Dental Laboratory

What Is a Dental Laboratory? (Where Crown Magic Happens)

A dental laboratory is a specialized, high-tech facility where skilled technicians transform your dentist's impression or digital scan into the custom crown, bridge, or veneer that will go into your mouth. Think of it as a master jewelry workshop for teeth, where science meets art to create a restoration that is both beautiful and incredibly durable.

When your dentist says, "we'll send this to the lab," they aren't talking about some generic factory. They are partnering with highly trained Certified Dental Technicians (CDTs) who obsess over every curve, shade, and surface texture of your crown. These are the unsung artists who ensure your new tooth doesn't just fit—it looks like it belongs in your smile.

The Journey of Your Crown

Ever wonder what happens during those two weeks you're waiting for your permanent crown? It's on a detailed journey of fabrication.

1. Design & Model Work: Your case is received (physically or digitally), and a precise model of your teeth is created. A technician then begins the initial digital or wax design of your new crown.
2. Crown Fabrication: The crown is then built, either by layering porcelain by hand or by milling it from a solid block of ceramic. This is where the technician's artistry truly shines.
3. Furnace Firing: The crown undergoes multiple, precisely controlled firing cycles in a high-heat dental furnace to give it its final strength and luster.
4. Finishing & Polishing: The technician adds final surface texture and custom staining to mimic your natural teeth before a final polish and glaze.
5. Quality Control: Before being shipped back to our office, the crown undergoes a rigorous quality control check under a microscope to ensure the fit, margins, and contacts are perfect.

The Different Types of Dental Labs

Just like restaurants, dental labs range from large-scale operations to exclusive boutiques.

• Commercial Labs: These are large, volume-based labs that handle hundreds of cases a day. They are efficient and cost-effective, making them a solid choice for standard restorative work.
• Boutique Labs: These are smaller, artisan-focused labs where a single master technician may work on your crown from start to finish. They specialize in high-end, complex aesthetic cases where the highest level of artistry is required. We partner with these labs for our most demanding smile makeovers.

The Lab vs. In-Office (CEREC®) Debate

So, if labs are so great, why do we also offer same-day crowns made in our office? The answer is that both have their place.

• A dental lab is ideal for complex cases, multiple front teeth, and situations requiring the unique hand-layering skills of a master ceramist.
• In-office milling is perfect for the vast majority of single crowns on back teeth, offering unparalleled convenience, precision, and quality control in a single visit.

An experienced dentist knows when to utilize the artistry of a boutique lab and when to leverage the efficiency and precision of in-office technology. Our ability to offer both ensures you get the absolute best option for your specific clinical needs.

Here's what we want you to remember:

The dental laboratory is a crucial partner in your care. It's where skilled technicians dedicate hours of artistry and technical expertise to create a restoration that needs to function perfectly for decades in your mouth.

Every patient's situation is unique.

The choice to use a lab, and which lab to use, is a critical quality-control decision we make on your behalf. For a simple molar crown, a reliable commercial lab might be perfect. For your front tooth, we may choose to partner with a master ceramist from a boutique lab to achieve a flawless aesthetic result.

Curious about where your crown will be made?

Want to understand more about the craftsmanship that goes into your dental work? We're here to give you honest, personalized answers. Schedule a consultation at our Woodland Hills practice – let's talk about what's really best for your smile.