When you receive a dental crown, bridge, veneer, retainer, or dentures at McLevin Dental Clinic, youre likely to spend your time in the operatory with the dentist. But behind the scenes, another essential part of your care is happening in a space most patients never see: the dental lab. This is where precision craftsmanship meets science, and every restoration or appliance is made to fit your mouth perfectly.
In this blog, well take you inside the hidden world of the dental lab and show you what really happens after your impressions, scans, or molds are takenstep-by-step.
Step 1: Receiving the Case
The process begins when a patients diagnostic records are sent to the lab. These might include:
Digital or physical impressions of your teeth
Photographs of your smile
Bite registration records
Shade selections for color matching
Detailed prescriptions from your dentist
At McLevin Dental, we often use digital scanning technology instead of traditional molds. These scans are transmitted directly to the lab, allowing for faster turnaround and exceptional accuracy.
Step 2: Digital Design or Cast Creation
Depending on whether the lab is digital or analog, the next steps differ.
Digital labs use CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing) software to design restorations like crowns, bridges, or aligners. The software allows technicians to view 3D models, plan shapes, and simulate how a restoration will interact with your bite.
Traditional labs pour physical impressions into plaster to create a working cast of your mouth. This cast acts as a replica used for sculpting restorations by hand.
Both approaches require high attention to detail. Even the tiniest discrepancy in size or shape can affect fit and function.
Step 3: Fabrication Begins
Once the design is finalized, fabrication begins using specialized materials depending on the restoration type:
Crowns and bridges: Often crafted from ceramic, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or zirconia.
Veneers: Made from ultra-thin porcelain, requiring delicate shaping and layering.
Dentures and partials: Typically built from acrylic or flexible resin, reinforced with metal frameworks if needed.
Retainers and aligners: Formed using transparent thermoplastic material shaped over dental models.
Digital restorations may be milled from a solid block using high-speed milling machines, while others are carefully sculpted and layered by hand by skilled dental technicians.
Step 4: Color Matching and Customization
A beautiful dental restoration must blend seamlessly with your natural teeth. This is where color science plays a major role.
Lab technicians refer to the shade guide chosen during your appointment to select matching materials. But it goes beyond thatmany restorations are hand-painted and stained to mimic the slight variations in color, translucency, and surface texture of natural enamel.
Some cases even require photographs of your smile in natural lighting, or in-office visits to the lab for direct shade matching.
Step 5: Sintering, Firing, and Polishing
Depending on the materials used, restorations may be:
Sintered: For materials like zirconia, which require high-temperature processing to achieve strength and translucency.
Fired in a kiln: To fuse porcelain particles together and achieve the final form.
Glazed or polished: To create a natural-looking shine and ensure a smooth finish that resists staining and wear.
Each step is timed and monitored carefully. Even slight over-firing or under-polishing can compromise the fit or appearance of the final product.
Step 6: Quality Control and Adjustments
Before the restoration leaves the lab, it undergoes rigorous quality control checks:
Does it match the patients provided shade?
Is the occlusion (bite) accurate?
Are the margins smooth and precise?
Will it fit snugly on the prepared tooth or model?
If the restoration doesnt meet these standards, its sent back for adjustment or remade entirely. At McLevin Dental, we only deliver products that meet our exacting clinical and aesthetic expectations.
Step 7: Delivery Back to the Clinic
Once approved, the final restoration or appliance is securely packaged and sent back to our clinic. Your dentist will inspect it one more time before fitting it into your mouth.
If its a crown or veneer, well check the fit, make minor adjustments if needed, and cement it permanently. If its a removable appliance, well guide you through how to use, clean, and maintain it properly.
Why the Dental Lab Matters
Most patients dont realize that much of the success of their treatment lies in the hands of lab technicians. These professionals work silently behind the scenes, combining technical skill with artistic vision. The quality of a restoration or appliance is only as good as the team creating itand at McLevin Dental, we work with highly experienced labs that understand our philosophy of precision, beauty, and long-term function.
Final Thoughts
The next time your dentist recommends a crown, veneer, or denture, remember that an entire team beyond your dental chair is hard at work crafting something just for you. The dental lab is where science meets artistry, where technology meets touchand it plays a critical role in giving you a restoration that feels great, looks natural, and lasts for years.