A dental lab collaborates with dentists and orthodontists to provide patients with appliances to improve their dental health and smile. Mabel Dental uses a digital workflow for smoother fabrication and communication processes. Here is more information about the role of a dental lab:
Make Dental Appliances
While a dentist diagnoses dental conditions, dental labs create the appliances used to treat the conditions. After a dentist takes a physical or digital impression of the patient’s teeth and bite, they can send the impression to a dental lab to create a dental appliance. Labs create removable, fixed, and orthodontic appliances, including:
- Removable restorations: Patients can remove these appliances from their mouths. Removable restorations include dentures, such as partial dentures and flippers. Dentures are customized to the patient’s face shape and bite, and denture bases may be color-matched with the patient’s gums.
- Fixed restorations: Fixed restorations cannot be removed by the patient. These include dental crowns, which are attached to existing teeth or implants. Our lab offers Emax, zirconia, full-cast, and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
- Orthodontic appliances: Orthodontic appliances repair patients’ tooth alignment. These appliances include retainers to keep the patient’s bite from reverting after undergoing orthodontic treatment. Dental labs can also provide clear aligners for patients.
- Custom products: Labs also make mouthguards for athletes to protect their teeth. Nightguards are available to help prevent patients from grinding their teeth in their sleep. Sleep apnea devices hold a patient’s mouth open or push the jaw forward to counteract the symptoms, such as snoring.
Reputable labs use high-quality materials with increased biocompatibility in the appliances they manufacture. Quality mouthguards allow athletes to breathe and speak easily. Frameworks for dentures include nickel-free frameworks made through selective laser melting (SLM). Clear and tooth-colored resin options are available to blend with patients’ mouths. Zirconia crowns offer additional strength.
To send a case to a lab, complete an Rx form to specify the type of appliance needed. Include the requested shade and the material in the Rx. Different categories of Rx forms are available to download on the Mabel Dental website.
Offer Clear Communication
Reputable labs assist dentists and other labs by offering convenient and clear communication and delivery processes. Mabel Dental allows dentists to send digital impressions directly from their intraoral scanners or upload the raw files directly onto our website via a web portal. This will enable technicians to view files quickly and follow up with questions if needed. It also shortens the turnaround time.
Clear communication also includes providing accurate turnaround dates for appliances. This helps dentists know when to expect the appliances, helping them schedule patients for fittings. On average, the turnaround time for cases ranges from five to eight business days. Dentists may also track their appliances through our online portal or by contacting the shipping company.
Create Work Models
Dental labs create work, orthodontic, and diagnostic models for other labs and dentists. Diagnostic models enable dentists to examine a patient’s bite and identify issues with alignment or spacing. Models are also used to check the fit of appliances, such as partials or retainers, against the patient’s bite. Labs can hand-sculpt, print, or digitally design models that replicate a patient’s bite. We use computer-assisted design (CAD) and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) methods to verify that final products match their digital models. Labs can customize the degree of sculpting for the model and offer base options for replicant bites tailored to patient preferences.
Repair and Replace Devices
Labs are able to offer repairs, replacements, or adjustments for damaged or outdated appliances. These include cracked dentures. To fix cracks in a metal or plastic appliance, lab technicians realign the fracture and then use a laser to weld it together without the need for soldering. Laser welding helps protect the teeth and base of the device during the repair process. After welding, technicians apply a polymer to bond the material back together.
Some repairs that lab technicians may perform include:
- Redlining and rebasing appliances
- Repairing metal clasps
- Add metal or flexible clasps to partials
If a patient has lost additional teeth, a technician can adjust the appliance to fit. This is done by adding additional teeth. Dentures are usually replaced after five to seven years of use.
If a cracked crown or implant cannot be fixed in the office, a lab can provide a replacement. Replacing the crown quickly helps protect the exposed tooth from bacteria, reducing the likelihood of periodontal disease. We offer rush orders for dentists and labs to address emergency dental concerns.
Partner With Our Dental Lab
Mabel Dental collaborates with other labs to assist with overflow work. This allows patients to receive their appliances more quickly, reducing chair times for dentists. We offer shipping labels for dentists who send physical impressions. A courier service is also available in some parts of Ohio. To become one of our Smile Partners, call or email us today.
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