A dental laboratory plays an important role in the career and daily work of a dentist. A certified dental lab is where much of the end product that a dentist places in the patient’s mouth takes place. More often than not, the standards it places on itself, and how a dental laboratory operates in general, affects its own reputation as well as that of the dentist.
It may come as a big surprise to some, but many dental laboratories do not actually hold industry certification. Such certifications are not always required and are can be voluntary. However, a certified dental lab shows the effort that the organization puts into their craft.
When considering going through a cosmetic dentistry procedure to improve the overall appearance of your teeth, you will also want to weigh the additional benefits of verifying that your work is completed by a certified dental lab. The following are some of the advantages of going with one.
Certifications Represent Quality
In most cases, those labs that get certified are the ones that are considered to be the top laboratories in the United States. The certifications often tell clients that there are quality control procedures in place to make sure that all dental products coming from them are of a high standard.
ADA-approved Materials.
ADA-approved materials surely possess good quality and, most importantly, ensure the safety of the users. You surely do not want to know that what you are using can be unsafe just because it has poor quality. No one wants to suffer from the consequences of using low-quality dental products.
Certifications Offer Security and Trust.
Since there is quality control in a certified dental lab, there is reason for clients to trust them. Knowing that they are certified gives a certain amount of assurance that the customers are in good hands. This is because a certifying body, composed of distinguished members in the industry, provides such certification to any laboratory that applies and qualifies for it.
This certifying body inspects the operations, the facilities, and the personnel of the laboratory. They evaluate their skills, their management, and the general processes within the organization. If a dental laboratory is certified, this means that the certifying body approves of their general operations and processes.
Lab Personnel Are Professionals
Laboratory personnel who display professionalism in whatever they do are the best people you can trust when it comes to making dental products that you will eventually be using. These personnel go through certifications to ensure their clients (and their patients) that they are both knowledgeable and reputable in this field. They are also skilled in the processes and procedures that they need to perform.
Additionally, they also aim to continue learning about the latest practices in their field. These professionals pursue continuing education to do so. They do not only rely on past knowledge but strive hard to learn better and safer procedures as time passes by.
Standard Practices Are Followed
Alongside quality control, a certified dental lab also follows the standard practices that are relevant and acceptable to the cosmetic dental lab industry. As a result of following such practices, the lab will be able to continue making dental products with high quality.
These standard practices encompass the facilities and pieces of laboratory equipment that they use in order to create dental products. Certified labs take the necessary steps to ensure the proper maintenance of these facilities and equipment.
Good infection control is also present in a certified lab. This is extremely important since they deal with oral and dental health. Without good infection control, they may put the oral and dental health of their customers at risk. Good infection control usually refers to how clean their work place is.
Lab Personnel Work on the Products Themselves
A certifying body will award certification to a qualifying lab due to their work and adherence to elevated standards. This, in part, means that the professionals themselves make the products. They do not pass their work on to other individuals or labs, especially in other countries that may not even follow simple health practices. Although this may mean lesser cost on the part of the clients, you should not compromise your safety over the desire to cut costs.
Choosing a certified dental lab that provides your dentist the highest quality product is not just the best choice to make, it’s the only choice to make. Unless of course, you don’t mind being the poster child for dental work gone wrong.