Every remake costs you twice: once in chair time and once in the patient's patience. In a study of 3,750 crowns from the US National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, 3.8% were rejected at seat, and the most common reasons were proximal misfit, marginal errors and esthetic failures. The lab you choose has a lot to do with how often that happens to you.
Price and turnaround are easy to compare. What is harder to see from the outside is where a case is really made, who checks it, and what happens when something is wrong. This guide gives you the questions, the numbers behind them, and what a good answer sounds like.
Key Takeaways
- About 1 in 26 crowns (3.8%) is remade at seat in US general practice. Contacts, margins and esthetics cause most of them.
- The number of US dental labs fell by 27% in ten years, from 6,764 in 2014 to 4,944 in 2024. Ask who actually makes your cases.
- Only 11 states require disclosure of where a restoration was made. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are not among them.
- ADA policy says a lab should tell you within 2 working days if it cannot proceed with a case.
- A simple Rx checklist cut adjustment time and appointments in a clinical study of single crowns.
Quick Answer
To choose a dental lab, ask seven things: where your cases are actually made and by whom, whether the lab works with your scanner, the real turnaround for each case type, what the warranty covers, who you call about a case, how cases get to the lab and back, and whether one lab can handle your whole case mix. Then send a few routine crowns and check contacts, margins, occlusion and shade before you move complex work.
1. Where Is My Case Actually Made, and by Whom?
Many practices assume their lab makes every case in house. That is not always true. Some labs design locally and send milling, layering or whole cases to other labs, sometimes overseas. Outsourcing is not automatically bad, but every handoff adds shipping time and people you cannot talk to.
Ask directly which case types are made in the lab's own facility and which, if any, are sent out. The ADA's policy on dental laboratories says the lab should inform the dentist of any subcontracting lab, and urges advance notice when work is made by a foreign lab.
Ask About Certification
The National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology lists over 5,500 active Certified Dental Technicians (CDT) and about 200 Certified Dental Laboratories (CDL). A CDL must employ at least one CDT and meet infection control and case management standards. Certification is not required in most states, but it tells you the lab has been checked by someone other than itself.
2. Does the Lab Work With My Scanner?
In a 2021 ADA Clinical Evaluators Panel survey, 53% of dentists said they use an intraoral scanner. If you are one of them, the lab should have a direct connection to your scanner's platform, so you can send a case without exporting and emailing files, and it should accept open STL or PLY files as a fallback.
3. What Is the Real Turnaround?
Ask for the number of business days in the lab for each case type you send, and whether that count includes shipping. Crown and bridge, implant, full-arch and removable cases rarely share one schedule. Also ask how rush works: what can be rushed, how early the lab needs to know, and whether rush needs approval before you ship.
4. What Does the Warranty Cover?
A warranty only helps if you know its terms before you need it. Ask for the policy in writing and check:
- how long each restoration type is covered, since final crowns, implant abutments, dentures and provisionals usually have different periods;
- whether a remake within the warranty is free of lab charges;
- what the lab needs from you, such as the original restoration, new records or photos;
- what is excluded, such as normal wear or adjustments made outside the lab.
5. Who Do I Call About a Case?
Most lab problems start as communication problems. Ask who answers the phone, whether you can reach the technician or department working on the case, and how the lab tells you about a problem it finds.
6. How Do Cases Get to the Lab and Back?
For digital cases, the answer should be simple: scan and prescription go through a portal. For conventional impressions and models, ask whether the lab provides shipping labels, how return delivery works, and whether its own drivers pick up cases in your area. Everything you send must be cleaned and disinfected first; the ADA policy puts that step on the dental office.
7. Can One Lab Handle My Whole Case Mix?
One lab for crowns, implants, dentures and appliances means one set of Rx habits, one shade process and one contact for mixed cases, such as an implant crown next to a new partial. Ask which case types the lab makes itself and which it would send elsewhere.
