A crown for a patient in Brooklyn, a denture in Hackensack, a splint in Stamford: if you treat patients in more than one of these states, the paper with each case answers to three different laws.
New York lists what a lab prescription must contain. New Jersey's statute requires a written prescription and says nothing about its contents; a Board of Dentistry rule keeps a copy in the patient record. Connecticut calls the document a work authorization, ties it to a state form and attaches a felony penalty to violations. For Florida, Texas, Illinois and California, see How to Fill Out a Dental Lab Rx.
Key Takeaways
- New York's regulation lists 5 items for a lab prescription: the lab's name, the date, a clear description of the work, the character of materials, and the dentist's signature and license number.
- In New York the prescription is made out in duplicate, and the dentist and the lab each keep their copy for 1 year; failing to keep it is a class A misdemeanor.
- New Jersey's statute allows lab work only on written prescription, from impressions furnished by a licensed and registered dentist; a Board rule lists copies of lab prescriptions in the patient record, kept at least 7 years from the last entry.
- Connecticut requires a written work authorization on forms prescribed by the Dental Commission, kept by both sides and open to inspection for 1 year; violations carry the penalty of a class D felony.
- Patient-record rules are separate and longer: at least 6 years in New York and 7 years from the last treatment in Connecticut.
Quick Answer
New York requires a written lab prescription in duplicate naming the lab, the date, the work and the materials, signed with the dentist's license number; dentist and lab each keep a copy for 1 year. New Jersey requires a written prescription, and a Board rule keeps a copy in the patient record for 7 years. Connecticut requires a written work authorization on forms prescribed by the Dental Commission, kept by both sides and open to inspection for 1 year.
How long New York requires both the dentist and the lab to keep their copies of each lab prescription (N.Y. Educ. Law §6611(1)). Connecticut keeps work authorizations open to inspection for the same period (Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-122a).
What Does New York Require on a Lab Prescription?
A written prescription, in duplicate
Education Law §6611(1) bars a dental laboratory from furnishing, constructing, adjusting or repairing any dental prosthesis, device or appliance except on the written prescription of a licensed dentist, using impressions or casts made by a licensed dentist. The prescription is made out in duplicate; the dentist and the lab each keep their copy for one year.
Five required items
The Commissioner's regulation, 8 NYCRR §61.5, says a prescription for dentures, bridges, or orthodontic or other appliances must contain:
- the name of the laboratory it is addressed to;
- the date it is written;
- a clear description of the work, with diagrams if necessary;
- a clear specification of the character of materials to be used;
- the signature and license number of the dentist.
The list does not mention the patient. Add a name or chart number anyway; it ties the Rx to the right case.
Inspection and penalty
Under §6611(2), the State Education Department may inspect the places where prescriptions are kept or filled and subpoena prescription records. Refusing access, or failing to maintain prescriptions as required, is a class A misdemeanor.
Denture identification
Education Law §6612 requires a dentist who makes or orders a removable prosthesis to offer the patient marking with the patient's name or initials. The marks may be omitted if they are not practicable or clinically safe.
What Does New Jersey Require?
Written prescription only
N.J.S.A. 45:6-19, which defines the practice of dentistry, excludes from it the making of restorations and appliances from impressions furnished by a licensed and registered dentist, "on written prescription only."
What the statute leaves out
The section does not say what the prescription must contain or who signs it. The Board of Dentistry's patient-record rule, N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7, lists copies of lab prescriptions among the required contents of the patient record and keeps records at least seven years from the date of the last entry.
Denture marking
N.J.S.A. 45:6-19.2 requires every complete denture and removable dental prosthesis made by a New Jersey dentist to be marked with the patient's name and Social Security number, unless the patient objects. Fallbacks are the name or initials alone, or no marks where none is practicable or clinically safe.
What Does Connecticut Require?
