Bachelor
This degree is ideal for students who like to work behind the scenes creating and manufacturing dentures, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances but not fitting the final denture or appliance to the patient. It suits students who like working with their hands, can pay attention to detail and prefer not to work directly with the patient.
Dental Technologists (or Dental Technicians as they are often referred to) are highly skilled members of the dental team. They combine art and science skills to construct custom-made dental devices to replace, restore and correct defects that may affect our facial appearance and the ability to use our teeth properly.
As an undergraduate student, you will learn and work alongside Dentistry students in our state of the art dental clinics and laboratories located in the same building. Our students enjoy working with industry-standard equipment including CAD-CAM (Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing) facilities.
You will also expand your hands-on experience working with registered and experienced Dental Technicians in our commercial laboratory and through professional practice placements.
Honours is available through an additional year of study.
The University's Undergraduate Programs Admission Policy will apply.
This program is quota managed for which there is a limited number of places available to ensure that sufficient resources are available to support the students. Meeting the admission requirements for this program may not result in an applicant receiving an admission offer.
Prior OP students: Applicants who graduated with an OP in or before 2019 can apply to Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) for an ATAR statement. For more information visit qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/australian-tertiary-admission-rank-atar.
Admission to the Bachelor of Dental Technology (for Domestic students) will be determined by the following criteria:
As a Dental Technologist (or Dental Technician as they are often referred to) you will find employment with Dental Technicians, Dentists, Dental Prosthetists, Prosthodontists, Orthodontists, Periodontists, and Oral Surgeons in the public or private health sectors. Working to referring dental practitioners and specialists prescriptions. You will be able to design and construct appliances according to international standards that meet individual patients needs. You will work with a wide range of materials and techniques such as: gold, porcelain, plastic and lost wax technique and CAD-CAM (Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing). You may see patients to record the colour, shape and characteristics of existing teeth.
With this qualification, you can apply your scientific knowledge, artistic skills and compassionate nature across three distinct specialist areas - Prosthodontic, Conservative and Orthodontic - or you may eventually choose self-employment.
Graduates will be well equipped to sit for a 'skills exam' requested by employers.
Prosthodontic Technician (Removable Prosthodontics)
Prosthodontic technicians design and make full and partial dentures in plastics or alloy. Graduates will be well equipped for the variety of procedures and techniques to replace missing teeth and will work alongside dentists, dental prosthetists and prosthodontists.
Self-Employment
Graduates will gain an understanding of the operational issues involved in establishing a new business. Graduates may own and operate a dental laboratory.
Graduates can progress onto employment in management roles such as senior or chief technician positions; quality control technicians; teaching or dental sales.
Research opportunities
Graduates can apply to progress their research skills through an Honours, Masters or PhD qualification which may lead to various roles in academia, large-scale organisations (Corporations/Companies, Government Departments, Non-Profit/Charity Organisation).
International opportunities
Graduates will be equipped to apply for dental technicians registration in other countries. They will have gained the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to the examination process required for registration.
Griffith University grants credit and recognition of prior learning which may relate to prior formal learning or prior informal and non-formal learning. For more information, please visit the following website:
Griffith's innovative Credit Precedent Database allows you to find out what credit decisions have been made in the past. These precedents will give you an idea of what you can expect.
Selection for admission to an undergraduate degree is made on the basis of academic merit.
Selection for admission is competitive as the number of applicants generally exceeds the places available. The minimum requirement for eligibility for admission is completion of Year 12 of secondary school or equivalent academic achievement.
Prerequisites for admission may be specified in terms of levels of achievement in particular Year 12 subjects. Prerequisite conditions may be satisfied by other study or experience which is considered to be equivalent to the Year 12 prerequisites. More information is available on the Prerequisites and Assumed Knowledge website.
Further information for Queensland students completing an ATAR can be found here.
Domestic applicants should apply for admission through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).
Domestic applicants from NSW and ACT should apply for admission through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
A summary of the student profile for this program can be found on the QTAC website. The Rank profile is located on the Student Profile tab.
Important offer advice: Should you receive an offer into this program you will be required to enrol into classes* within a short timeframe. This information will be included in your Starting@Griffith email and expressed in the number of days from the day of issue of your email. For QTAC applicants this is inline with the offer response date in your offer email, however Griffith accepts close of business that day - 5pm (AEST). Please note that the number of days can vary depending on when the offer was made. This requirement applies to all applicants irrespective of how you applied and/or whether you accepted conditionally or unconditionally. If you do not enrol* into at least one class for your program by 5pm on the response day your offer will lapse. Lapsed offers are not automatically reinstated and are subject to available places.
*Enrolling into classes means that you are advising when you are attending class/es. Enrolment must be submitted