How to Fill Out a Dental Lab Rx: What the Lab Needs and What the Law Requires

A case arrives with "#30 zirconia A2" on the Rx and nothing else. The technician now has to guess the margin, how tight the contacts should be, what to do if the bite leaves too little room, and when you need the crown back. Every guess means a phone call, a delay or extra time adjusting at the chair.

The Rx is also a legal record: several states set what it must contain and how long you keep it. Below: the evidence, six state laws, each field, the digital Rx and a checklist.

Quick Answer

Write the Rx so the technician never has to guess and the record meets your state's rules. Identify the patient, lab, date and each tooth by Universal number. State the restoration, material by brand or class, shade with stump shade and photos, margin design, contacts, occlusion and a plan if clearance is short, pontic or implant details, due date, try-ins and enclosures. Sign it and add your license number.

Why Does a Complete Rx Matter?

In the United States

Labs chosen from the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) in all 50 states (114 responded) reported a lack of communication on bridge work authorizations about the alloy, the porcelain, and the margin and pontic design, and a companion survey found inadequate communication on implant cases (Afsharzand et al., 2006). All responding Oregon labs said they always (62.5%) or frequently (37.5%) designed partial denture frameworks themselves (Punj et al., 2021). In a national NADL member survey, 3.7% of responding technicians said authorizations were complete enough to do their best work (Yarborough et al., 2021). In eastern Wisconsin, more than 40% of partial denture prescriptions had no design input from the dentist (Pun et al., 2011).

In the UK, Ireland and elsewhere

In Ireland, more than half of 241 crown and bridge cases came with poor or no written instructions (Lynch and Allen, 2005). In Wales, fewer than half of 107 single-crown prescriptions were clear enough to specify the crown, and technicians had to contact the dentist in 21% (Jenkins et al., 2009). A Cardiff dental hospital audit judged two-thirds of 150 prescriptions non-compliant (Stewart, 2011), and a Chinese audit of 916 partial denture prescriptions, 74.2% (Zhang et al., 2023).

Structure helps: when four dentist and technician pairs made 112 metal-ceramic crowns, then 112 more with a checklist, adjustment time for contacts, fit and occlusion fell, as did the number of appointments (Bresciano et al., 2017). More in Crown Remakes: What Really Causes Them.

What Does the Law Require on a Dental Lab Rx?

It varies by state; check your state board. What the official texts say in six states:

In New York and Illinois, failing to keep prescriptions as required is a Class A misdemeanor; in Florida, it exposes the dentist to license suspension or revocation.

Point of origin and materials

These disclosures come from the lab. Florida requires the lab to disclose in writing, at delivery, the materials, certificates of authenticity and point of origin. Illinois requires the lab to tell the dentist where the work was done and where the materials came from, including subcontracted work. Other states and pending bills: Where Was Your Crown Made?

What Should You Write in Each Field?

Our printable Universal, Removable Prosthetic and Implant Rx forms follow roughly this order.

Patient, lab and date

Florida and Illinois accept a patient name or number (Illinois wants the name on your copy); Texas requires the name. Leave off Social Security numbers and insurance IDs, but add anything that changes the design, such as bruxism or a metal allergy. For a removable appliance, write any name to be marked exactly as it should appear.

Tooth numbers

The ADA's Universal system, used on the ADA claim form, numbers permanent teeth 1 to 32 from the upper right third molar. The international ISO system collides with it: Universal #21 is the lower left first premolar, ISO 21 the upper left central incisor. If you use anything but Universal, say so.

Restoration and material

Name the material by brand or at least class: "IPS e.max" or "solid zirconia", not "ceramic". New York, Florida and Illinois require the materials on the prescription. For metal-ceramic work, give the alloy class; the claim code depends on it too (see CDT Codes for Dental Lab Work).

Shade, stump shade and photos

Give the shade guide, body shade and incisal or cervical variations; 72% of the Chinese metal-ceramic instructions gave a shade. For all-ceramics, our Universal form requires the stump shade: in a lab study of e.max CAD crowns, a dark prepared tooth changed the final color most (Chaiyabutr et al., 2011). Photo technique: Shade Matching for the Lab.

Margin design and location

State the finish line and where it sits, and for metal-ceramic crowns the margin design, such as a porcelain butt margin or a metal collar. iTero lists them separately as "preparation design" and "margin design". Only 9% of the Chinese metal-ceramic instructions specified margin design.

