How do dentists evaluate lab partnerships?

For general dentists and restorative practice owners, the remake rate is the number that ends partnerships. A lab running above 3% remakes forces chair-time losses that compound fast: one remake per week at an average crown fee of $1,200 can erase $60,000 in billable time annually. Turnaround predictability matters nearly as much. Practices running 3-chair schedules cannot absorb a lab that ships on day 12 when the patient is seated on day 11.

Communication structure is the differentiator most dentists underweight during evaluation and most regret ignoring after the first complex case. Anonymous ticket portals slow shade decisions and anterior case adjustments by 24-48 hours per round trip. Labs that assign a named technician to each account and publish a direct line compress that window to the same business day. At Dani Dental, every account ships with the direct contact of the technician on the case.

Pricing transparency surfaces as a churn driver specifically at the 6-12 month mark, when dentists reconcile invoices against quoted rates and find per-arch or per-shade upcharges that were never disclosed. Evaluating a lab before signing means requesting a full unit-price sheet, asking explicitly about implant-component markups, and confirming whether digital file submission carries an added fee. A lab that quotes clearly up front and holds that rate across a fiscal year is worth more than a lower headline number with undisclosed add-ons.