A work authorization on the state's form
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-122a, no dentist may use an unlicensed person or a company to construct, alter, repair or duplicate any denture, plate, bridge, splint or orthodontic or prosthetic appliance without first furnishing a written work authorization on forms prescribed by the Dental Commission. The lab, in turn, may not do the work without first obtaining one.
The statute leaves the form's fields to the Commission. Ask the Connecticut State Dental Commission what it requires; no version of the form is posted on its page.
One year, both sides
The lab keeps the authorization and the dentist keeps a copy, both subject to inspection by the Department of Public Health for one year from issuance (§§20-122a, 20-122c).
Delivery and denture marking
Section 20-123(b)(4) bars anyone but a licensed dentist from delivering a prosthesis to anyone other than the dentist who directed the work. Section 20-126e follows New York on marking: offer name or initials, and tell the patient about any added charge.
How Do the Three States Compare?
| Point | New York | New Jersey | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main rule | Educ. Law §6611; 8 NYCRR §61.5 | N.J.S.A. 45:6-19 | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§20-122a to 20-122c |
| Required fields | Lab name, date, clear description, character of materials, signature and license number | None listed in the statute | Set by the Commission's form; none listed in the statute |
| Who signs or issues it | A licensed dentist, with signature and license number | Work from a licensed and registered dentist's impressions; no signature rule in the section | The issuing dentist; work only on a licensed dentist's written direction |
| Copy retention | Dentist 1 year, lab 1 year | Not in the statute; N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7 puts lab Rx copies in the patient record, kept 7 years | Lab keeps the original, dentist a copy; open to inspection 1 year |
| If the lab subcontracts | Not addressed in these sections | Not addressed in this section | Written subwork authorization, 1 year |
| Point of origin or materials | Dentist specifies materials; no lab origin disclosure | No disclosure rule in this section | No disclosure rule in these sections |
| Denture identification | Offer name or initials (§6612) | Name and Social Security number unless the patient objects (§45:6-19.2) | Offer name or initials (§20-126e) |
| Enforcement | Education Department inspections; class A misdemeanor | Board may inspect dental offices and labs (§45:6-11) | Department of Public Health inspections; class D felony (§20-126) |
None of these sections requires the lab to tell you where the work was made. New York Senate bill S6929A would require lab registration and disclosure of material content and manufacturing origin; it passed the Senate in 2025 and 2026 and sits in an Assembly committee. More in Where Was Your Crown Made?
How Long Should You Keep Lab Records?
The Rx rule and the chart rule are separate; the chart rule runs longer.
| State | Lab Rx or work authorization | Patient records in general |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 year, dentist and lab (Educ. Law §6611(1)) | At least 6 years unless otherwise provided by law; for minors, also until one year after age 21 (8 NYCRR §29.2(a)(3)) |
| New Jersey | Not in N.J.S.A. 45:6-19; copies belong in the patient record (N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7(a)8) | At least 7 years from the date of the last entry (N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7(d)) |
| Connecticut | Open to inspection 1 year from issuance (§20-122a) | 7 years from the last date of treatment, or 3 years after the patient's death (Regs. Conn. State Agencies §19a-14-42) |
In Connecticut, if a claim of malpractice, unprofessional conduct or negligence is made, that patient's records must be kept until it is resolved (§19a-14-43). New Jersey's rule names lab prescription copies as part of the patient record. New York's and Connecticut's record rules do not name the lab Rx, although Connecticut's definition of a medical record includes doctors' orders. Keeping your copy with the chart means it is kept for the longer period.
What About Digital Prescriptions?
None of the sections cited here mentions electronic prescriptions, electronic signatures or scanner portals. How a written, signed prescription maps onto an Rx typed into a scanner's lab form is a question for your board.
Complete every field the portal offers, add your license number in the notes if there is no field for it, and save a copy of what you sent. See How to Send a Scan to a Dental Lab.
A Tri-State Rx Checklist
- Lab: full name and address.
- Date: the day you write it.
- Patient: name or chart number.
