How to Write Clear Dental Lab Prescriptions

The fields we look at first

Tooth numbers, material, shade (and stump shade if prepped), due date, and whether the case is a try-in or a finish. Those five decide the queue.

Then we look for contacts (light / normal / heavy), occlusion (hold / shimstock / disclude), and implant system if any fixture is involved.

Sentences that help, and sentences that do not

Helpful: “Patient hates the bulky distal of #14 — keep it flatter.” Unhelpful: “Make it perfect.” We cannot QC “perfect.”

If the patient is a VIP or a staff member, say so. We will not cut corners, but we will call before we guess.

Digital cases still need an Rx

A beautiful scan with a blank Rx is still an incomplete case. The file does not know you wanted a screw-retained zirconia with a lingual screw.

Phoenix Dental Tech’s intake reads the Rx and the mesh together. If they conflict, we stop and ask — that is the prescription doing its job.

FAQ

Related articles

• How to Reduce Dental Lab Remakes
• Occlusion Communication With Your Dental Lab