 The idea of having an on-site dental laboratory is attractive. Cases could be completed faster, communication with the technician would become easier, shade consultations could happen in the practice and urgent adjustments might be dealt with immediately. On paper, it sounds like greater control, shorter turnaround times and lower laboratory bills. In reality, an on-site dental laboratory is not simply a spare surgery with a technician, a workbench and a polishing motor. It is a medical-device manufacturing environment with its own infrastructure, equipment, staffing, health and safety responsibilities, quality systems, regulatory obligations and ongoing costs. At Bremadent Dental Laboratory, dentists regularly ask us whether they should create their own laboratory. Our answer is never automatically yes or no. It depends on the type of work, the volume available, the skill mix required and whether the practice genuinely wants to operate a manufacturing department alongside its clinical business. Before committing valuable space and capital, practice owners need to understand what running a dental laboratory actually involves. First Decide What the Laboratory Will Actually Manufacture
There is a substantial difference between an area used for simple repairs or model production and a full-service laboratory manufacturing crowns, bridges, dentures, splints and implant restorations. Before designing the room or purchasing equipment, define the proposed scope:
A laboratory making study models has very different requirements from one processing acrylic resin, grinding zirconia, firing ceramics and handling flammable solvents. The production plan should determine the infrastructure, not the other way around. Why Case Volume Determines Whether an On-Site Laboratory Works Commercial dental laboratories operate through consolidated volume. Equipment, technicians and departments are shared across cases arriving from multiple dental practices. One scanner can process numerous cases. A furnace can fire several compatible restorations during the same cycle. Multiple units can be designed, milled, cast or finished together. Specialist technicians can concentrate on the stages in which they are most productive. A single dental practice may not generate enough consistent work to achieve the same efficiency. Consider a porcelain-bonded crown with an external laboratory price of approximately £45. Its manufacturing journey may include:
That distinction is central to the economics. Commercial laboratories can batch compatible stages and keep technicians and equipment productive across multiple cases. An on-site technician with only one crown to manufacture does not have that same volume advantage. A Practical £45 Crown Cost Example Imagine a practice employing one dental technician at a salary of £32,000 per year. For illustration, once employer’s National Insurance, workplace pension contributions, holiday entitlement and other employment costs are considered, the direct annual employment cost could move towards approximately £38,000 to £42,000 before the practice pays for a laboratory room, materials or machinery. If the technician works approximately 220 productive days per year, the employment cost alone could be around £173 to £191 per available working day. Now assume the technician produces only one £45-equivalent porcelain-bonded crown that day. The practice has avoided a £45 external invoice, but it may have incurred:
A technician’s salary remains payable when dentists are on holiday, patients cancel, cases are delayed or a machine stops working. External laboratory costs normally rise and fall with the number of cases ordered. An in-house laboratory turns much of that variable cost into a fixed overhead. How Much Do UK Dental Practices Spend on Laboratory Work? There is no universal percentage because laboratory expenditure depends heavily on treatment mix. Specialist dental accounting guidance commonly places laboratory fees at approximately 8 to 15 per cent of practice turnover. A practice delivering significant prosthodontic, implant or cosmetic treatment may sit towards the higher end or above it. A practice focused heavily on examinations, hygiene and direct restorations may sit considerably lower. Christie & Co’s Dental Market Review 2024 reported that laboratory and material expenditure combined represented approximately 15 per cent of practice costs. Importantly, this figure combines laboratory and materials. It should not be interpreted as laboratory fees alone or automatically described as 15 per cent of turnover. Before considering an on-site laboratory, review at least 12 months of data:
The proper comparison is between the external fee and the fully loaded internal manufacturing cost, including the value of the space occupied. The Infrastructure Required for an On-Site Dental Laboratory A dental laboratory fit-out should be planned by competent contractors who understand the machinery, substances and manufacturing processes involved. Depending on the intended work, the infrastructure may include:
The room must also be large enough to separate incompatible processes. A model arriving from the mouth should not be handled beside a finished crown that has completed final cleaning and quality control. COSHH Is a Working System, Not a Folder on a Shelf The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations require employers to assess and control exposure to substances that may harm employees. Dental laboratories may use or generate:
A suitable COSHH system should include:
Dust Control and Local Exhaust Ventilation Grinding zirconia, acrylic, gypsum, ceramic, investment and metal can release fine airborne contaminants. Some particles may remain suspended after the visible dust has settled. Local exhaust ventilation should capture contaminants close to where they are generated. General room ventilation does not provide the same control. The laboratory should consider extraction at:
The laboratory should also carry out routine user checks. Waiting 14 months to discover that an extraction filter has been blocked for half a year is not an effective control system. Plaster Sinks, Gypsum and Dental Laboratory Waste Gypsum plaster should never simply be washed into an ordinary sink. It can settle, solidify and block internal drainage and external pipework. A plaster department normally requires:
