You know the shade, the margin and the material on your Rx. Do you know the city where the crown was made? For a large share of American dental work, the honest answer has been "somewhere overseas." In 2012 the National Association of Dental Laboratories estimated that foreign labs filled nearly 40% of the units prescribed in the US.
2026 has changed the rules around that question. Oregon's new disclosure law took effect on July 1, a similar bill has passed the New York Senate twice, and new tariffs have applied to imports from 60 economies since July 24. Here is what changed, what the evidence says about quality, and what to ask your lab.
Key Takeaways
- NADL estimated that 15% to 20% of US crowns, bridges and dentures were made offshore in 2008, and that foreign labs filled nearly 40% of units prescribed by 2012.
- 11 states require labs to disclose where a restoration was made. Oregon's law, in force since July 1, 2026, also covers labs outside Oregon.
- New York bill S6929A, which would require registration and city, state and country disclosure, passed the State Senate in 2025 and again in March 2026 and now sits in the Assembly.
- Foreign labs must register with the FDA to export devices to the US; US labs working from previously manufactured materials are exempt.
- Where a crown is made matters less than how it is controlled: in a Norwegian study, domestic crowns were not better than imported ones.
Quick Answer
Your crown was made wherever your lab, or a lab your lab subcontracted to, made it. In 11 states the lab must tell you; in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut it currently does not have to. Ask your lab in writing where each case type is made, whether any part is subcontracted, and which brand-name materials it uses.
How Much Dental Work Is Made Abroad?
There is no current official figure, because trade statistics do not separate lab-made crowns from other dental products. The best estimates come from the dental lab industry itself. In 2008, NADL estimated that 15% to 20% of all crowns, bridges and dentures in the US were made offshore, up to $1.6 billion of the $8 billion spent on lab work. By 2012, NADL put the share at nearly 40% of units prescribed, including work that group practices sent abroad directly.
Which States Require Point-of-Origin Disclosure?
According to NADL's state chart (updated September 2025), these states regulate dental labs, and most of them require disclosure of where the work was made:
| State | Lab rules since | Lab registration | Point-of-origin disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1987 | Yes | Yes |
| Illinois | 1993 | No | Yes |
| Kentucky | 1977 | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota | 2012 | Yes | Yes |
| North Carolina | 1962 | No | Yes |
| Ohio | 2008 | No | Yes |
| Oregon | 2025 (in force July 1, 2026) | Yes | Yes |
| South Carolina | 1942 | Yes | Yes |
| Texas | 1985 | Yes | Yes |
| Virginia | 2012 | No | Yes |
| Washington | 2019 | Yes | Yes |
| Missouri | 1995 | No | On the state dental association's Rx form, not in state law |
| Oklahoma, Pennsylvania | 1992, 1987 | Yes | No |
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut do not appear on the chart.
What Oregon's 2026 Law Requires
Oregon HB 2594 was signed in May 2025 and became operative on July 1, 2026. It is the most detailed disclosure law so far, and it reaches well beyond Oregon:
- Who must register: every lab located in Oregon and every lab working on a work order from a dentist licensed in Oregon, wherever the lab is.
- What must be disclosed: the lab's name, address and registration number; the city, state and country where the work was performed in whole or in part; the city, state and country of every lab that made or repaired it, directly or indirectly; and the manufacturer and brand name, or FDA registration number, of all materials that contact the patient.
- Who must be on staff: until 2030, an employee with 12 hours of continuing education a year, a Certified Dental Technician or a dentist; from January 1, 2030, a CDT or a supervising dentist.
What the FDA Requires
A US dental lab that makes custom restorations from previously manufactured, FDA-cleared materials is exempt from FDA establishment registration. That exemption is limited to establishments located in a US state. A foreign lab whose crowns are imported into the US has to register with the FDA and list its devices, and FDA checks the registration of the declared manufacturer when products enter the country. NADL's counsel has also noted that a US lab that imports finished restorations from abroad may itself trigger FDA registration requirements.
