ANSWERS

How do labs handle case quality control?

Dental labs handle case quality control through a multi-stage verification chain: digital file review on intake, named-technician accountability through fabrication, dimensional QC on the milled or printed substructure, shade and contour review against the prescription, and a final inspection before pack-out.

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THE FULL PICTURE

Why it works this way

The five-stage QC chain

A case moves through five verification stages between intake and pack-out. Stage one is prescription and file review: the digital impression (STL or PLY) is checked against the Rx for margin clarity, antagonist data, and bite registration. Stage two is design review at CAD, where the technician verifies occlusal scheme, contact tightness, and emergence profile before sending to mill or print. Stage three is dimensional QC on the substructure: marginal fit checked under magnification, occlusal clearance measured. Stage four is shade and contour review against the photographic Rx. Stage five is final inspection and pack-out.

More on this topic

What is a typical remake rate for a dental lab?

Industry-reported remake rates for crown and bridge work sit in the 3-5% range according to ADA practice surveys, with higher rates (5-8%) common at high-volume national labs where the digital pipeline is anonymous and there is no named technician on the case. Boutique labs with named-bench accountability typically report 2-3%. Dani Dental's measured rate sits under 2.5%, tracked monthly and reported back on the quarterly account review.

How do I know who worked on my case at the lab?

At Dani Dental, the technician's name and direct phone line print on the invoice that ships with the case. If something needs to be discussed (fit, shade, contact, occlusion), the call goes to the bench that did the work, not to a customer service queue. Most national-network labs do not name the technician on the case; the CAD pipeline is anonymous by design. Named-technician accountability is one of the things that separates a boutique lab from a volume operation.

What QC steps happen between CAD design and the case shipping?

After CAD design, the file routes to mill or print. The substructure (coping, framework, or full-contour crown) is then checked for marginal fit under magnification and for occlusal clearance against the antagonist scan. Shade and contour are reviewed against the photographic prescription. A final inspection verifies the case matches the Rx (unit count, shade, material, margin design) before pack-out. Five verification points sit between design and shipping.

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Read the full guide on all procedures

This answer is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.

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