How You Choose a Dental Lab Matters?

Dental Lab will have great effect on dentistry treatment

There are more than 7,000 dental labs across the United States, you may be dealing with one or two if you don’t have a major practice or can’t afford one on-site. However, what has drawn you to consider that facility? Your answer definitely counts because your choice of a dental lab will have a direct effect on your practice. After all, the veneers, dental bridges and other cosmetic dentistry products you use are the products of these labs. So if you want to shine in the dentistry industry, you need to select the right dental lab.

If you have been changing dental labs or are considering taking this step, here are some tips to help you find the best one and stick to it.

• Location Should Be a Priority

At your end, the location of your practice will determine the type of patients you attract. For example, if your offices are in Newport Beach, CA, your patients will have higher cosmetic and aesthetic expectations than from a facility in east L.A. As a result, you need to make sure that the dental lab you deal with caters to your type of patient clientele.

Similarly, a dental lab based in high-rent areas will deliver high quality because its clients, i.e. dentists, expect nothing less. Take for example 6-11 Dental Studio; located in Southern California, the dental labs cater to the upper 30% of the market. This is why the dental lab invest in excellent dental laboratory material and master-level technicians. On the other hand, those located in low-rent areas are bound to use low quality dental lab materials, hire unprofessional and non-communicative dental technicians, and use discount prices to cover up these shortcomings. So, you need to consider the lab’s location at all times to ensure excellent service.

• Always Ask the Right Questions

One of the reasons you may be stuck with a mediocre dental laboratory is because you never drilled it for the answers you need to hear. You need to ask questions like:

Who are your current dentist clients?What do your clients expect from you?Which cases are you best at tackling? What type of restorations best match your expertise?Which cases are the most problematic?Do you outsource or off-shore any of your dental labs services?

Ideally, the type of dentists the dental lab deals with should be similar to your practice goals. As for its strengths, they should be in the services you provide regularly, especially those which your patients demand from you. For example, if you’re specialized in dental implants and cosmetic cases, 6-11 Dentist Studio is perfect for you since the dental lab focus most on delivering high-end cosmetic products and don’t handle restorative work. Finally, when it comes to weaknesses, these should be small issues which won’t affect your practice or your quality today or in the future.

• Don’t Make Money Matters Cloud Your Judgment

There are two scenarios that this tip can be applied to. Scenario One is if you try cutting corners by hiring a mediocre dental laboratory for the requirements of a high maintenance patient. The quality you receive and further provide to your patients will damage your reputation and burden your pocket book. As for Scenario Two, it is when you try to provide poorly designed and prepped cases to a high end dental laboratory. A good example of this involves dental implants. While you may only do a couple of implants each month, many dental labs have an expertise with these products. Even small dental labs might do more than 50 implants each month. An experienced dental lab like this will not accept cases that are less than ideally prepared. If a case has to be returned for adjustments it could dramatically delay the case and inconvenience your patient. In the end, you run the risk of your patient losing confidence in your skill, talent and expertise.

So, make sure that you provide and receive high quality. Consider this an investment that will help your practice thrive and ensure that it’s always highly regarded among your patients and competitors alike.

With these tips in mind, you will be able to get the best fit for your practice. As a result, you can be sure of higher loyalty and satisfaction and lower costs in the long run.