There are a number of good dental labs in the country, but there are also bound to be a few who are selling the dental snake oil. Dental labs are more than the crowns they create. They should have excellent customer service, and care about advancing the dental profession.
That being said, here are five indicators of a dental lab you should avoid:
- They never respond to questions or comments
- Their customers aren’t raving about them
- They’re working in the last century
- They aren’t committed to educating customers
- Their turnaround time is on par with a sloth’s (if, you know, they were dentists)
- They never respond to questions or comments
Communication is important in any relationship, whether business or personal, and when your patients’ health is on the line, you want to be able to talk with your lab. But if their response time is reminiscent of that one ex a few years back, they need to go.
Communication shouldn’t be a struggle. You don’t need that hassle in your life and your practice.
- Their customers aren’t raving about them
A lack of customer reviews are the epitome of a red flag. A dental lab, like any business, exists solely at their customer’s consideration. If you can’t find multiple doctors raving about their services, stop right now.
This isn’t a latte, it’s a highly fabricated piece of medical material for your patient, and you want to ensure they’re getting the best product possible.
- They’re working in the last century
We’re not saying that some old techniques aren’t valuable. Rather, we’re emphasizing the incredible wealth of developing technology to better serve your patients. The lab you choose should reflect that priority.
A lab that isn’t investing in new technologies is not a lab you should be investing in.
- They aren’t committed to educating customers
We strongly believe in continuing a dentist’s education, because of said developing technology. Let’s commit to a continual passion and plan to develop skills, whether through online or in-person resources.
This isn’t just professional development, this is for your patients’ heath.
- Their turnaround time is like a sloth’s
You want to provide timely service to your patients, which means your lab should be providing timely service to you. There are times when delays are inevitable because sometimes things just plain go wrong, but those should be far and few between. And if something does happen, and it’s at the lab, they should be trying to make it right.
It can be easy to overlook a dental lab’s importance in your overall goal of running a successful practice, but it’s important to remember their crucial role. Build a relationship with a poor dental lab and your work will suffer, which means your patients’ health could be at risk. Instead, let’s create powerful partnerships with labs that know what it’s like to be a dentist and have a doctor-centered business model, whether it’s in the technology and products offered or the responsive customer service.
