So your a patient seeking dental treatment. You found this page on your surf around the net hoping to educate yourself on your particular dental need. As you may or may not be aware dental laboratories fabricate dental prosthetics (crowns, bridges, dentures, implant hybrid bars) for the majority of dentists practicing around the United States. These laboratories like mine are mostly located outside of the dental practice and are independently owned businesses.

There are exceptions to this as some dental offices have “in house” laboratories but for the most part laboratories outside of dental offices are sent the information(your impressions, photos, bite registrations) from your dental provider and instructed to fabricate from a dental work order referred to as a prescription.

A good number of dental laboratories fabricate your crown, bridge, or denture by hand, in their laboratories, located in your local area or depending on need, elsewhere in the United States. These laboratories employ Americans, use materials and equipment sold by American companies, and are regulated for quality by established U.S. standards of safety.

Unfortunately because we live in a global economy, laboratories and other businesses seeking to lower their bottom line to compete for your dental crown, bridge, or denture from dentists, utilize manufacturing outsourcing of your crown, bridge, or denture from outside the United States and unknowing to your dental provider. These laboratories rebrand and repackage your crown, bridge, or denture to obfuscate who is actually making your teeth.

For the sake of transparency and your safety and in light of the recent pandemic and its effect on public health and safety, your fellow Americans who are dental laboratory owners ask that ALL patients inquire formally to your dentist about the origin of manufacture concerning their crown, bridge or denture. Its your right as a patient to know where your crown, bridge, or denture is being made.

zaleske@gmail.com