CDC exam practical — is traditional porcelain layering actually tested in the skills portion?
Sitting for the CDC exam in about 12 weeks and trying to understand what the practical component actually looks like. I've been a dental ceramist for 11 years, mostly doing full-contour zirconia and press-on-zirconia cases for a large dental lab. My traditional feldspathic porcelain layering is solid but it's not what I do every day anymore. I'm worried the practical could heavily test techniques I don't use in my current workflow.
From what I've gathered, the written portion covers materials science, shade selection, case documentation, and lab communication pretty thoroughly. That part I feel good about. My concern is the hands-on component — specifically whether they're testing stratified porcelain layering or if full-contour digital cases are included in what they evaluate.
I've started brushing up on my layering technique after hours, spending about 45 minutes a day on practice. I'm getting through 3-4 practice units per week. If the practical weights traditional layering heavily I'll need to accelerate that significantly.
The written section on materials science is actually pretty demanding. Thermal expansion coefficients, bond strength values between different porcelain systems and substrates, and firing temperature ranges all showed up. Don't assume your experience means you can skim that content.
When I took the CDC the practical did include layering work — specifically building a posterior unit from bisque through glaze. Full-contour cases were not part of the practical assessment, though they showed up in the written materials science questions. Your concern about layering is valid.
11 years in the lab is a big advantage for the documentation and communication sections. Those questions are about real workflow scenarios and experienced ceramists consistently outperform newer ones there. Your biggest risk really is the layering technique, so your instinct to focus there is right.
Three to four practice units per week sounds light if you're trying to shake off rust before a high-stakes practical. I'd push that to daily work for the last 6 weeks. Muscle memory for porcelain layering deteriorates faster than you'd think when you're mostly doing milled cases.
Your shade matching and color science knowledge from zirconia production work will be an asset though.
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