lab's policies
The step-by-step path
Both routes into the field — and the optional certification on top of them — follow a similar shape:
Finish high school
A high school diploma or equivalent is the baseline for both the school route and the on-the-job route — and both routes feed the CDT pathway, which runs on documented training and experience: the NBC counts apprenticeships and training courses toward that documented total.Choose a route: accredited program or on-the-job training
A CODA-accredited dental laboratory technology program combines classroom material science and dental anatomy with hands-on lab practicals. The alternative is getting hired directly by a commercial dental lab as a trainee, learning one product line at a time (often simpler finishing or model work first) before rotating onto more complex cases.Build professional experience
The NBC's published path sets the experience bar by background. Technicians without a degree need at least five years of documented dental-technology training and/or experience — apprenticeships and training courses count — or fewer years combined with documented continuing education (4 years + 75 CE hours, 3 + 150, or 2 + 225). Graduates of an ADA-accredited dental laboratory technology program (or the Department of Defense lab technician course) need at least two years of documented training and experience after graduation, not concurrent with the coursework.Pass the CDT's three exams — within four years
The NBC requires three exams for CDT certification: a written Comprehensive Exam, a written Specialty Exam, and a hands-on Practical Exam — the last two both in one of the NBC's seven recognized specialties (Ceramics, Complete Dentures, Crown & Bridge, Digital Workflow, Implants, Orthodontics, and Partial Dentures). The three exams can be taken in any order, but all three must be passed within a four-year period.Maintain the credential
Once certified, a CDT renews annually and completes continuing education each cycle — a mix of required regulatory-standards credit, scientific/clinical credit, and general professional-development credit — to keep the certification current.
The CDT credential, in more depth
The CDT is administered by the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC), an independent certifying board.
It isn't a government license — the NBC describes it as voluntary certification — but it's the field's recognized mark of competency, and BLS says certification may make candidates more attractive to employers and improve advancement.
The NBC also offers a Recognized Graduate (RG) credential, separate from the CDT; see the NBC directly for its current requirements.
For the exam-by-exam CDT breakdown — structure, eligibility pathways, and the CE requirement to keep the credential current — see CDT certification: the Certified Dental Technician exam.
Is earning the CDT worth it?
The CDT isn't required to work as a dental lab technician — the NBC describes certification as voluntary, and BLS calls it optional.
What it does is signal a verified level of skill to employers, which can matter most when you're trying to move into a specialty niche, a supervisory role, or a lab that weighs certification in hiring.
There's no verified national figure for a CDT pay premium, so treat any specific number you see elsewhere as a lab-by-lab estimate rather than a guarantee — ask a target employer directly how, or whether, certification affects pay or role there.
For the broader role, see what a dental lab technician does.
This article is general career information. NBC exam formats, fees, and requirements change over time — verify current details directly with the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology before applying.