An in-house dental laboratory is a specialized area within a dental office dedicated to fabricating, adjusting, and repairing dental restorations and appliances. Unlike commercial off-site labs, its location within the practice allows dentists and technicians to collaborate in real-time on patient cases. This space streamlines workflows, providing services like crafting temporary crowns, custom trays, or milling final restorations such as veneers and bridges. While offering benefits like faster turnaround times and greater quality control, few dental practices operate a full-service, in-house lab due to the significant space and expense required.
Physical Placement and Proximity
The physical location of an in-house dental lab is primarily determined by efficiency and workflow. Most practices place the lab in close proximity to the clinical operatories or the sterilization area. This placement minimizes the time staff spend moving materials like impressions, models, or appliances between the treatment rooms and the workbench, which is important for same-day adjustments or repairs.
A central location near the treatment areas is preferred to maintain an efficient workflow, but it must be a separate, dedicated room. Locating the lab away from patient-facing spaces, such as the waiting room, is also important. This separation helps contain the noise, dust, and odors generated by lab procedures, ensuring a professional environment for patients and staff.
Essential Design Requirements
The physical structure and location of the dental laboratory are dictated by specific infrastructure and safety requirements. The lab space must be engineered to safely handle the materials and processes involved in dental fabrication, which often requires specialized utilities. For instance, a basic lab requires specific plumbing with a plaster trap installed beneath the sink to prevent gypsum and other materials from clogging sewer lines.
The lab needs dedicated electrical service to run specialized equipment like polishing lathes, model trimmers, and vibrators. Ventilation is important, as dental work involves materials that produce fine dust particles and chemical fumes. Proper air handling requires a dedicated exhaust system, often including fume hoods or localized dust collectors at each workstation, to remove airborne contaminants directly to the outdoors. This system creates a negative pressure environment within the lab, preventing the movement of potentially harmful air into clean areas of the office.
Different Scales of In-House Labs
The size and function of an in-house lab vary depending on the practice’s specialization and volume of work. At the smallest scale is the “benchtop” or “lab corner,” which is a section of counter space equipped for minor tasks. This minimal setup is used for simple procedures like trimming plaster models, pouring impressions, or making small adjustments to removable appliances.
A full-service in-house lab requires a dedicated, separate room, often ranging from 60 to 120 square feet or more, to accommodate advanced technology and personnel. These larger spaces house complex equipment like Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) milling machines and 3D printers. The scale of the lab determines its location; a full digital lab needs a larger, dedicated space with the necessary utility and ventilation hookups, while a small bench can be tucked into a corner.