Although it is a common perception in society that teeth are expensive and that dental professionals must therefore be very well paid, this is not the case. The earnings of non-medical workers in dentistry are comparatively low.
Although it is a common perception in the population that dental workers are forking over money at home, this is not the case, and perhaps the opposite is true. A cursory glance at the Information System on Average Earnings (ISPV), which is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, reveals that the average earnings of non-medical workers in dentistry in the Czech Republic are lower than might be expected compared to other health professions.
Dental team
In the Czech Republic, dental non-medical professions include dental instrument technician, dental hygienist and dental technician. The first two can be found in dental practices and most people are quite clear about their job description. A dental hygienist professionally cleans teeth, taking care of prevention, and a dental instrument technician assists the dentist, she is his “dental nurse”. The profession of the dental technician is the most obscure and not very visible to many people. A dental technician works in a dental laboratory, which is a craft and art workshop where, based on impressions and the doctor’s indication, the dental technician makes dentures, crowns, bridges for a particular patient.
No, not really, the dentist does not make your dentures in the evenings as some people think, but outsources the fabrication. Very often dental offices and dental laboratories are different companies having standard business relationships. At the end of the month, the dental laboratory issues an invoice to the dentist based on its own price list and the number of restorations made, and the dentist pays the invoice from the money collected from patients or from the insurance company. The dentist chooses between the dental laboratories based on price, quality and delivery time.
In order to become a dental technician in the Czech Republic, a person must complete a three-year post-secondary study at a higher vocational school, similarly to other health professions working without professional supervision, only a high school diploma is no longer sufficient. A secondary education with a teaching certificate and an accredited qualification course are sufficient to practise as a dental nurse. This course lasts between 4 and 6 months and is very often combined.
Average wages in the healthcare sector
What are the earnings of these professions here and how do they compare to other selected health professions? The average monthly salary for a dental technician in the first half of 2023 was 38,957 crowns/1,538 euros. The ISPV reports that the average monthly salary for the same period across the Czech Republic was almost seven thousand CZK higher at 45 874 CZK/1 811 EUR, but for example the average salary of a general nurse with specialisation was 54 265 CZK/2 142 EUR and without specialisation 42 584 CZK/1 681 EUR. The average monthly wage was also higher than that of a dental technician for midwives, pharmaceutical assistants, laboratory technicians in health care, dietetics and nutrition specialists, physiotherapists, practical nurses, paramedics, nutrition assistants, occupational therapists without specialisation and other health care professionals. Dental technician is therefore at the tail end of the list of health professions requiring at least a higher vocational qualification or a secondary education with a school-leaving certificate. The table below shows the specific wage levels and individual occupations.
| Health care profession | Average monthly salary in CZK | in euro |
|---|---|---|
| Midwives with specialisation | 54,361 CZK | 2,146 € |
| General nurses with specialisation | 54,265 CZK | 2,142 € |
| Paramedics | 52,871 CZK | 2,087 € |
| Midwives without specialisation | 50,232 CZK | 1,983 € |
| Pharmaceutical assistants | 45,516 CZK | 1,797 € |
| Laboratory technicians and laboratory assistants | 43,439 CZK | 1,715 € |
| General nurses without specialisation | 42,583 CZK | 1,681 € |
| Practical nurses | 41,310 CZK | 1,630 € |
| Specialists in dietetics and nutrition | 40,955 CZK | 1,616 € |
| Rehabilitation professionals | 40,595 CZK | 1,602 € |
| Nutritional assistants and other health professionals | 40,297 CZK | 1,590 € |
| Specialist physiotherapists | 39,202 CZK | 1,547 € |
| Dental technicians | 38,957 CZK | 1,538 € |
The wage situation is even worse for dental nurses, whose average monthly wage is lower than that of, for example, paramedics. In the case of dental nurses, the average monthly wage in the first half of last year was CZK 29 584/1 168 euros. This was more than CZK 1 300 less than the average wage for an orderly, which was CZK 30 965/1 222 euros in the same period.
| Health care profession | Average monthly salary in CZK | in euro |
|---|---|---|
| Orderlies | 30,964 CZK | 1,222 € |
| Dental nurses | 29 585 CZK | 1,167 € |
The number of dental technicians has dropped significantly
The number of dental technicians has fallen by almost 40% from 2004 to 2021. In 2004, according to the Institute of Health Information and Statistics, there were 4,339 dental technicians, but in 2021 there will be only 2,687 full-time dental technicians in the Czech Republic. We wrote here.
The number of dentures made is decreasing. We wrote about it, for example, here. People now keep more teeth and in better condition than previous generations did at their age. Also, modern dental treatment is significantly more successful than in the past.
Technological advances, which make the production processes in the dental laboratory significantly more efficient, play an important role in this. Thanks to CAD-CAM technology, today’s dental technicians are able to produce more crowns than before and with better quality.
All of this creates excess capacity on the supply side and puts significant pressure on dental laboratories to price dentures, which then translates into low valuations for dental technicians. Dental technicians are in a highly competitive environment and are pulling the short end of the rope in the market compared to their customers, the dentists. As a result, whereas fifteen years ago the lowest prices for all-ceramic crowns for dentists were around CZK 2 500, today dentists can buy them for patients for as little as CZK 1 700.
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