Gypsum can generate hydrogen sulphide gas if disposed of in landfill alongside biodegradable waste. This is one reason gypsum-containing waste needs to be kept separate and handled through an appropriate waste stream. If plaster is contaminated with infectious material or hazardous chemicals, its classification and disposal requirements may change. The practice should not guess. Its waste contractor should confirm the correct waste description, classification code, container and disposal route. Hazardous Waste Must Be Classified Before Disposal A dental laboratory can produce several waste streams with different requirements. These may include:
Uncured printing resin should not be poured into the sink. Contaminated isopropyl alcohol should not be tipped down the drain simply because it looks clear. Empty chemical containers may also retain hazardous residues. A suitable waste-management system should confirm:
Cross-Infection Control Must Extend into the Laboratory Items entering a dental laboratory may have been in direct contact with saliva, blood or oral tissues. This includes impressions, dentures, bite registrations, implant components and appliances requiring repair. Cross-infection control must therefore form part of the laboratory design and workflow from the beginning. The laboratory should establish a clear contaminated-to-clean pathway
Overexposure can damage impressions and affect accuracy. Underexposure may fail to achieve effective disinfection. The correct method should follow the disinfectant and material manufacturers’ instructions. Repairs and additions require particular attention because an appliance that looks clean may still be contaminated. Polishing a returned denture without proper decontamination can spread biological contamination across pumice, brushes, polishing lathes, worktops and staff hands. Pumice systems and polishing equipment need documented controls. Single-use or appropriately managed materials, routine cleaning and separation between incoming and finished work help reduce cross-contamination. Digital workflows reduce the movement of physical impressions, but they do not remove infection-control responsibilities. Scanner tips, implant components, try-ins, dentures and printed appliances still require appropriate cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation according to their intended use and manufacturer’s instructions. The Medical-Device Regulations Still Apply On Site Crowns, bridges, dentures, splints and many other dental appliances are custom-made medical devices. In Great Britain, the applicable framework includes the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002, as amended. The former Medical Devices Directive may still appear in older laboratory documentation, but a new facility should follow the requirements applying to its current activities and location. Responsibilities may include:
That distinction should be confirmed before manufacturing begins. “It is only for our own patients” is not a complete regulatory strategy. GDC Registration and Technical Competence Dental technicians are registered dental care professionals. Any technician undertaking regulated dental technology work should be registered with the General Dental Council and work within their training, competence and scope of practice. One technician may be excellent at removable prosthetics but have limited experience in ceramics. Another may be highly skilled in CAD design but unable to process dentures or undertake complex implant work. Before employing an on-site technician, establish:
Fire, Electrical and Equipment Safety A dental laboratory may contain furnaces, compressors, gas, solvents, resins and machinery operating at high temperatures or speeds. These hazards must be included within the practice’s fire and workplace risk assessments. Controls may include:
Timers can assist with selected equipment and shutdown routines, but they must not override manufacturer instructions or replace proper isolation and staff checks. GDPR, the ICO and Digital Case Information Laboratory prescriptions, intraoral scans, photographs and case discussions can contain personal and health information. A practice should establish:
DAMAS, the DLA and a Working Quality System DAMAS is the Dental Appliance Manufacturers Audit Scheme. It provides a dental-laboratory-specific quality framework covering areas such as manufacturing controls, traceability, infection control and documentation. DAMAS certification is not automatically a legal requirement for every on-site laboratory. However, the disciplines within a structured quality system are extremely valuable. The Dental Laboratories Association provides representation and industry support. Membership can be beneficial, but DLA membership does not replace GDC registration, MHRA responsibilities, COSHH compliance or a proper quality-management system. A working system should cover:
When an On-Site Laboratory Can Make Commercial Sense An on-site laboratory can succeed where there is sufficient, predictable volume and a clearly defined purpose. It may be viable when:
This provides control where proximity adds value without forcing the practice to reproduce an entire manufacturing business. The Final Feasibility Checklist Before converting a room or signing an equipment agreement, answer these questions:
Why a Commercial Dental Laboratory Often Remains the Better Option A commercial dental laboratory spreads specialist labour, equipment and compliance costs across work from many practices. The practice pays for the required output without carrying the entire manufacturing infrastructure. Working with Bremadent Dental Laboratory provides access to:
However, owning the manufacturing process only creates control when the practice also owns the expertise, capacity, compliance and commercial discipline required to run it properly. Otherwise, it may acquire a laboratory room while also inheriting an expensive second business. For many dentists, the most effective laboratory is not necessarily the one located down the corridor. It is the one with the people, systems, equipment and volume to deliver consistent work every day. We provide a trusted laboratory service delivering consistent quality, saving chairside time, and supporting predictable patient outcomes. If you don't want the head ache, then please get in touch: 📞: 0208 520 8528 📧: [email protected] 📍: 25A St James Street, London, E17 7PJ
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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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