How do I find a dental laboratory that offers digital denture services?
What are the essential lab capabilities for a good digital denture partner?
- Benchtop scanning equipment for digitizing conventional impressions
- Experience with multiple digital denture systems (milling and printing)
- Clear protocols for digital preview delivery and modification communication
- Established turnaround times for each workflow stage
- Technical support availability for troubleshooting
Questions to ask potential digital denture lab partners:
| Question to Ask a Lab | Why ask? |
| How many digital dentures do you fabricate monthly? | Volume indicates experience |
| Which fabrication methods do you offer? | milling, printing, both? |
| What is your typical turnaround time for a digital preview? | Should be 3-5 days maximum |
| How do you deliver digital previews? | Email, web portal, proprietary software? |
| What format do previews take? | Static images, 3D viewer, video? |
| Do you charge separately for a digital preview, or is it included in the case fee? | Understand costs |
| What modifications can be made after preview approval? | Understand limitations |
| What is your remake policy if the final denture doesn't match the approved preview? | Understand remediation approaches |
Digital Workflow Specific Questions:
| Question to Ask a Lab | Why ask? |
| Can you accept conventional impressions for digitization? | Essential if the practice has no scanner |
| What file formats do you accept from intraoral scanners? | STL compatibility |
| Do you offer same-day or rush digital services? | For time-sensitive cases |
| Can you design trial dentures for in-office printing and finishing? | If you have a 3D printer |
| What materials do you use for milled versus printed dentures? | Understand options and differences |
Communication Protocol Evaluation:
- Request a sample digital preview to evaluate quality and clarity
- Assess responsiveness to questions during initial contact
- Evaluate the technical knowledge of staff answering questions
- Determine if a dedicated digital denture specialist is available
- Verify after-hours or emergency contact availability
Conduct a dental lab trial period:
- Start with 1-2 cases to evaluate the laboratory performance
- Assess quality of digital previews (clarity, accuracy, detail level)
- Evaluate responsiveness to modification requests
- Judge final denture quality match to the approved preview
- Determine if turnaround times meet practice needs
What are the dental lab red flags that you need to watch out for:
- The laboratory is unable to provide a timeline for digital preview delivery
- There is a reluctance to show examples of previous digital denture work
- There is a lack of clear protocols for handling modifications
- No experience with your preferred workflow type
- Inadequate technical support for troubleshooting issues
Build a strong laboratory relationship:
- Provide detailed case information and photographs on a per case basis
- Respond promptly to digital preview requests for feedback and provide detailed feedback
- Give constructive feedback on outcomes (positive and negative) and discuss with the lab on how to mitigate any issues for future cases
- Pay invoices promptly to maintain good standing
- Attend laboratory-sponsored education events
Additional Resources
For more information concerning the digital dentures:
Contact Information
For help with a digital denture solution for your next case, contact ROE Dental Laboratory:
- Phone: (216) 663-2233
- Email: info@roedentallab.com