How to choose a dental lab: 12 questions to ask before you send a case
Choosing a dental lab comes down to the work, the communication and the dates. Ask these 12 questions before a first case, and know what a good answer is.
By the Tusko team
Published
On this page
Choose a dental lab on three things: the work it does well, how it communicates, and whether its dates hold. Fees matter, and they come after those three.
The 12 questions below cover all of it. Ask them before the first case, and listen to how the lab answers as much as to what it says.
Twelve questions, in four groups
A checklist of the 12 questions to ask a dental lab, in four groups of three. The work: what it does most, who works on your cases, and its materials and systems. Communication: what it needs on the Rx, how it asks a question, and how you see where a case is. Dates and delivery: turnaround, pickup and delivery, and what happens when a case will be late. Business terms: the remake policy, how fees are set, and who to call.
The work
- The cases it does most, and what it sends out
- Who will work on your cases
- The materials and systems it works with
Communication
- What it needs on the Rx
- How it will ask you a question
- How you will know where a case is
Dates and delivery
- Its turnaround for each type of work
- Pickup and delivery for your address
- What happens when a case will be late
Business terms
- Its remake policy
- How its fees are set
- Who to call when something goes wrong
Before you ask, know what you need
A lab can only tell you if it fits when you can describe your work.
- The kinds of case you send in a normal month
- How much arrives as scans and how much as impressions
- Which scanner and which implant systems you use
- How far ahead you usually book a seat appointment
- What went wrong with a lab in the past, if anything did
Write it on one page and send it ahead of the call. A lab that reads it first is already answering one of the questions.
The work
1. Which cases do you do most, and which do you send out?
Every lab has work it is known for. Some send certain cases to a partner lab, and that is fine when they say so.
A good answer names specifics. “Mostly posterior zirconia, and we send full-arch cases to a milling partner” tells you where you stand.
2. Who will work on my cases?
Ask who does the design and who does the finishing. Ask how they were trained and, where your province regulates the title, who is registered.
A good answer includes names. You are choosing people as much as a company.
3. Which materials and systems do you work with?
Check the materials you prescribe, the implant systems you place and the files your scanner exports.
Ask about files too: which scan formats the lab accepts, and how it wants them sent.
A good answer is a list you can keep. A vague “we do everything” deserves a follow-up question.
Communication
4. What do you need on the Rx?
A lab that has thought about its intake will have a form or a list. Ask to see it.
Compare it with our dental lab prescription checklist. A lab that asks for more detail up front will phone you less later.
5. How will you ask me a question?
Find out the channel, and how quickly the lab needs an answer to keep the date.
Ask who replies when your usual contact is away.
A good answer is one channel and a clear deadline. Three channels and “whenever” means questions will get lost.
6. How will I know where my case is?
Some labs confirm receipt and send a date. Some have a portal, and some expect you to phone.
A good answer does not depend on you calling. Ask to see what a status update looks like.
Dates and delivery
7. What is your turnaround for each type of work?
Ask for the turnaround time in working days, and ask what the count starts from. In-lab days and door-to-door days are different numbers.
A good answer is a written schedule by product. Dental lab turnaround times explains how to plan around one.
8. How do pickup and delivery work for my address?
Ask which days the courier runs, the cut-off for a same-day pickup, and what a rush costs.
Ask what changes in a week with a statutory holiday.
A good answer is specific to your street. Delivery days decide which mornings you can safely book a seat.
9. What happens when a case is going to be late?
Every lab has late cases. What differs is how the practice finds out.
A good answer is “we tell you as soon as we know, with a new date”. Ask how, and ask who makes that call.
Business terms
10. What is your remake policy?
Ask for it in writing. It should say what the lab covers, what it needs from you, and how long you have to report a problem.
Ask what happens to the fee when the cause is unclear.
A good answer exists before anything goes wrong. A remake is the worst moment to start negotiating.
11. How are your fees set?
Ask for the fee schedule, what counts as an extra, and how the statement is laid out.
A good answer lets you predict the invoice for a case before you send it.
12. Who do I call when something goes wrong?
Ask for a name and a direct line. Ask who covers when that person is away.
A good answer is one person who knows your cases. It is the question that matters most on a bad day.
Signs to weigh as you listen
How a lab answers tells you as much as the answers do.
| A good sign | A reason to ask more |
|---|---|
| It asks about your cases before describing itself | It quotes a fee before it knows your work |
| It names the people who would handle your account | Every answer is “we can do that” |
| It shows you its Rx form and remake policy unprompted | Policies exist only as a verbal promise |
| It tells you what it does not do | It claims to do every kind of work in-house |
| It asks how you like contacts and occlusion | It never asks about your preferences |
None of the right-hand column rules a lab out. Each one is a prompt for a follow-up question.
Send a test case
Answers are promises. A first case shows how they hold.
Choose routine work, such as a single back crown, and send it the way you would send any case.
Watch four things. Did the lab confirm receipt, did it ask a sensible question, did the date hold, and how much adjusting did the crown need.
Then tell the lab what you found. How it takes feedback on a first case tells you how the hundredth will go.
Give the lab what it needs on day one
A first case goes better when the lab knows you. Send three things with it.
- Your preferences for contacts, occlusion and margins
- The shade guide you use, and how you take shade photos
- Who to contact at the practice, and the hours someone can answer
Ask the lab to keep these on file. You should not have to repeat them on every Rx.
Compare the answers, and be a good client
Put the labs side by side on one page, with a row for each of the four groups above. Add fees last.
Weight the rows to match your work. A practice that seats many front teeth should count shade handling twice, and one that books tight should count dates twice.
The lab is choosing you as well. A practice that sends a complete Rx and answers questions the same day gets the lab’s best work.
Many practices settle on more than one lab. How many dental labs should a practice use covers that choice.
Once you have chosen, the next job is keeping track. How to track dental lab cases in your practice is the place to start.
Tusko connects practices and labs that already work together. The Rx, the scans and every message sit on one case that both of you open.
See how it looks for practices.
How many labs should I try before choosing?
Two or three is enough to compare. Send each one the same kind of case, so that any difference you see comes from the lab.
Is the lowest fee the best value?
Fees are one line of the cost. An adjustment, a remake or a moved appointment costs chair time, which is why fit and communication belong in the comparison.
Should a practice use a local lab?
A local lab makes pickups, rush cases and custom shade visits easier. A distant lab can still be right for a type of work it does especially well.
How long should a trial with a new lab last?
Long enough to see a question, a delivery and, if possible, a problem handled. Five to ten cases over a couple of months tells you more than one perfect crown.
Related guides
Every practice tracks lab cases somehow. Here is what a tracking system has to do, where a spreadsheet works, and when software earns its place.
A new lab workflow sticks when it starts small. Here is how a dental practice can change how it sends and tracks lab cases without losing chair time.
A lab statement shows fees. The real cost of a dental lab includes remakes, adjustments and moved appointments. Here is how to work it out per lab.