How do I choose a dental laboratory as a new dentist?

Look at accreditation (DAMAS, MHRA registration, GDC-registered technicians), what scanners and impression methods they accept, published turnaround times, and whether you can start with a single case with no contract. Talk to the lab directly before committing — a good one is happy to explain their process.

Do I have to use the lab my practice already uses?

Not necessarily — many practices are open to a dentist trying a different lab for a specific case type, and some newly qualified dentists build their own lab relationships as they gain more clinical autonomy. It's worth asking your practice what flexibility you have.

What should I include when sending my first lab case?

A clear, specific prescription (not just 'make a splint' or 'make a guard'), an accurate scan or impression, any relevant clinical notes, and the bite registration if the appliance needs one. If you're unsure what a case needs, a good lab will tell you before starting rather than guessing.

What if my first case comes back wrong?

Contact the lab and describe exactly what's wrong — a fit issue, an occlusal problem, a finish issue. A good lab will want to know, will talk you through likely causes, and will remake or adjust it. How a lab handles a problem case tells you a lot about whether to keep using them.

Should I stick with one lab for everything?

Not necessarily. Many practices use one lab for most of their work and a specialist lab for particular appliance types. There's no obligation to consolidate everything with one supplier if a different lab suits a specific case better.

How do I know if a lab is any good before sending a real case?

Ask about their accreditation, turnaround times and how they handle problem cases before you send anything. Some labs are happy to talk through a hypothetical case first, which is a reasonable way to get a feel for how they work.

New to Practice? A Guide to Choosing and Working With a Dental Laboratory

By Bridge Dental Laboratory · 15 August 2026

Choosing a dental laboratory is one of the first working relationships a new dentist has to set up — and it’s rarely covered in training. You’re taught the clinical side of nearly everything; how to actually pick and work with a lab tends to be picked up on the job, often by trial and error. Here’s a practical starting point.

What to look for in a lab

A few things are worth checking before you send a case, not after:

Accreditation. In the UK, look for DAMAS accreditation (the Dental Appliance Manufacturers Audit Scheme), MHRA registration for medical device manufacturing, and GDC-registered technicians. These mean the lab is independently audited, not just self-certifying.
What they accept. Do they take scans from your practice’s intraoral scanner? Do they still take traditional impressions if you need to? A lab that only works with one narrow input limits your options.
Published turnaround times. A lab that’s upfront about how long things take — and offers express options when a patient’s already booked in — is easier to plan around than one that only gives an estimate when asked.
No pressure to commit everything at once. You should be able to send a single case to see how a lab works before deciding whether to send more.

For more on judging the work itself once it arrives, see our guide to quality indicators in a dental appliance.

Writing a prescription that gets you what you want

The single most common cause of a case coming back wrong is an unclear prescription. “Make a splint” or “make a guard” leaves the lab guessing at exactly what you want. Be specific:

What appliance, precisely — a soft guard, a hard Michigan-type splint, a specific retainer material
Which arch, and whether you need a bite registration
Any clinical detail that affects the design — severity of wear, a specific occlusal scheme, a TMJ indication

A good lab will flag anything ambiguous before starting rather than assuming — but a clear prescription from the outset avoids the back-and-forth altogether.

Sending your first case

Whether by digital scan or a traditional impression, the basics are the same: send an accurate record, a clear prescription, and any relevant notes. If you’re not confident the scan or impression captured everything needed, it’s worth asking the lab to check before they start work, rather than after — most labs would rather flag an issue early than remake a case.

What to do if something comes back wrong

It happens — a fit that’s slightly off, an occlusal high spot, a finish that’s not quite right. How a lab responds when something goes wrong tells you more than how they respond when everything’s fine. Contact them, describe the specific problem, and a lab confident in its work will want to understand what happened and put it right. If a lab is defensive or slow to engage with a problem case, that’s worth factoring into whether you keep sending them work.

You don’t have to use one lab for everything

There’s no rule that says all your lab work has to go to a single supplier. Many practices use one lab as their main partner and a different one for a specific appliance type they do particularly well. If your current practice already has an established lab relationship, it’s still worth understanding how that lab works and what your options are as you develop your own case preferences.

Starting with us

We’re a DAMAS-accredited, MHRA-registered, family-run lab, staffed by GDC-registered technicians, working with practices across the UK since 1978. There’s no contract and no minimum order — request a price list or send us a single case to see how we work. See our digital workflow and turnaround times for the practical detail, or switching dental labs if you’re weighing up moving more of your work across.