7 Critical Challenges for Dental Labs – and How to Overcome Them?

Fast pace and tight deadlines

Dental laboratories often have to fulfill orders within short deadlines to ensure timely treatment of patients and face many challenges. Delays can lead to dissatisfaction among both dentists and patients. For example, when manufacturing zirconia crowns, delays in scanning or milling can lead to missing the deadline.


How to deal with it those challenges:
  • The use of automated order management systems allows for better control over deadlines and workload.а управление на поръчките позволява по-добър контрол върху сроковете и натоварването.
  • The implementation of digital technologies such as CAD/CAM systems significantly speeds up processes, reducing the time for manufacturing structures.
  • Allocating tasks according to the strengths of each dental technician increases efficiency.
top 7 dental lab challenges
Rising material and maintenance costs

The prices of dental materials such as zirconia and ceramic materials continue to rise. In addition, high energy, equipment and rent costs are putting serious pressure on lab profits. Rising prices and costs can create financial difficulties for labs, especially for start-ups and small structures. The goal is to optimize every expense incurred.


How to deal with it:
  • Negotiating better terms with suppliers through bulk purchases and long-term partnerships can reduce material costs.
  • Reducing scrap/recalls and optimizing production processes help reduce losses.
  • Investing in energy-efficient equipment and modern devices with low energy consumption.
Ensuring consistent quality

The quality of each construction is crucial for the satisfaction of dentists and patients. Differences in ceramic color, mismatches in fit or errors in occlusion can lead to complaints.


How to deal with it:
  • Implementing strict quality control with inspection of the manufacturing stages – from design to the finished product.
  • Establishing clear quality standards to guarantee consistent results
  • Training dental technicians to work with modern materials and working techniques
Adapting to rapidly evolving technologies

The rapid development of digital dentistry requires laboratories to invest in new equipment such as 3D printers, intraoral scanners and milling machines. Implementing these technologies can be expensive and require staff training.
Technological advances require constant updates to equipment and processes, which can be both a challenge and an opportunity for competitive advantage.


How to cope and with those challenges:
  • Invest in technologies that offer real benefits, such as increased productivity or improved quality.
  • Attend trade shows, webinars and specialized events to stay informed about industry developments.
  • Gradually introduce new technologies and train staff to avoid disruptions to the workflow.
  • Collaborate with dentists who use digital impressions to reduce errors and downtime.
Lack of effective communication with dentists and dental practices

Insufficient communication between the laboratory and dentists often leads to errors, delays and misunderstandings in order fulfillment.
Ordering errors are often the result of unclear instructions or incorrectly submitted data. For example, inaccurate shade determination or discrepancies in digital impressions can lead to rework and wasted time.


How to deal with it:
  • Using digital order management platforms allows for better coordination and tracking of the status of each case.
  • Creating standardized protocols for sending orders and automated notifications of order readiness reduce response times and improve communication with dental practices.
  • Holding regular meetings and feedback with dentists helps build better working relationships.
Lack of qualified dental technicians

The shortage of experienced dental technicians makes it difficult to maintain the quality and volume of work in dental laboratories.
Finding and retaining experienced dental technicians is becoming increasingly difficult. Young professionals often choose alternative careers, and older staff gradually retire.


How to deal with it:
  • Creating internal training programs and internships can help develop new talent.
  • Providing competitive working conditions, incentives for a job well done, and opportunities for career development increases the chances of retaining experienced employees.
  • Developing clear career paths motivates dental technicians to develop and stay in the dental laboratory long-term.
Financial Constraints and Revenue Management in the Dental Laboratory

Many laboratories struggle with cash flow management, especially when there are late payments from dental practice clients. Late payments can result in the inability to purchase materials or pay salaries.
Effective financial management is essential for the sustainability and growth of any laboratory.

  • Allocate resources wisely by focusing investments on equipment and technologies with the highest return.
  • Seek cost-effective, yet quality alternatives for materials and instruments without compromising on results.
  • Implement pre-invoicing or partial prepayment for more expensive cases.
  • Use financial management software to invoice, track receipts and payments, and view overdue payments.
Conclusion

Effective management of a dental laboratory requires a strategic approach that includes implementing modern technologies, optimizing processes, and maintaining good communication and partnership with dentists. By addressing these challenges, laboratories can improve their efficiency, quality, and profitability.
Tracking all processes in a dental laboratory are key aspects. This process allows managers to assess the laboratory’s effectiveness in fulfilling orders, managing resources, and the quality of services provided. By systematically tracking processes, the laboratory can identify areas for improvement and direct its resources toward achieving higher efficiency and quality.


AMOSYS, the modern dental laboratory management software, plays a key role in this process. The platform unifies all aspects of management, providing an integrated approach to managing orders, finances, and communicating with dental practices’ clients in real time and helps face all those challengess. AMOSYS is a cloud-based platform that streamlines processes and improves business efficiency, providing a complete solution for successful dental laboratory management.


For more tips on successfully managing a dental laboratory, download the free book 7 Steps to Transforming Your Laboratory into a Successful Business” here: https://amosys.eu/book/
This book provides useful tips that can contribute to the success of your dental laboratory business. Don’t miss the opportunity to expand your knowledge and apply new skills in your daily work.

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