Are Dental Laboratories Still Relevant?

In the past, dentists and dental labs had very clearly defined roles: A restorative case would start with the dentist's tooth (or teeth) preparation and an impression, and then the case it would be sent to an outside lab for completion.

In recent years, those roles have become somewhat blurred. Dentists are able to use in-house milling systems so that patients can get crowns the same day. In some cases, practices have their own on-site labs, providing an element of cost savings and convenience.

But are those models a threat to labs? Do labs still make sense in this day and age?

Collaboration

No matter where the tech works — as an in-house technician, a small lab, or a large lab — they must embrace 21stCentury skills, especially as CAD/CAM has become a driving force. But it’s not just nascent computer skills that are asked of lab techs. Their roles have evolved from simply making a restoration to becoming an active member of the dental team.

“I would describe a lot of lab technicians today more as dental engineers… as essentially a pharmacy, where the doctor sends in a prescription, [technicians] fill it and send them a product…” says Travis Zick, CDL, Apex Dental Laboratory Group VP and COO. Zick is also the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) president. “In today’s lab world, there is far more collaboration. I would definitely describe today’s dental labs as partners with their clients. I think we are a valuable part of our clients’ teams, and we’re relied on more than ever to… ensure that there’s a positive outcome.”

Those new duties, Zick says, are because there are so many more opportunities available — choices that doctors might have a hard time keeping up with.

“There are so many more options available today to the dentist in terms of treating their patients,” Zick says. “There’s a vast array of material options available. Our clients rely on us to give them feedback and give them information about what types of materials are available, when and where they should use the different materials that are available and the different treatment planning options. Whereas, traditionally, the options may have been a denture or bridge, today there are 25 different treatment options that we can present to that same patient.”

That abundance of knowledge and opportunity, while great for dentists, can be challenging for lab technicians who work apart from a larger lab. For instance, Dan Elfring, master CDT, is an in-house lab technician for Pickle Prosthodontics in Colorado Springs, Colo. Recently, he and his doctor made the leap to CAD/CAM. It is such uncharted territory, that educational resources have been hard to come by.

“I can tell from my recent CAD/CAM training that it’s going to be a challenge to do what we want to do, because in the denture arena, there are not as many trained technicians to provide the training,” Elfring says.