How to write a dental lab remake policy practices respect
A fair remake policy says what a dental lab covers, what it needs from the practice and how a claim is handled. Here is what to put in one, part by part.
By the Tusko team
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A remake policy that practices respect has three qualities. It is short, it is written before anything goes wrong, and it is fair in both directions.
It says what the lab covers, what the lab needs from the practice, and how a claim is handled from the first message to the new case.
This guide goes through each part, with wording you can adapt. It is a starting point for your own policy, and no substitute for legal advice.
How a remake claim runs, from the first message to the new case
A flow of five steps in a remake claim: the practice reports the problem within a set window, the evidence comes back to the lab, the lab replies the same day, the record is reviewed before anyone names a cause, and the remake is scheduled.
The practice reports it
Within a set number of days from delivery, through one channel.
Practice
The evidence comes back
The original piece, a new scan if the fit was the problem, and a note or a photo.
Practice
The lab replies the same day
Even if only to say the request has been seen and who has it.
Lab
The record is reviewed
The Rx, the scan and the messages, before anyone names a cause.
Both
The remake is scheduled
With a turnaround for remakes that the lab keeps to.
Lab
Why write it down
Remakes are part of lab work. Spear Education puts the average remake rate for US labs at 4%, with a range from 1% to 6% or 7%.
Dentists see a spread as well. In a study of 1,777 US dentists, 59% reported remaking fewer than 2% of their crowns, and 17% reported 4% or more.
So every lab will have this conversation many times a year. Without a policy, each one is negotiated from scratch, by whoever picks up the phone.
A written policy turns a tense call into a known process. Both sides know the steps before the case that tests them.
Define your terms first
Many remake disputes are about what the word means. Settle three terms at the top.
| Term | A workable definition |
|---|---|
| Adjustment | The original piece is changed and returned |
| Remake | A new piece is made to the same Rx |
| New case | The Rx, the preparation or the shade has changed |
The third row is the important one. A crown made again to a different shade is new work, and the policy should say so.
Use the same three words on invoices and in messages. A remake that is billed as an “adjustment” in one place and a “redo” in another confuses everyone.
The six parts of a policy
1. What the lab covers
State plainly what you remake at no charge. Two cases belong here for any lab.
- The work did not match the Rx
- The material or the workmanship had a defect
Say how long that cover lasts after delivery, and what happens if a piece fails later in the mouth.
2. What is charged
List the situations where a second piece is new work.
- The Rx was changed after work began
- The tooth was prepared again, or a new scan shows a different shape
- A shade was requested that was not on the Rx
- The patient changed their mind about the result
Say what the charge is in each case: the full fee, a reduced fee, or materials only.
3. The window for reporting
Give practices a set number of days from delivery to report a problem.
Choose it with the seat in mind. A practice cannot report on a crown it has not tried in.
4. What comes back
The lab needs evidence to find the cause. Ask for three things.
- The original piece
- A new scan or impression, if the fit was the problem
- A short note or a photo of what was seen at the chair
5. How to ask
Name one channel for remake requests, and one person who owns them.
List what the request must include. The patient, the tooth, what happened and the date of the new seat appointment.
Reply the same day, even if only to say the request has been seen and who has it.
6. Timing
Say how a remake is scheduled. Many labs move one ahead of new work, because the patient has already waited once.
Give a turnaround for remakes, and keep to it. A late remake is harder to forgive than a late first case.
When the cause is shared or unclear
Many real cases do not fit neatly under “lab error” or “practice error”. The margin was hard to read, and the lab did not ask.
Plan for that in the policy. Three approaches work.
- Review the record together. Look at the Rx, the scan and the messages before anyone names a cause.
- Offer a middle option. A remake at a reduced fee, when both sides contributed.
- Give the benefit of the doubt, within limits. Absorb the first unclear case for a practice, and talk before the second.
Whichever you choose, apply it the same way to everyone. A policy that bends for the loudest practice is not a policy.
Keep blame out of the wording. The aim is a crown that fits and a cause that does not come back.
Write it so it gets read
A policy nobody reads protects nobody. Four choices make yours readable.
- One page. If it runs longer, it is trying to cover cases that need a conversation.
- Plain words. Write “we remake it at no charge” where a contract would say “the laboratory shall”.
- Examples. One line each for a covered remake, a charged one and a shared one.
- A date and a contact. When it took effect, and who to ask.
Send it to every practice when they start with you, and again whenever it changes. Put it on your website.
Then follow it. The first time you make an exception without saying why, the policy stops meaning anything.
Review it once a year, with a few real cases beside it. A policy written for last year’s work drifts out of date.
Use every remake as data
A remake costs the lab twice, in materials and in bench time. It should at least teach something.
Log each one with a cause from a short, fixed list.
| Cause | Where the fix lives |
|---|---|
| The Rx was unclear or incomplete | Intake, and the Rx form |
| The scan or impression was unreadable | Feedback to the practice |
| The design did not suit the case | Design review |
| A fault in making or finishing | The bench |
| Shade | Photos, and the shade process |
| Not known | A closer look next time |
Review the log each month. If one cause leads the list, that is your next project.
Share the pattern with each practice as well. Incomplete prescriptions covers how to raise it without blame.
Your remake rate belongs on the short list of numbers you watch. Dental lab KPIs worth tracking every week has the rest.
A one-page outline
Use these headings as a skeleton, and fill in your own terms.
- What we mean by adjustment, remake and new case
- What we remake at no charge, and for how long after delivery
- What we charge for, and how much
- How long you have to tell us
- What to send back
- How to ask, and who to ask
- How fast we turn a remake around
- What we do when the cause is unclear
Read it aloud to someone at your front desk. If they can explain it back, a practice will understand it too.
Let the record settle it
A policy works best when both sides can see what was ordered. Arguments about remakes are often arguments about what was said.
On Tusko, the Rx, the scans and every message stay on the case. When a crown comes back, both sides read the same record.
See how it works for labs. A fair policy is also one of the reasons practices stay, as how dental labs keep practices sending cases explains.
Should a dental lab charge for remakes?
Not when the work did not match the Rx or had a defect. When the Rx changed after work began, or the preparation was redone, a charge is fair. Write down which is which before a case forces the question.
How long should a practice have to report a problem?
Long enough for the case to be tried in, and short enough that the cause can still be found. Choose a number of days from delivery, state it in the policy, and apply it the same way to every practice.
What if the dentist and the lab disagree about the cause?
Go back to the record together. Look at the Rx, the scan and the messages. If the cause is still unclear, a policy that splits the cost is easier to live with than an argument.
Should the lab ask for the original restoration back?
Yes. The piece that did not work is the best evidence of why. Ask for it along with a new scan or impression and a note on what was seen at the chair.
Sources
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