 For many dental practices, outsourcing laboratory work overseas can seem like an attractive proposition.
Lower prices. Competitive turnaround times. Access to large manufacturing facilities. On the surface, it can appear to be a straightforward way to reduce costs and improve profitability. As a dental laboratory, we understand the appeal. In fact, like many businesses, we purchase certain products and equipment from overseas manufacturers ourselves. We have experienced both the advantages and the challenges first-hand. The reality is that outsourcing dental laboratory work is far more complex than simply comparing prices on a spreadsheet. Over the years, we have seen practices move work overseas, bring it back, move it again, and then return once more to UK laboratories after experiencing issues that were never considered during the initial decision-making process. The question is not whether overseas laboratories can produce quality work. Many absolutely can. The real question is what happens when things do not go to plan. That is where the true cost of outsourcing often becomes visible.
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 If you asked most dentists, dental nurses, or practice managers what a dental laboratory does, the answer would probably be fairly straightforward.
"We send impressions, scans, and prescriptions. The laboratory makes the work. We fit it." Whilst that is technically correct, it only scratches the surface of what happens behind the scenes. From our experience at Bremadent Dental Laboratory, many dental professionals are surprised when they discover how a modern dental laboratory actually operates as a business and production environment. In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions we encounter is that laboratories primarily work for one practice at a time, or that the workload arriving each day is predictable and controlled. The reality is very different. Understanding how a dental laboratory functions helps explain why communication, planning, realistic turnaround times, and strong partnerships are so important within dentistry.  When dentists choose a dental laboratory, they are placing a huge amount of trust in the people behind the scenes.
Every impression, scan, prescription, shade, and patient expectation arrives with one simple request: "Please get this right." At Bremadent Dental Laboratory, we take that responsibility seriously. In fact, many new technicians who join our team often tell us that our quality control procedures are far more detailed than anything they have experienced elsewhere. We usually smile when we hear that. The reason is simple. We have spent decades refining our systems to reduce errors, improve consistency, and deliver predictable outcomes for dentists and their patients. Since 1969, our laboratory has continuously evolved with changing materials, techniques, and digital technologies. While the equipment has changed dramatically over the years, our commitment to quality control has remained exactly the same. The result is a laboratory culture where quality is not something that happens at the end of production. It is built into every stage of the workflow.  If you have ever struggled to establish an accurate bite registration, dealt with a patient who presents with inconsistent occlusal contacts, or found yourself questioning whether the jaw position you are recording is truly repeatable, then you have probably heard the term "Kois Deprogrammer."
Despite being widely used by clinicians involved in restorative dentistry, full mouth rehabilitation, occlusion, and complex treatment planning, there is surprisingly little practical information available on Kois Deprogrammers. In fact, when I first started making them nearly 20 years ago, there were very few resources available. I was handed a stack of photocopied pages, told to learn from them, and then expected to start producing them. That practical, hands-on experience has proven invaluable. Over the last two decades at Bremadent Dental Laboratory, we have fabricated Kois Deprogrammers for dentists across the UK, supporting clinicians treating everything from simple restorative cases through to complex rehabilitation and occlusal management cases. Whilst the theory behind a Kois Deprogrammer is important, understanding how it performs in the real world is equally valuable. So, what exactly is a Kois Deprogrammer, why is it used, and how can it help improve treatment outcomes?  If someone walked into a dental laboratory ten years ago and said that artificial intelligence, digital scanners, cloud-based workflows, 3D printing, facial scanning, and same-day smile design would become part of everyday dentistry, most technicians would probably have smiled politely and carried on trimming models.
Fast forward to 2026, and dentistry in the UK looks very different. The profession has evolved rapidly. Patients are more informed than ever, clinicians are under increasing pressure, and dental laboratories are no longer simply manufacturing appliances behind the scenes. Modern laboratories are becoming integrated clinical partners, digital workflow providers, technical consultants, and problem-solvers. At Bremadent Dental Laboratory, we have seen this evolution first-hand. Dentistry in 2026 is faster, more digital, more aesthetic-focused, more collaborative, and in many ways more demanding than ever before. At the same time, it is also opening exciting opportunities for practices and laboratories that embrace change, innovation, and strong teamwork. So, what is dentistry really like in the UK in 2026, particularly from the laboratory side? Let’s take a closer look. |
Private Dental Laboratory in London
 Kash Qureshi - Managing Director, Clinical Dental Technician
About the author:
Kash Qureshi is a Clinical Dental Technician (Denturist) in the U.K who oversees and quality controls over 3000+ fixed and removable prosthesis including implant cases from a clinical and technical aspect monthly at Bremadent Dental Laboratory & Swissedent Denture Clinic in London. www.swissedent.co.uk www.bremadent.co.uk [email protected] Categories
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