- Work: teeth, restoration type and a clear description, with a diagram if it helps.
- Materials: brand or grade, not just "ceramic".
- Removables: the patient's choice on marking, written exactly as it should appear.
- Signature: yours, with your license number.
- Connecticut: on the form the Dental Commission prescribes.
- Your copy: at least 1 year in New York and Connecticut; in New Jersey a copy goes in the patient record, kept 7 years.
This guide summarizes official texts as checked in October 2026 and is not legal advice; confirm current requirements with your state board before changing your forms.
Working with Elegant Dental Laboratory
- A full-service lab at 2308 McDonald Ave, Brooklyn, NY, founded in 2007 by Gary Fingerman: 7,000 sq. ft., more than 35 technicians, every case made in house with no outsourcing.
- Digital scans are reviewed before production; we accept STL and PLY files from all major intraoral scanners (submit a digital case).
- Free pickup and delivery by our own drivers every business day during lab hours in all five New York City boroughs and 13 northern New Jersey counties; Connecticut practices and practices anywhere else ship with UPS labels.
- 5 business day standard turnaround on most restorative cases, rush options, and up to a 7-year warranty on final restorations (policies and warranties).
- Send a case or call 877-335-5221.
FAQ
Does New York require the patient's name on a lab prescription?
Not in 8 NYCRR §61.5, which lists the lab's name, the date, a description, the materials, and the dentist's signature and license number. Add one anyway.
How long do I keep a lab Rx in New York?
One year for your copy, and the lab keeps its copy one year too (Educ. Law §6611(1)). Patient records fall under a separate rule of at least six years.
Is a regular Rx enough for a Connecticut case?
Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-122a calls for a written work authorization on forms prescribed by the Dental Commission. Ask the Commission what form it requires.
Does New Jersey set a retention period for lab prescriptions?
Not in the statute, N.J.S.A. 45:6-19. The Board of Dentistry's rule, N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7, lists copies of lab prescriptions as part of the patient record and keeps patient records at least seven years from the date of the last entry.
Do dentures have to carry the patient's name?
In New York and Connecticut the dentist must offer name or initials marking. New Jersey calls for the name and Social Security number unless the patient objects, with fallbacks.
Sources (9)
- New York Education Law, Article 133 (Dentistry and Dental Hygiene), §6611 Special provisions and §6612 Identification of removable full or partial prosthetic devices. NYSED Office of the Professions. op.nysed.gov
- Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR Part 61, §61.5 Dental laboratory prescriptions. NYSED Office of the Professions. op.nysed.gov
- Rules of the Board of Regents, 8 NYCRR Part 29, §29.2(a)(3) (patient records). NYSED Office of the Professions. op.nysed.gov
- New Jersey Statutes, N.J.S.A. 45:6-11, 45:6-19 and 45:6-19.2. New Jersey Legislature statutes database (search for 45:6-19.2); official statutes text file updated October 2, 2026. njleg.state.nj.us
- New Jersey Administrative Code, N.J.A.C. 13:30-8.7 Patient records (State Board of Dentistry). Cornell Legal Information Institute reproduction. law.cornell.edu
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 379 (Dentistry), §§20-122a, 20-122b, 20-122c, 20-123(b)(4), 20-126 and 20-126e; current text, with the 2026 Supplement (revised to January 1, 2026) checked for changes. Connecticut General Assembly. cga.ct.gov
- Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, §§19a-14-41 to 19a-14-43 (medical records retention). Connecticut eRegulations System. eregulations.ct.gov
- New York State Senate. Senate Bill S6929A (2025-2026 session), an act to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation to dental laboratories; bill history checked October 3, 2026. nysenate.gov
- Connecticut State Dental Commission. Connecticut Department of Public Health. portal.ct.gov
Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO of Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York (founded 2007). Last reviewed: October 3, 2026. State rules are summarized from official statute and regulation texts checked in October 2026; they change, and this is not legal advice.