What a Good Answer Sounds Like
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Where is my case made? | A named facility and a clear yes or no on outsourcing for each case type | "It depends," with no details |
| Do you work with my scanner? | A direct connection for your system, plus STL or PLY upload | "Just email us the files" |
| What is your turnaround? | Business days per case type and a defined rush process | One number for everything |
| What does the warranty cover? | Written periods per restoration type and clear remake terms | A verbal promise |
| Who do I call? | People who can see your case and discuss it | A call center that only takes messages |
| How do cases reach you? | Portal for scans; labels, pickup and Rx forms for impressions | You arrange everything yourself |
Test Before You Switch
Start with a few routine single crowns. Because contacts, margins and esthetics cause most remakes, check exactly those: proximal contacts with floss, margins under magnification, occlusion before cementation, and shade in natural light. Move implants and full-arch cases only after the routine work passes.
How Elegant Dental Laboratory Answers These Questions
- Where the work is made: every case is designed and made in our own 7,000 sq. ft. facility in Brooklyn, New York, by a team of more than 35 technicians. We do not outsource.
- Scanners: we connect with 3Shape TRIOS, iTero, CEREC, DEXIS, Medit, Carestream, Alliedstar, Planmeca and other systems, and accept STL and PLY files. See how to connect your scanner.
- Turnaround: 5 business days on most restorative cases. Rush options are available; call before you send the case to confirm.
- Warranty: up to 7 years on final restorations and up to 20 years on screw-retained implant abutments. Read the full policy.
- Communication: call 877-335-5221 and speak with someone who understands the case. We review digital impressions before production and flag issues early.
- Logistics: UPS shipping labels you can print from our website, pickup by our own drivers for practices in the New York area, and printable Rx forms. See all the ways to send a case.
- Range: zirconia, IPS e.max, PFM, implant restorations, provisionals, dentures, clear aligners and orthodontic appliances. Explore our services.
The easiest test is one case. Open an account or call 877-335-5221. If you are thinking about going digital, read Is an Intraoral Scanner Worth It for Your Practice?
FAQ
What should I look for in a dental lab?
In-house production you can verify, a direct connection to your scanner, a turnaround for each case type, a written warranty and remake policy, and direct access to people who know your case.
What is a normal crown remake rate?
In a US study of 3,750 crowns from 205 dentists, the remake rate was 3.8%. Most dentists (58%) rejected no crowns at all, while individual rates ranged up to 42%, which shows how much the dentist and lab pairing matters.
Do dental labs have to tell me where my crown was made?
Only in some states. NADL lists 11 states that require point-of-origin disclosure. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are not among them, so ask your lab directly.
Is a local dental lab better than a national one?
Not necessarily. A local lab can offer pickup and visits, while digital cases can go to any lab in the country. Where the work is made and how the lab communicates matter more than distance.
Should I send test cases before switching labs?
Yes. Start with routine single crowns and check contacts, margins, occlusion and shade before you send implants or full-arch cases.
What is a CDT?
A Certified Dental Technician, certified by the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology. CDTs pass exams and keep up continuing education. A Certified Dental Laboratory must employ at least one CDT.
Sources
- McCracken MS, et al. Remake Rates for Single-Unit Crowns in Clinical Practice: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. J Prosthodont. 2019;28(2):122-130. doi:10.1111/jopr.12995
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, NAICS 339116 Dental Laboratories, private establishments, 2014 and 2024 annual averages. bls.gov/cew
- National Association of Dental Laboratories. Dental Laboratory Basic Minimum Standards by State, updated September 2025. dentallabs.org/state-regulation
- American Dental Association. Statement on Prosthetic Care and Dental Laboratories, in Current Policies (last amended 2018). ada.org
- National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology. What Dentists Should Know. nbccert.org
- 21 CFR 807.65(i), Exemptions for device establishments. law.cornell.edu
- Revilla-León M, et al. Intraoral scanners: An American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators Panel survey. J Am Dent Assoc. 2021;152(8):669-670. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2021.05.018
- Bresciano ME, et al. Efficacy of a Checklist for Office-Laboratory Communication: A Clinical Study on Quality Outcomes for Single Crowns. Int J Prosthodont. 2017;30(2):160-162. doi:10.11607/ijp.5083
Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO of Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York (founded 2007). Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.
