Quality Control in Dental Labs: Ensuring Precision Every Time

Quality control determines whether your lab builds a reputation for excellence or struggles with remakes and dissatisfied clients. Every restoration that leaves your facility carries your name—and poor quality work damages relationships far more than good work builds them. Effective QC isn’t about catching defects; it’s about building processes that prevent them.

Why Quality Control Matters

The economics of quality are compelling:

Remake Costs Every remake consumes materials, labor, and shipping costs without generating revenue. A 5% remake rate might seem small, but it can represent 20% or more of potential profit.

Relationship Impact Clinics remember quality problems. One bad case can undo months of good work, and dentists talk to each other. Quality issues spread faster than quality successes.

Team Morale Technicians take pride in their work. Constant remakes frustrate skilled craftspeople and create a culture of “good enough” rather than excellence.

Operational Efficiency Quality problems create unplanned work that disrupts scheduling. Rush remakes bump other cases, creating cascading delays.

Key Quality Checkpoints

Build quality verification into your workflow at critical points:

Intake Verification

Quality starts before production begins:

• Prescription completeness: All required information present?
• Scan quality: Margins clear? Adequate tissue capture?
• Photo documentation: Shade references included?
• Special instructions: Understood and achievable?

Problems caught at intake cost nothing to fix. Problems discovered at shipping cost everything.

Design Review

Before committing materials:

• Margin accuracy: Digital margin marked correctly?
• Contacts and occlusion: Appropriate for the restoration type?
• Material thickness: Minimum requirements met throughout?
• Esthetics: Proportions, emergence, and contours appropriate?

For complex cases, consider peer review before manufacturing approval.

Manufacturing Checkpoints

During production:

• Milling quality: Surface finish acceptable? No chipping?
• Sintering verification: Cycle completed correctly? No cracks?
• Dimensional accuracy: Fit on die or model acceptable?
• Material certification: Correct material used? Lot documented?

Catching issues during production allows correction before final finishing.

Final Inspection

Before shipping:

• Fit verification: Seats completely on model or analog?
• Margin integrity: No gaps, overhangs, or defects?
• Surface quality: Appropriate finish and polish?
• Shade accuracy: Matches prescription and photos?
• Occlusion: Contacts appropriate? No interferences?

Document final inspection results for traceability.

Digital QC Tools

Technology enhances quality control capabilities:

Digital Measurement

CAD software and dedicated measurement tools enable:

• Precise thickness verification throughout restoration
• Contact point position and strength analysis
• Occlusal surface analysis
• Margin gap measurement

Digital measurement is more objective and repeatable than visual inspection alone.

Comparison Tools

Overlay actual outcomes with original designs:

• Scan finished restoration before shipping
• Compare to original design file
• Identify dimensional variations
• Document compliance or deviation

This data supports both quality verification and process improvement.

Photography and Documentation

Visual records serve multiple purposes:

• Pre-ship documentation protects against disputes
• Comparison to prescription photos verifies shade accuracy
• Before/after images track case through production
• Historical reference for future similar cases

Standardize photography—consistent lighting, angles, and backgrounds.

Tracking and Analytics

Quality data becomes actionable when aggregated:

• Remake rates by case type, technician, and clinic
• Defect categorization and trending
• Cycle time correlation with quality outcomes
• Material lot tracking for problem investigation

Look for patterns that indicate systematic issues.

Training Your Team

Quality depends on people:

Clear Standards

Document what “acceptable” means:

• Written criteria for each checkpoint
• Visual references showing acceptable vs. unacceptable
• Decision guides for borderline cases
• Escalation paths when uncertain

Ambiguous standards lead to inconsistent outcomes.

Calibration

Ensure consistency across evaluators:

• Regular calibration sessions comparing judgments
• Review of borderline cases as a team
• Rotation of QC responsibilities to spread expertise
• Documentation of calibration outcomes

Different people should reach the same conclusions.

Skill Development

Invest in technical capabilities:

• Training on new materials and techniques
• Equipment operation certification
• Quality management system education
• Communication skills for clinic feedback

Better skills produce better work that requires less inspection.

Feedback Loops

Connect outcomes to learning:

• Share quality data with technicians
• Discuss remakes and their causes
• Celebrate quality achievements
• Address recurring issues through training

People improve when they understand results.

Documentation and Traceability

Records protect everyone:

What to Document

For every case:

• Materials used with lot numbers
• Process parameters (sintering cycles, etc.)
• Inspection results at each checkpoint
• Any deviations from standard procedure
• Final approval and shipping confirmation

How Long to Keep Records

Consider regulatory requirements and statute of limitations:

Record Type	Minimum Retention
Case production records	5-10 years
Material certifications	10 years
Equipment calibration	Life of equipment + 5 years
Training records	Employment + 5 years
Complaint records	10 years

Consult regulatory guidance specific to your jurisdiction.

Electronic vs. Paper

Digital systems offer advantages:

• Searchable records
• Automatic timestamps
• Reduced storage requirements
• Easier analysis and reporting

If using paper, establish clear organization and retention procedures.

Building a Quality Culture

Sustainable quality requires cultural commitment:

Leadership Commitment

Quality starts at the top:

• Prioritize quality in resource allocation
• Respond appropriately to quality issues
• Recognize quality achievements
• Model quality-focused decision making

Ownership at Every Level

Everyone participates:

• Technicians own their work quality
• Supervisors own process quality
• Managers own system quality
• Leaders own culture quality

Continuous Improvement

Quality is never “done”:

• Regular review of quality metrics
• Root cause analysis for significant issues
• Process improvements based on data
• Celebration of improvements achieved

Transparency

Share quality information:

• Post quality metrics visibly
• Discuss quality in team meetings
• Acknowledge both successes and failures
• Learn publicly from mistakes

Handling Quality Failures

When problems occur:

Immediate Response

1. Acknowledge the issue to the clinic promptly
2. Understand the impact on their patient
3. Commit to resolution with specific timeline
4. Prioritize the remake or correction

Root Cause Analysis

After resolution:

1. What exactly went wrong?
2. Why did our processes not prevent it?
3. Why did our inspection not catch it?
4. What systemic change will prevent recurrence?

Corrective Action

Implement improvements:

• Process changes to prevent occurrence
• Inspection changes to improve detection
• Training to address skill gaps
• Documentation updates for clarity

Follow Through

Verify effectiveness:

• Monitor for recurrence
• Adjust if initial correction insufficient
• Close the loop with affected parties
• Document lessons learned

Quality control isn’t about perfection—it’s about systematic improvement. Labs that invest in robust QC processes deliver more consistent work, build stronger clinic relationships, and operate more profitably. The choice isn’t whether to invest in quality; it’s whether to invest proactively or pay the higher cost of reactive firefighting.