I was indeed disheartened by the news that many UNC Dental School Lab Technicians were told their services were no longer needed, due to school budget constraints. I am a graduate ofUNC Dental School, and no doubt know most of these technicians who provided me with an invaluable educational experience while I was there. I also know how much the faculty benefited from their services and their ability to work with the technicians in order to better teach the students. I was able to take my crown preparations directly down to the lab and have the technicians provide their direct input on how it might turn out, how to make it better, etc. What a great experience for me! If these technicians are no longer there, that one-on-one interaction and instant education will not occur.
Let me tell you a little bit about the “dental lab technician” at the Dental
School, for those who may not have an idea of what they do. These folks are highly skilled professional ARTISTS that have an amazing ability to transform the vision of the dentist into a functional, aesthetic restoration or prosthesis for the patient’s mouth. Believe me, they can work miracles with the dental students. Often times midway through school I would show up to the lab with my model of a patient’s tooth that looked probably like a kid’s play-dough creation. The lab technician (along with and addition to the faculty) would look at the model, provide constructive criticism, tell me to go back and do this/that, and would provide the prediction of how it could turn out. If I wanted to add additional color to a crown that I was about to deliver, I could run down to the lab and have additional “staining” added. They were there on site, there for me….there for the faculty…..and very importantly, there for the patients that came out of the UNC Dental School with crowns and bridges, etc. that were truly exceptional. They were teachers and artists and very much cared about every aspect of their job—which at times can be somewhat stressful and hazardous. They always worked with the students with patience and a smile. What a loss!
What a loss. The dental school is getting ready, apparently, to undergo some major additions to their buildings and grounds to the tune of $104 million and is “in design”. As a UNC Dental School grad, I think it is time to concentrate on those employees that for decades have contributed to not only the education of fine dentists and a top ten dental school in the nation, but to high quality patient care for patients who travel to the school from all across the state.