2026 Tariffs: What Changed
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 20, 2026 | The Supreme Court ruled that the emergency-powers law (IEEPA) does not authorize tariffs, striking down the 2025 emergency tariffs. |
| February 24 to July 23, 2026 | A temporary 10% import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act applied. |
| July 24, 2026 | New Section 301 tariffs of 10% or 12.5% began on products from 60 economies, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Mexico. |
Dental fittings normally enter the US duty-free, and we did not find them on the published exemption lists, so imported restorations may now carry these tariffs. Classification questions belong with a customs broker. For dentists the practical point is simple: if your lab imports work, ask whether its prices or turnaround have changed and where each case type is now made.
Does Origin Predict Quality?
Not by itself. In a 2020 Norwegian study, identical impressions were sent to dentists' regular labs and 55 metal-ceramic crowns came back: 35 made in Norway, 12 imported and 8 of unknown origin. Evaluators judged 50% of the Norwegian crowns and 42% of the imported crowns functionally unacceptable. The alloy did not match the stated composition in 13% to 20% of the crowns, and the lead content of the alloy exceeded the ISO 22674 limit in 18% of all crowns.
The lesson is not that imported work is safe or that domestic work is good. It is that you cannot see quality from the passport of a crown. What you can check is whether the lab tells you where and how the work is made, which materials it uses, and how it controls the result.
Questions to Ask Your Lab
- Where is each case type made, including milling, sintering, layering and finishing?
- Do you ever subcontract? If so, to whom and where?
- Which brand-name materials do you use for zirconia, lithium disilicate, alloys and denture resins?
- Can you give me the point of origin and materials in writing for a specific case?
- Have 2026 tariffs changed your prices, turnaround or where you make work?
Where Elegant Dental Laboratory Makes Your Cases
Every case we make is designed and made in our own 7,000 sq. ft. facility at 2308 McDonald Ave in Brooklyn, New York, by our team of more than 35 technicians. We do not outsource. Ask us about the origin and materials of any case at 877-335-5221, and see who we are and how we make your cases.
Comparing labs? Read How to Choose a Dental Lab: 7 Questions to Ask.
FAQ
Do dental labs have to tell dentists where a crown was made?
In 11 states they do: Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut currently have no such law, although a New York bill has passed the State Senate.
How much US dental work is made overseas?
There is no current official figure. NADL estimated 15% to 20% of crowns, bridges and dentures in 2008 and nearly 40% of units prescribed by 2012.
Do foreign dental labs need FDA registration?
Yes. The FDA exemption for dental labs applies only to establishments located in a US state; a foreign establishment whose devices are imported must register and list them.
Are imported crowns lower quality?
Not necessarily. A Norwegian study found similar rates of unacceptable crowns from domestic and imported labs. Quality depends on the lab's materials, process and control, which is why disclosure matters.
Do the 2026 tariffs apply to dental crowns?
New tariffs of 10% to 12.5% have applied since July 24, 2026 to products from 60 economies, and we did not find dental fittings on the published exemption lists. A customs broker can confirm the treatment of a specific import.
Sources
- National Association of Dental Laboratories. Dental Laboratory Basic Minimum Standards by State, updated September 2025. dentallabs.org
- Napier B, Rogers J. Laboratory update in the US, Dentaltown supplement, 2012 (NADL). PDF
- UConn Health Today. Dental work made overseas, April 2008. today.uchc.edu
- Oregon Legislature. HB 2594 (2025), enrolled text. olis.oregonlegislature.gov
- New York State Senate bill S6929A, bill text and actions. nyassembly.gov
- 21 CFR 807.65(i) and 807.40, FDA establishment registration. law.cornell.edu
- Thorn E. FDA inspections are not all the same: two recent cases. NADL, May 2023. dentallabs.org
- Supreme Court of the United States. Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, No. 24-1287, February 20, 2026. supremecourt.gov
- Office of the US Trade Representative. Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations, 91 FR 47318, July 28, 2026. federalregister.gov
- NADL. Position statement on potential tariffs in 2025, January 2025. nadl.org
- Valen H, et al. Functional, compositional, and regulatory analyses of imported and non-imported single dental crowns. Eur J Oral Sci. 2020;128(5):444-449. doi:10.1111/eos.12724
Reviewed by Gary Fingerman, founder and CEO of Elegant Dental Laboratory, Brooklyn, New York (founded 2007). Last reviewed: September 26, 2026. Laws and tariffs change; this article is general information, not legal or customs advice.
