The American Dental Lab, Then and Now: From Back Rooms to Digital Workflows

The lab that makes your crowns may have changed owners, moved its milling to another building or asked you to send scans instead of impressions. The American dental lab has been reshaped every few decades, and the official record shows how: who does the work, how many labs there are, who owns them and what they may make.

This is part 5 of our Then and Now series, after prices, insurance, crowns and dentures. This one follows the lab business itself, built on Census Bureau counts from 1935 to 2022.

Quick Answer

Lab work moved from dentists' back rooms to commercial labs: the Census counted 1,800 such labs in 1935. Labs with employees peaked at 7,970 in 1987. By 2022 there were 5,038, with 44,274 employees and $6.33 billion in shipments, and the four largest firms made 24.1% of it. Plaster and wax are giving way to scans and milling, and a New York lab still needs your written prescription for every case.

When Did Dentists Stop Making Their Own Lab Work?

Long before the first national count. When the Census Bureau surveyed service businesses in 1935, it defined dental laboratories as shops making "plates, bridges, inlays, porcelain work, etc., for the dental profession" and stated that "the private laboratories of dentists are not included." It found 1,800 commercial labs with $18.0 million in receipts, about $384 million in 2022 dollars, and 5,061 employees. Part 3 of this series covers the first commercial labs of the 1880s.

The in-office lab never disappeared completely. In a 2015 survey of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, 1,561 of the 1,771 dentists who answered (88%) sent crowns to a commercial lab, 163 (9%) milled them in the office and 47 (3%) used a traditional in-office lab.

How Many Dental Labs Has the US Had?

The Census Bureau dropped dental labs from its 1948 business census and counted them again by 1963. Since then, every Economic Census has a comparable line for them:

Sources: Census of Business 1935, 1963 and 1967; Census of Service Industries 1972 to 1992; Economic Census, Manufacturing, 1997 to 2022 (table names in Sources). Dollars are not adjusted for inflation; "labs, all" includes owner-only shops. Until 1992 the figure is receipts, from 1997 value of shipments, so part of the 1992 to 1997 jump is a change of measure. Employees are counted in March, except 1935 (yearly average) and 1963 (November). For 1982, labs open at any time in the year; counted at year end, it was 7,279.

Three eras stand out. From 1967 to 1987, labs with employees rose 90%. From 1987 to 2007, the count held between about 7,100 and 8,000 while employment grew. Since 2007, labs fell 30% and employment 16%, so each lab got bigger. County Business Patterns counted 4,782 in 2023. Our analysis of BLS data tracks the decline yearly since 2001; BLS counts differently, so its peak year is 2004.

Who May Make a Denture or a Crown?

It depends on the state.

The written prescription

New York's Education Law is an example of the prescription model: "Except upon the written dental laboratory prescription of a licensed dentist," no lab may make, adjust or repair a dental prosthesis or appliance. The Rx is written in duplicate, the dentist and the lab each keep a copy for one year, and the state may inspect lab workrooms. Unlicensed technicians may do "solely mechanical work upon inert matter."

Lab registration

Some states register the labs themselves. Florida requires every lab operating in the state to register every two years, under a law first enacted in 1979, with a fee of up to $300. Since July 1, 2010, the owner or at least one employee must complete 18 hours of continuing education every two years. Labs outside Florida do not have to register to serve Florida dentists.

Denturists

Some states, including Oregon and Washington, license denturists who may supply dentures directly to patients. Oregon's law dates to 1979; Washington's came from Initiative 607, approved by voters on November 8, 1994, to "offer cost-effective alternatives for denture care services."

The FDA

FDA's device registration rule, first published in 1977, today lists dental laboratories among establishments exempt from registration when they provide a service "through the use of a previously manufactured device." The exemption applies only to labs located in a US state.

When Did Offshore Work and Consolidation Take Hold?

By 2008, a University of Connecticut Health Center news report described outsourcing dental work to low-cost countries as what "some see as a disturbing trend." There is still no official measure of it. The Census counts only US establishments, and the US tariff schedule splits imported artificial teeth and related items (HTS 9021.21 and 9021.29) only by material, plastics or other, so trade data cannot single out finished crowns. Industry estimates, state disclosure laws and questions to ask your lab are in Where Was Your Crown Made?

Consolidation, on the other hand, is measured. The Economic Census reports what share of all US lab shipments the largest firms make:

In 2022, 4,669 firms ran the 5,038 labs, and the 50 largest firms operated 369 of them. When your lab joins a group, your cases may be made in another location.

How Did Plaster and Wax Become Scans?

Part 3 covers the inventors. For the business, one date stands out: on April 22, 2003, FDA created a device category for "optical impression systems" used for CAD/CAM of dental restorations, class II and exempt from premarket notification within the rule's limits. The category covers scanners that record teeth, dental impressions or stone models, so a lab could digitize a poured model or an impression before the dentist ever owned a scanner.

In the operatory, scanning was still the exception in 2015: in the National Dental PBRN survey, 146 of 1,772 dentists (8%) used an optical scanner for 75% or more of their crown impressions.

Where Do New Dental Technicians Come From?

Formal programs are few. The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) lists 10 accredited dental laboratory technology programs in 2026, in nine states, against 355 dental hygiene and 219 dental assisting programs.

Dental Lab Timeline, 1935 to 2026

Then vs Now: What Changed for the Dentist?

Elegant Dental Laboratory: A Brooklyn Lab Since 2007

We opened in 2007, the year the Economic Census counted 7,248 US dental labs with employees. Our 7,000 sq. ft. facility at 2308 McDonald Ave in Brooklyn has more than 35 technicians, and every case is made in house, with no outsourcing.

• Turnaround: 5 business days standard on most restorative cases, with rush options.
• Digital cases: we review every scan before production. Submit a digital case.
• Getting cases to us: our own drivers pick up in the New York area (call to confirm availability), and we provide UPS shipping labels for practices anywhere. Send a case or call 877-335-5221.

Comparing labs? Read How to Choose a Dental Lab: 7 Questions to Ask.

FAQ

How many dental labs are there in the US?

The 2022 Economic Census counted 5,038 dental labs with paid employees, run by 4,669 firms. County Business Patterns counted 4,782 in 2023.

When did dentists stop making their own lab work?

Long before 1935, when the Census counted 1,800 commercial labs. In a 2015 survey, 3% of dentists still used a traditional in-office lab and 9% milled in the office.

Can a dental lab make a denture without a dentist?

In New York, no: a lab needs a dentist's written prescription. Some states, including Oregon and Washington, license denturists who may supply dentures directly to patients.

Do dental labs need an FDA registration?

Under FDA's rule, dental labs located in a US state that provide a service using previously manufactured devices are exempt from establishment registration. Labs abroad are not covered by that exemption.

Is the dental lab industry consolidating?

Yes. The four largest firms made 24.1% of US lab shipments in 2022, up from 5.1% in 1997, and the 50 largest made 46.3%.

How many accredited dental technology schools are there?

CODA lists 10 accredited dental laboratory technology programs, including one in Brooklyn at New York City College of Technology.

Then and Now series by Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York. Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO. Last reviewed: September 28, 2026.