Top 6 Questions to Ask Before Sending a Case to Your Dental Lab
It is essential that you can discuss important issues with your dental lab before partnering up with them. This article will discuss the must-ask questions you should have before sending your case to a dental laboratory. Ask these questions while your case is in your laboratory’s hands. The more you ask, the better chance you have of preventing poor quality workmanship on the part of your laboratory.
1. How long will it take to get my final product?
This is probably the most important question that you should be able to answer for yourself before sending your work to a dental lab. Most dental laboratories will take approximately two weeks to complete an order. Ask if your laboratory can exceed this time frame because it may be possible that your laboratory needs more time than the usual turnaround time because of circumstances beyond their control.
2. What are your polishing methods?
The polishing of porcelain restorations can have a huge impact on the final appearance of the case, especially if you are sending cases to more than one dental lab. Each laboratory uses slightly different polishing systems and each of these systems can affect how things turn out in different ways.
3. Does your dental lab use genuine hardware and parts from the manufacturers for the products you offer?
This question may seem like a no-brainer, but ask yourself is your laboratory offering you genuine FDA dental material? Some manufacturers are now offering their merchandise for resale on the internet. These are usually inferior quality products with inferior quality parts but are still appealing to many dental labs because they can be purchased at a cheaper price than purchasing genuine manufacturer’s materials.
4. Do you send any work overseas?
There are many reasons why a dental lab may send work offshore, but it is usually for the purpose of cost-cutting. Offshore materials are less expensive than the genuine manufacturer’s product. They are produced by dental lab technicians with limited experience who are limited to using substandard quality parts. The chances of getting high-quality work from an offshore lab are slim, but you will end up paying less for your case.
5. Could I assist the lab in developing cases as part of the production process?
This question is not as easy as it might first seem. It has been found that some labs will not allow non-management personnel to be involved in the project unless they have a certain skill set and experience. The only way that you will know if this is something that you would like to do is to speak with someone who has done this and see if they were satisfied or not.
6. Can I see the lab before sending my case?
This can be one of the most enlightening questions you can ask. You will be able to get a feel for the laboratory so you will know if it is giving you a comfortable feeling or not. For convenience, some dental labs allow customers to sign in to their website and view their facility through a virtual tour. This gives you all of the information that you may want to know about your laboratory without having to spend time and money getting there in person.
Ultimate Dental Lab is a full-service dental lab that has partnered with dental clinics from everywhere in the United States. Contact one of our primary locations to start working together today!:
Contact information for our NYC Dental Lab:
Ultimate Dental, Denture, Crown & Implants Lab 31 W 34th St STE 7162, New York, NY 10001 (332) 282-2399 https://ultimatedentallab.com/
Contact information for our Miami Dental Lab:
Ultimate Dental, Denture, Crown & Implants Lab 4300 Biscayne Blvd, Suite#203, Miami, FL 33137 (305) 771-0255 https://ultimatedentallab.com/miami-fl-dentures-crowns-implants/
Contact information for our Queens Dental Lab:
Ultimate Dental, Denture, Crown & Implants Lab 150-28 Union Turnpike Flushing, NY 11367 (718) 591-3444 https://ultimatedentallab.com/queens-ny-dentures-crowns-implants
