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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Dental Laboratory Assisting

Dental laboratory assistants turn the impressions and bite records a dentist sends them into the plaster models, trays and appliances a patient's treatment is built on.

Compare 2 providers
How long it takes
1 to 2 years
typical for this level
How you can study
On campus
Taught by
2 providers
WA, SA

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Dental Laboratory Assisting asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in working with your hands
  • care and attention to detail
  • good communication skills
  • a willingness to follow safety and hygiene practices

Before you start

N/A

Where this course can take you

The study that can follow this course.

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

Where you can study this course

There are 2 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

11 units: 10 that everyone takes and 1 you choose.

  • Making plaster models
  • Custom impression trays
  • Bite registration rims
  • Articulating models and records
  • Mouthguards and thermoformed appliances
  • Infection control in the lab
See all 10 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

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Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for work as a dental laboratory assistant. You will pour impressions, make custom trays, produce occlusal registration rims, transfer oral records, articulate models and construct mouthguards. The roles it leads to include Dental Hygienist, Dental Prosthetist, Dental Technician and Dental Therapist.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.