What records does a lab need for a crown?

For general dentists, the most common cause of a remake is a record that arrived incomplete, not a fabrication error on the lab's end. A poorly captured margin, a bite registration that didn't seat fully, or a shade tab selected under operatory lighting without a natural-light cross-check are the three records most likely to produce a crown that doesn't seat or match. Catching those gaps before the case ships both directions is the conversation Dani's technicians have on every incoming prescription.

Digital submissions simplify the package but introduce their own gaps. An STL file missing the opposing arch, or a scan with insufficient gingival depth at the margin, forces the lab to call back before milling starts. Submitting prep, opposing, and bite as separate labeled STL files, along with the shade in a VITA classical or VITA 3D-Master designation, reduces that back-and-forth to near zero. Attaching a photo of the prep under good lighting adds a margin-verification reference the CAD designer can use directly.

For implant-supported crowns, the prescription needs to identify the implant system and connection type by name, not just implant size. A Straumann Bone Level NC and a Nobel Active narrow platform require different abutment geometries. Leaving that field blank is the single most common delay on implant crown cases. Including the scan body brand used during the appointment lets the lab confirm the library match before milling begins.