When you need a dental restoration like a crown, bridge, or denture, you probably don’t want to wait long for it. Unfortunately, however, in many cases, dentists must order these prosthetics from an outside dental lab and then wait for them to be made and delivered before they’re ready to be placed in your mouth. The great news is that when your dentist has an in-house dental lab, much of this frustration is eliminated. Here’s a closer look at some of the amazing benefits of visiting a dentist with an in-house dental lab, and how it can improve your smile sooner!
Faster Turnaround
When you visit a dentist who doesn’t have an in-house dental lab for a prosthetic, the wait time to restore your smile can often be several weeks. That’s because after taking images and impressions of your mouth, your dentist must send that information on to an outside location for them to fabricate your order. Then, once it’s complete, they must wait for it to be sent back so you can return to have it placed- and that’s if it fits correctly. If not, the whole process could restart, adding another week or two to your treatment timeline!
Conversely, when your dentist has an in-house dental lab, your restorations are crafted on site, meaning that not only will the lab instantly receive your order, but they can begin creating it as soon as possible, maybe even on the same day! Best of all, once it’s ready, it won’t need to ship from a faraway location- it can be walked into the next room for placement, often without you needing to return multiple times or waiting weeks between visits.
Better Customization & Collaboration
One of the biggest caveats about off-site dental labs is that if your restoration isn’t exactly what you’d hoped for, or if it doesn’t fit or feel comfortable, it will need to be sent back for modifications. Naturally, this will add several days (if not weeks!) to your treatment. Worse yet, if you’re wearing a temporary crown or veneers, this can translate to increased vulnerability for the underlying tooth and extended sensitivity when eating or drinking.
The great news is that when your dentist has an in-house dental lab, modifications can be made faster than ever before, and often aren’t necessary, because your dentist can easily collaborate with the lab technicians to get you exactly what you want the first time around. In fact, that team effort often results in creating something that might not be possible via mail, yet exactly what you need!
Enhanced Quality Control
One of the easiest ways to make sure something is done correctly is to have plenty of expert oversight. This way, you can verify no corners are being cut, that things are being made according to standard procedures, and that the people creating the product are focusing on the job at hand (and not on making viral videos with their coworkers). With an in-house dental lab, your dentist can stop by and check on the status of your order, and maybe even help when needed, such as if the technician has a question about the shade of your crown or the texture of your denture base. They can also assure you, the patient, that your restoration was made to your exact specifications and that it is durable and strong enough to do the job it was designed to do.
Remember, while not every dentist will be fortunate enough to have an in-house dental lab, you and your smile will certainly benefit from it if they do! So, don’t waste valuable time waiting around for a faraway tech to create your new restoration- start at the source with a dentist with an in-house dental lab, and bring back your beautiful, pain-free smile faster than you ever thought possible!
About Our Practice
At Dent-Care Dental, we are proud to have our very own, in-house dental lab to create beautiful, durable, lifelike restorations for our patients right here, right away! Don’t waste your precious time wearing temporary prosthetics or waiting around for your new smile to be manufactured at some distant location that doesn’t know you, your dentist, or your teeth. To improve your gorgeous grin faster than you may have thought possible, visit our website or call us at 718-937-6750 today!