Industry dying!

[jeffrey spiegel]

When was the last time a young American wanted to be a dental tech, at 58 i am the youth of the industry.

 

[Tayebdental]

That makes us two!!

 

[2thm8kr]

I'm 43

 

[Tayebdental]

At 43 you are young my friend.

 

[jeffrey spiegel]

In my area of bucks county pa, the number of labs left is going lower every year. Guys are retiring or dying or just had enough of the never ending bullcrap. We must keep lowering our prices to stay in the game. When was the last time a American lab opened up in your area?

 

[martintay]

Doomed Told my children no way find another career !

 

[jeffrey spiegel]

If you like to work 7 days a week for peanuts, it's a great field! The sad part is I like making teeth , but the industry wears me out!

 

[Tayebdental]

Doomed Told my children no way find another career !

Martintay, it is funny you say that, i have four boys, people ask me, are your kids going to be lab techs?.
I say no way shape or form to encourage any of them to be a lab tech. My boys got the message . My oldest is a dentist, my second is a financial analyst, my third is going next year to dental school and my youngest working hard in school to go to medical school.

Dental technician in the US is one of the least rewarding job according to the US department of labor, then why bother and waist your time.

 

[JohnWilson]

I was lucky my kids want/wanted no part of it

I had 3 old friends come and visit my lab this month out of the blue. Each were/are techs and at one time ran their own labs locally. 2 out of the three hung it up in the last 6 months and the one survivor is looking for a job. I feel very fortunate that I diversified with technology and hit the implant market hard when I saw the writing on the wall a several years back. Continuing down the analog route with average skills is a death sentence and these 3 guys were awesome techs but they just can't not compete in this world today. Its sad but they choose their path, often times I regret not taking bigger risks earlier in my career but who knows where that would have lead me.

While the stress is always going to be there I still enjoy what I do and feel very blessed that I stumbled into this industry.

 

[ParkwayDental]

I am 25 years old. I've been doing this for four years now. Who knows where things will go

 

[2thm8kr]

You're in a good position for the future Tyler.

 

[ParkwayDental]

You're in a good position for the future Tyler.

I can only hope so, I am hoping all the CADCAM I know and can learn will help benefit me for the future.

I'm also trying to learn as much as I can about how to run the business to help me out. But hey if all fails I'm going to go visit John and were going to Vegas!

 

[2thm8kr]

John's never going to live that comment down.lol

 

[BobCDT]

It's more than evident where dental technology is going. 7 or 8 years ago we could question this.
Jeffrey, yes there is pricing pressure and many have and are investing in the solution, CAD CAM. We looked at our lab and determined it took 2.5 hours labor for us to produce a PFM using an analog workflow. Today it's very easy to produce a crown that docs are prescribing using just 20-25 minutes of labor. Historically labor in all labs biggest expense. Reducing labor per crown by 85% would obviously enable lab owners to reduce fees and maintain a solid bottom line. The problem with the labs that are struggling is they have not embraced the now very commonplace 25 minute solution. Today, dental technology is more about technology than ever before.
I have a son, 32 and doing well on his own. I wish he would have come in with me. I believe our future is bright.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

im 30, doing 3shape cad since release in 2007. you think i can get a job in Eastern suburbs of Toronto ? from here to Ottawa theres nothing for a Digital tech like me; only rock banging oldboys but even then its an incestuous club of people. since March the only people to even return a call for a potential job has been one installer of Dentists offices and equipment; by far not labwork nor cad work.

i could start my own design center but to what end? if the labs don't want to hire, they dont want to outsource either, especially not to someone they wouldnt hire. i may start a thing but i wouldn't get any work.

the only shot i have at a future is to get out of Ontario. that's just not happening.

so i'm officially saying here my goodbyes. i'm choosing a new career. anyone who wishes to further keep in touch may do so via email at mistergodfrey . @ , gmail.com

 

[user name]

Im old(ish). I do most things with my hands and fire. I am learning my way into the digital stuff, and when my scanner is paid off I will be very excited to get some CNC going in my cave. I love this stuff. Its Saturday and Im working. I worked late last night and Ill be here tomorrow too. I guess it just makes me happy.

 

[HDL Owner]

When was the last time a young American wanted to be a dental tech, at 58 i am the youth of the industry.

Why would anyone? I am also 57 and yes of a dying breed of denture technicians. Soon technician will no longer be needed rather computer programers! 3-D printers and milling machine make us unecesary.

 

[HDL Owner]

In my area of bucks county pa, the number of labs left is going lower every year. Guys are retiring or dying or just had enough of the never ending bullcrap. We must keep lowering our prices to stay in the game. When was the last time a American lab opened up in your area?

To expensive to open a lab today, for the return on the money spent. I bet start up fee's today would be about 200,000$

 

[HDL Owner]

If you like to work 7 days a week for peanuts, it's a great field! The sad part is I like making teeth , but the industry wears me out!

Saaturday and just shut the lights out after a 9hr day LOL. If I didn't love this job I would quit today and bag groceries and make more at a 40hr week! RAISE PRICES! right and Large labs and outsourcing would kill me instantly. I get daily e-mails from China to outsource/ dentures turned around in 3 works day-59$ just saying

 

[HDL Owner]

I was lucky my kids want/wanted no part of it

I had 3 old friends come and visit my lab this month out of the blue. Each were/are techs and at one time ran their own labs locally. 2 out of the three hung it up in the last 6 months and the one survivor is looking for a job. I feel very fortunate that I diversified with technology and hit the implant market hard when I saw the writing on the wall a several years back. Continuing down the analog route with average skills is a death sentence and these 3 guys were awesome techs but they just can't not compete in this world today. Its sad but they choose their path, often times I regret not taking bigger risks earlier in my career but who knows where that would have lead me.

While the stress is always going to be there I still enjoy what I do and feel very blessed that I stumbled into this industry.

Always great so read your post! Question? A one person lab doing ok, but can a small guy move forward when equipment cost so much! A laser welder 24,000$ Milling machine for bar 100,000$ flexable rpd's all included 7,000$
I know I bucked you about 3-D printers awhile back-but now they are here and being used cost 300,000$ But at 58 LOL I have 6 years left before I hang up the #7 spatula and go to Florida!!!