Contacts

Say how tight: light, medium or heavy, or how you test. A 2026 audit of 40,344 restorations recommends that prescriptions specify the target proximal contact (Alkadi et al., 2026).

Occlusion and clearance

Say what to do if there is not enough room: our Universal form offers call the doctor, spot opposing, metal occlusion or a metal island, and can make the choice a permanent note. For complete dentures, state the occlusal scheme; in the Oregon survey, most dentists (78%) did not routinely specify it.

Pontics

List the pontic teeth and choose a pontic design. Three-quarters of Irish bridge prescriptions omitted the number of pontics, and only 22% of Chinese bridge instructions gave the design.

Implants

Give the implant system and platform, screw- or cement-retained, and the abutment. iTero's implant Rx also asks for the scan body and whether a Ti-base is in place. See How to Scan Implants.

Due date and try-ins

Write the seat date and each try-in, such as a framework or wax setup try-in. In the 916-prescription audit, only 6.4% gave a return date. Watch defaults: Medit sets the requested delivery date 7 days after the order unless you change it.

Enclosures

Tick everything in the box and note disinfection. Only 7% of the Chinese instructions stated it, and labs in England, Ireland and Wales judged 24% of cobalt-chromium partial denture impressions not adequately disinfected (Kilfeather et al., 2010).

Signature and license number

New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois require both; without them the Rx falls short of those rules.

The Rx at a Glance

How Does a Digital Rx Travel With the Scan?

Scanner software builds the Rx into the case, and the lab receives it with the files:

• iTero: per the iTero Lumina manual (Rev. F, March 2025), you fill in the Rx before scanning. A crown requires specification, material, shade system and body shade; margin details and stump shade are optional. Tooth numbering can default to FDI, ADA or quadrant.
• 3Shape TRIOS: with the TRIOS Order Form Editor, a lab customizes the order form its clinics see, so clinics can select only the materials and indications that lab offers. 3Shape Unite adds built-in chat.
• Medit: the Form tab records type, method, material and shade by tooth or arch; the order adds the lab, delivery date and a memo, and lets you choose whether to share the patient's name.

Contacts, the clearance plan and try-ins still belong in the notes, with photos attached. Required fields help: in a 2026 study, digital forms with mandatory fields met all 13 quality criteria, against 10.84 for paper forms, though the groups were different student cohorts (Kohli et al., 2026). Connecting to a lab: How to Send a Scan to a Dental Lab.

Checklist: Before the Case Leaves the Office

• Who: patient name or number, lab, date, teeth by Universal number.
• What: restoration, material by brand or class, alloy class.
• Look: shade, stump shade, photos.
• Fit: margin, contacts, occlusion, plan for short clearance.
• Extras: pontic design or implant details.
• When: seat date and try-ins.
• Box: enclosures ticked, disinfection noted.
• Sign: signature and license number; keep your copy as long as your state requires.

Rx Forms and Cases at Elegant Dental Laboratory

• Printable Rx forms for conventional cases (linked above): include the completed form in the shipment. Questions: 877-335-5221.
• Digital scans are reviewed before production, and every case is made in house in Brooklyn by more than 35 technicians.
• 5 business day standard turnaround on most restorative cases; rush options available.
• Submit a digital case or send a case: our own drivers pick up in the New York area (call to confirm), and UPS labels work anywhere.

Related Guides

• Why Crowns Come Back High or With Open Contacts, and How to Prevent It
• Digital vs. Conventional Impressions in 2026: Accuracy, Fit and When Each Wins
• How to Choose a Dental Lab: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Send a Case

FAQ

Is an electronic Rx acceptable?

Most statutes we reviewed say "written"; Florida's refers to the lab keeping the "original or electronic copy". Ask your state board how it treats scanner and portal prescriptions.

How long do we keep lab prescriptions?

In our examples, 1 year in New York, 2 in Texas, 3 in Illinois and 4 in Florida. Check your state board.

Which tooth numbering system should we use?

The ADA's Universal system, 1 to 32. If your software uses ISO (FDI) numbering, write that on the Rx.

Who designs a partial denture framework?

Put the design on the Rx or approve the lab's proposal in writing. In US surveys, labs report designing most frameworks themselves.

Does the lab need a stump shade?

For translucent ceramics such as e.max, yes. Our Universal form asks for it on all-ceramic cases.

Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO of Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York (founded 2007). Last reviewed: September 28, 2026. State rules are summarized from official texts checked in September 2026 and are not legal advice; requirements vary by state, so check your state board.