By: Roger P. Levin, DDS
Every dentist is a member of at least two teams. You have your staff or in-office team -- your hygienists, assistants, front desk personnel, etc. And then you have the other team outside your office that includes vendors, doctors you refer to, and dental laboratories.
Every dentist is a member of at least two teams. You have your staff or in-office team -- your hygienists, assistants, front desk personnel, etc. And then you have the other team outside your office that includes vendors, doctors you refer to, and dental laboratories.
The outside team member that has the most significant impact on your performance is the dental lab. Your relationship with a dental lab (or labs) directly affects these practice areas:
* Quality of care
* Scheduling
* Overhead
* Customer Service
* Practice Stress
* Quality of care
* Scheduling
* Overhead
* Customer Service
* Practice Stress
The right lab can have a very positive effect on all these areas. The wrong lab can wreak havoc on your practice. For example, if you experienced several remakes in a few days, imagine the stress that would place on your practice. Patients would be upset that their restoration wasn't completed on time and that they would have to come back for another appointment. You would have to find room in the schedule for these patients within the next few weeks. Your overhead would increase because these second appointments are at the practice's expense--not the patient's. You also may need to pay overtime to ensure that the patient is seen without delay.
Whether it was the lab's fault, the practice's or both, patients are going to hold your practice accountable for failed treatment. After all, they are your patients. They don't know who made the crown or bridge. And, frankly, they don't care. They only know that you failed to get it right. That might sound harsh, but that is how patients will view your practice after a remake.
Someone once said, "Behind every great smile is a great dentist." But have you ever considered what is behind a great dentist? There are many factors, but a strong relationship with a quality dental lab is critical to your long-term success.
What to look for in a lab
When evaluating a lab, Levin Group recommends using these six criteria:
1. Quality
2. Range of services and materials
3. Turnaround time
4. Customer service
5. Cost
6. Extras
When evaluating a lab, Levin Group recommends using these six criteria:
1. Quality
2. Range of services and materials
3. Turnaround time
4. Customer service
5. Cost
6. Extras
1. Quality
Patient care is every practice's top priority. The practice and the lab must work together to ensure quality. Levin Group recommends that practices keep remakes at 1% or less. The practice must provide the lab an abundance of accurate information- -written instructions and digital images to help ensure a quality result. If frequent remakes are an issue, then it may be time to consider other labs.
Patient care is every practice's top priority. The practice and the lab must work together to ensure quality. Levin Group recommends that practices keep remakes at 1% or less. The practice must provide the lab an abundance of accurate information- -written instructions and digital images to help ensure a quality result. If frequent remakes are an issue, then it may be time to consider other labs.
2. Range of services
Is the lab a full-service one or does it specialize in certain services? Some dentists use one lab for most services but then use another lab for high-end restorative or cosmetic work. Can you get everything you need at one lab? Or would using several labs make more sense?
Is the lab a full-service one or does it specialize in certain services? Some dentists use one lab for most services but then use another lab for high-end restorative or cosmetic work. Can you get everything you need at one lab? Or would using several labs make more sense?
3. Turnaround time
Just as efficiency is a key benchmark for practice success, so it is for measuring a lab's performance. Can a lab consistently deliver quality work in the required time? Does the lab have standard timelines for each service? Is it able to meet those deadlines? Before deciding to use a lab, ask for referrals from dentists in your geographic area. If the lab is located in another region, will distance affect turnaround time?
Just as efficiency is a key benchmark for practice success, so it is for measuring a lab's performance. Can a lab consistently deliver quality work in the required time? Does the lab have standard timelines for each service? Is it able to meet those deadlines? Before deciding to use a lab, ask for referrals from dentists in your geographic area. If the lab is located in another region, will distance affect turnaround time?
4. Customer service
Does the lab have a human voice on the other end of the line? Is this person knowledgeable about lab work? If there is a challenge, can the customer representative provide the necessary information? When you have questions, does the lab respond quickly? Or, are you put on hold for long periods of time?
Does the lab have a human voice on the other end of the line? Is this person knowledgeable about lab work? If there is a challenge, can the customer representative provide the necessary information? When you have questions, does the lab respond quickly? Or, are you put on hold for long periods of time?
5. Cost
How does the lab rank in terms of cost? Is it on the high end or the low end? Cost should be part of the deciding factor, but not the sole criterion. You may want to use different labs for different procedures. A lab that specializes in high-end cosmetic may be the perfect choice for anterior esthetic cases, but another lab with a more reasonable cost structure may be the better choice for crown and bridge cases. Finding a quality lab or labs with reasonable prices should be your overall goal.
How does the lab rank in terms of cost? Is it on the high end or the low end? Cost should be part of the deciding factor, but not the sole criterion. You may want to use different labs for different procedures. A lab that specializes in high-end cosmetic may be the perfect choice for anterior esthetic cases, but another lab with a more reasonable cost structure may be the better choice for crown and bridge cases. Finding a quality lab or labs with reasonable prices should be your overall goal.
6. Extras
Does the lab educate the practice on new materials and services? A good dental lab should be able to provide excellent education to their dentists on subjects, ranging from restorations to preparation to materials. A good lab should be a partner to the practice. In an era where so many new supplies, materials and technologies are emerging, it can be difficult for practices to keep up with the latest information. Having the lab act as an expert in certain areas can help dentists incorporate the right materials and technologies into their practices.
Does the lab educate the practice on new materials and services? A good dental lab should be able to provide excellent education to their dentists on subjects, ranging from restorations to preparation to materials. A good lab should be a partner to the practice. In an era where so many new supplies, materials and technologies are emerging, it can be difficult for practices to keep up with the latest information. Having the lab act as an expert in certain areas can help dentists incorporate the right materials and technologies into their practices.
You and your lab(s)
Effective communication is a critical factor for building a strong relationship with dental labs. A dental lab will not just automatically produce the perfect crown or bridge without input from you. Be very specific about what you want on every case request. Give clear, detailed instructions and follow up with the lab to make sure those instructions are understood. Provide X-rays or digital images that enhance your written instructions. This way you ensure a quality product from the lab and for your patient. Talk to your lab representative or the lab owner every 4-6 months just to make sure your practice and the dental lab are on the same page.
Effective communication is a critical factor for building a strong relationship with dental labs. A dental lab will not just automatically produce the perfect crown or bridge without input from you. Be very specific about what you want on every case request. Give clear, detailed instructions and follow up with the lab to make sure those instructions are understood. Provide X-rays or digital images that enhance your written instructions. This way you ensure a quality product from the lab and for your patient. Talk to your lab representative or the lab owner every 4-6 months just to make sure your practice and the dental lab are on the same page.
Conclusion
A strong practice-laboratory relationship allows you to provide optimal quality of care combined with exceptional customer service and decreased overhead. With the increased patient focus on esthetic dentistry, your lab partner will only become a bigger component in your practice's success in the coming years. Take the time necessary to develop a strong relationship with a quality dental laboratory.
A strong practice-laboratory relationship allows you to provide optimal quality of care combined with exceptional customer service and decreased overhead. With the increased patient focus on esthetic dentistry, your lab partner will only become a bigger component in your practice's success in the coming years. Take the time necessary to develop a strong relationship with a quality dental laboratory.
