Although there are many dental laboratories in the U.S., not all
can deliver the quality that many patients today would expect from their
dentist. The dental lab that dental professionals choose may impact their
business and quality of care they provide. Due to patients high expectations,
it’s important to find a quality-oriented lab that can fabricate prosthetics
with high esthetics and the proper mechanical properties needed for
long-lasting restorations.
Finding a dental lab that cares about the quality they provide is
essential for your practice to thrive and succeed throughout the years. Listed
here are the top 5 requirements you and your dental team should anticipate when
choosing a quality-oriented dental laboratory.
1. Use
genuine manufacturer parts and hardware for implant restorations
Using genuine implant manufacturing parts is important for the
long-term success of implant restorations. The number of imitative implant
manufacturers has increased greatly in recent years, and while some may make decent
parts, others compromise quality for cheap, low-quality alternatives. According
to Steve
Pigliacelli, CDT, “It is not uncommon for labs to use plastic
imitation components and pass them off as genuine…you must question how a lab
can offer any implant restoration at such a low cost”. This can be a “serious
offense,” he goes on to explain, “if you ask for a genuine Nobel Biocare™
bridge and the lab uses a knockoff.” Not only is this unethical but the
manufacturer’s warranty is voided and if the implant fails, then the surgeon or
periodontist will be responsible for replacing the implant.
Furthermore, using genuine implant components—screw, abutment and
implant—from the same manufacturer minimizes complications such as implant or
restoration fracture, screw loosening and fracturing; as well as minimizing
biological complications such as bone loss or bacteria penetration. Pigliacelli
recommends if you want to save money on parts, “get your own account, buy your
own parts, and supply them to the lab to use.”
2. Use
ADA-approved materials for their dental lab products
It is recommended to be sure the dental materials that your lab
uses are manufactured by reputable companies and are ADA-Approved1.
The American Dental Association’s Approved products go through a stringent,
scientific-based investigation that assesses the manufacturing standards that
assure purity and uniformity in dental materials. Not only is using dental
materials that are manufactured by reputable companies better for the oral
health of the patient, but it is also a more ethical decision that you would
expect from a quality-oriented dental lab. Some labs will pass off cheaper
alternative materials for brand name ones. To ensure your getting quality
ADA-approved materials, request manufacturer information from your lab. This is
important to fabricating quality restorations that will give your patient the
longevity and proper mechanical properties that they expect from your dental
expertise.
3. Provides
reliable technical advising services
Technical Advising is one the most important services a dental
lab should excel at. “Prosthodontics
is a discipline that requires a synergy between the dentist and dental
technician in order to fabricate intraoral prostheses with acceptable fit,
function and aesthetics,” reported by Berry et al.. This “synergy” requires collaborative teamwork between the lab’s
technical advisor and the restorative dentist to achieve the best outcome for
restoring the patient’s oral health. Whether it be planning a case, dealing
with a challenging patient, working with new materials, developing a digital
workflow, or implementing CAD/CAM technologies within their practice—the
clinician should be able to rely on their dental laboratory for knowledgeable
solutions.
One of the more important aspects of technical advising is
supporting the clinician with complex cases—relying on them for the right
shades and knowledge of subtle nuances, teeth position, materials and
restorative options. From treatment planning to placement of the prosthetic,
reliable technical advising and collaborative teamwork between both parties
achieves a better outcome for the patient. Some quality-oriented labs will send
their CDT implant specialists to aid in surgery, further minimizing
complications and showing the patient that the dentist has a team to create the
smile that’s customized just for them.
4. Lab
should not send dental work offshore, use “gray-market” or counterfeit products
Outsourcing dental work to a foreign lab runs the risk of
substandard quality and little (if any) governmental regulation of material
safety and of the manufacturing processes. Some domestic labs will outsource
their dental work to foreign labs and pass it off as their own, compromising
the quality you would want from a domestic dental lab.
Dental material manufacturers sell their dental products either
directly to the laboratory or through their authorized distributors. When the
lab purchases products from a specific distributor, the source must be
authorized by the manufacturer or they will run the risk of receiving
gray-market and counterfeit products that may be passed down to you.
According to Dr. Christensen, gray-market products “include
branded goods intended by the brand owner for one national market that instead
are diverted and resold by unauthorized distributors to another market.”
Counterfeit products pass off fake materials under a legitimate brand name. The
main concerns for “gray-market”
and counterfeit dental products are they may not comply with FDA regulation
requirements, the quality and material safety may be compromised, and a false
negative brand perception among clinicians3. Ordering only from
“known, authorized retailers will ensure that the products are legitimate and
from respected manufacturers”3. Therefore, when choosing a lab you
can trust be sure to ask the lab where they purchase their products and if
their vender is an authorized distributor.
5. Lab
facility should be clean, equipped with the latest dental technologies and
dental materials
CAD/CAM technology has transformed and revolutionized the way
dental laboratories design and manufacture
restorations. CAD/CAM
technology has streamlined the lab’s workflow, increasing
productivity and predictability within their fabrication processes. The dental
lab you choose should not only be up to clinical standards, but they also
should be up-to-date with the latest dental technologies and materials to
provide you with the best quality available on the market. As well as to stay
competitive with other dental labs and industry pricing.
Pigliacelli
recommends taking a tour of the your prospective lab—meeting the lab owner,
quality control manager, and technical advisors. He questions, “Is it
clean?…Why would you accept a dirty, pumice-covered, disheveled mess of a
dental lab instead of a professional-looking establishment?…Are the work desks
neat?…Do the technicians take care of the equipment and respect their tools?”
When a lab is well-organized and clean, its shows the company commits to high
standards and holds their employees to those same standards.
To put briefly, it’s imperative to find a dental lab that you can
trust because you as the dentist is reliant on your dental lab to consistently
provide your patients with the best dental lab products available on the
market. Quite often the patient sees a failed restoration as the clinician’s
mistake and rarely blames the dental lab; so when clinicians choose a
low-quality or offshore dental lab they run the risk of unhappy patients.
Dental professionals need to have strict requirements when choosing
the best dental lab to fabricate their patients’ restorations. The lab’s
mission should align with your mission: find the best solution for restoring
the patient’s oral health.
About the company
Since 1991, Iverson Dental laboratories
has provided their clinicians with high quality dental lab products and excellent dental
lab services to ensure their
clinicians’ patients are completely satisfied with their customized
restoration. Iverson dental labs strives to be a great dental resource for
dentists by offering training on digital dentistry and new dental implant techniques at their high-tech operatory and
training facility. Iverson dental labs strongly believes in using high-quality
certified materials and authentic manufacturing components to fabricate their
dental restorations. Iverson also has a knowledgeable team of certified dental
technicians because clinical evidence has shown adequate skills of the
technician are important for the long-term success of a restoration.
Sources:
1. Pigliacelli, S. (n.d.). Top 5 questions you should ask a
dental lab before you send them a case. Retrieved January 12, 2016, from http://www.perioimplantadvisory.com/articles/2011/4/top-5-questions-you-should-ask-a-dental-lab-before-you-send-them-a-case.html
2. Berry, J., Nesbit, M., Saberi, S., & Petridis, H. (2014).
Communication methods and production techniques in fixed prosthesis
fabrication: A UK based survey. Part 1: Communication methods. BDJ Br Dent J.
3. Christensen, G. J. (2010). Are You Using “Gray-Market” or Counterfeit Dental
Products? The Journal of the American Dental Association, 141(6), 712-715.
