Have you ever visited a dentist for a crown, denture, or other type of restoration and wondered how or where the restoration is made?
For many dental offices, the impression or information from a digital scan is sent to a dental laboratory where a dental technician creates the restoration before sending it back to the practice for the dentist to fit.
At Mint Dental in Anchorage, we have an in-house dental lab, which means certain restorations can be created right here in our practice.
So, What Is an In-House Dental Lab?
As the name suggests, an in-house dental lab is essentially an area within the dental practice where restorations are made.
Here at Mint Dental, for example, we can fabricate crowns and dentures using our on-site laboratory and milling equipment. And doing so has some pretty useful advantages.
It Can Make Treatment Time Faster
One of the biggest advantages for patients of having an on-site dental lab is reducing the time you have to wait for certain restorations.
Take a dental crown as an example.
With a traditional arrangement, your dentist prepares the tooth, takes the necessary impressions or scans, and sends the information to an external laboratory. It’s then normal to wait several weeks for the laboratory to make the crown before returning to the dentist for final fitting.
At Mint Dental, our in-house laboratory allows us to mill our own crowns.
We can fabricate a crown in as little as two days if we know in advance that a patient needs a faster turnaround.
For you, this may mean less time wearing a temporary crown and less time waiting for treatment to be completed.
Less Room For Error
Traditional dental impressions can be highly accurate, but they rely on several steps being completed correctly.
The dentist needs to take a good impression, the material needs to set properly, and the resulting impression then needs to be used by the dental laboratory to create an accurate model of your teeth.
At Mint Dental, we use a digital workflow. This means the teeth are scanned with an intraoral scanning device rather than relying on a conventional impression. The resulting digital model can then be used to design and mill your restoration.
Because the process begins with a digital scan and continues through digital design and milling, there are fewer physical steps where information can potentially be lost or distorted. It also gives the dental team a detailed digital representation of your teeth to work from when creating your crown or other restoration.
The result? A streamlined process with the potential for a more precise, closely fitting restoration.
A More Personalized Approach to Your Restoration
No two smiles are the same.
The shape of your teeth, your bite, the color of your natural teeth and the way your teeth come together all need to be considered when creating a dental restoration.
Mint Dental’s in-house laboratory enables us to customize crowns and dentures to the individual patient.
Digital scanning and modern milling technology also allow restorations to be produced with a high degree of precision.
The goal isn’t simply to create a replacement tooth or denture.
It’s to create a restoration that fits comfortably, functions properly, and looks as natural as possible within your smile.
What Can Be Made in Mint Dental's In-House Lab?
At Mint Dental, our on-site laboratory is primarily used to fabricate dental crowns and dentures.
Crowns can be used to restore teeth that have been damaged, weakened, or extensively restored, while dentures can replace some or all of your missing teeth.
Having the laboratory on-site can be particularly useful when a restoration requires adjustment.
For example, Mint Dental’s in-house denture laboratory can provide same-day repairs for most cases involving a cracked or broken denture.
That can be a significant convenience if you rely on your dentures every day for eating, speaking, and smiling.
So, Does an In-House Dental Lab Mean Better Dental Treatment?
It’s worth making an important distinction here.
Having an in-house laboratory doesn’t automatically mean that a dental restoration will be better than one made by an external laboratory.
The quality of a restoration depends on many factors, including the dentist’s treatment planning, the skill and experience of the dental technician, the materials used, and the technology available.
Instead, the advantage of an in-house lab is more about control, communication, customization, and convenience.
By having the dental team and laboratory working in the same location, certain parts of the treatment process can be more streamlined.
And for patients, that makes a surprisingly big difference.
Ready to find out more?
Interested in finding out how an in-house dental lab could benefit your treatment? Contact Mint Dental in Anchorage today to arrange a consultation and discuss your dental restoration options with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could an In-House Dental Lab Save Me Time and Money?
Potentially, yes.
Because Mint Dental doesn’t need to outsource its crowns and dentures to a third-party laboratory, fewer external laboratory costs are involved. That can help us keep the cost of certain treatments down.
There may also be time savings because your restoration doesn’t have to travel between the dental practice and an external laboratory.
Of course, every patient’s treatment is different, so the time and cost involved will depend on the restoration you need.
Can an in-house dental lab reduce the number of dental appointments I need?
Potentially. Having the dental laboratory on-site can streamline certain stages of treatment and may reduce waiting time between appointments.
However, the number of appointments required will depend on the type of restoration you’re having and your individual treatment plan.
Is an in-house dental lab the same as having a dental technician at the dentist's office?
An in-house dental lab is a dedicated laboratory within the dental practice where restorations are designed, fabricated or adjusted. Depending on the practice, a dental technician or laboratory team may also work on-site.
At Mint Dental, our in-house laboratory allows us to fabricate certain restorations, including crowns and dentures, within our practice.
What happens if my crown or denture doesn't fit properly?
One advantage of having a dental laboratory on-site is that the dentist and laboratory team can communicate directly if a restoration needs adjusting.
In some cases, this can make it easier and more convenient to make the necessary changes without sending the restoration away to an external lab.
