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DentLab Client Guide

Standing Office Preferences & Rx Hierarchy

Your Lab Preferences

Your office can establish standing preferences to help the lab work more consistently with your workflow. Case-specific Rx instructions can still be provided for individual patients.

Standing preferences give our technicians a clear reference for how your office prefers to communicate, approve designs, and handle routine restorative details—without replacing the doctor's clinical judgment on individual cases.

Standing Preference Categories Available to Your Office

Based on the Doctor Preference List and Lab Default overview, your office can establish standing preferences across eight areas:

Communication Preferences

Define how the laboratory should reach your team when a case question or update arises.

  • Preferred communication channel (phone, email, or text/message)
  • Who should be contacted first for case questions (doctor, office manager, lead dental assistant, or treatment coordinator)
  • Preferred office contact details for case communication
This guide explains available preference options; it does not collect or store private doctor contact details online.

Shade Guide Preferences

Specify the shade guide system your operatory uses routinely.

  • VITA Classical
  • VITA 3D-Master
  • Another office-specified shade system noted on your preference profile or Rx

Digital Design Approval Preferences

Specify when your office wants a digital design sent for review and approval before fabrication.

  • Smile Design cases
  • Anterior cases
  • All-on-X / Full Arch cases
  • Complex Implant cases
  • Long-span bridges
  • Only when specifically requested on the Rx
  • When the lab identifies a technical or restorative concern
Not every case automatically receives a digital preview—digital design approval is guided by your standing office preference or case-specific Rx request.

If a Scan or Impression Is Unclear

Establish clear instructions for how the lab should proceed if a margin, scan, or impression is indistinct.

  • Contact the office and request a new scan or impression
  • Contact the doctor before proceeding
  • Follow your office's standing clarification protocol
Customer-facing principle: When clinically significant information is unclear, confirm with the office rather than guess.

Occlusion & Interproximal Contacts

Document how your doctors prefer occlusal and interproximal contacts finished on routine restorations.

  • Occlusal contact preference (e.g., light contact, standard contact, or specific clearance preference)
  • Interproximal contact tension preference
  • Point contact vs. broad/surface contact preference where applicable

Crown & Bridge Preferences

Establish standing preferences for fixed crown and bridge design details and communication triggers.

  • Crown margin preference when clinically appropriate
  • Pontic contour preference (e.g., modified ridge lap, ovate, hygienic)
  • Anterior and interproximal embrasure / emergence preferences
  • Cervical / gingival porcelain approval preference
  • How the lab should communicate when restorative space appears insufficient
  • How material-change questions or concerns should be handled
Any change that may affect preparation, opposing dentition, material, margin, or treatment design requires doctor/office confirmation before proceeding.

Implant Preferences

Specify standing preferences for single-unit and multi-unit implant restorative workflows.

  • Implant system / model preferences
  • Stock abutment vs. customized abutment preference
  • Screw-retained vs. cement-retained restoration preference
  • Screw-access channel handling preferences
  • Abutment finishing preferences
  • Implant restoration occlusion and interproximal contact preferences
Confirm component compatibility with the technical team before submitting unfamiliar implant systems or platforms.

Removable & Appliance Preferences

Outline routine preferences for dentures, partials, relines, night guards, retainers, and trays.

  • Denture try-in base preferences
  • Partial framework, clasp, flange, and palate design preferences
  • Hard vs. soft reline preferences
  • Night guard type (hard, soft, hybrid/dual-laminate) and guard thickness
  • Retainer thickness and bleaching-tray thickness preferences
  • Additional written office preferences
Appliance and removable options depend on the doctor's prescription for each patient; no single option is implied to be appropriate for every clinical situation.

Preference Hierarchy

How case-specific Rx instructions, standing office preferences, and laboratory defaults interact:

1. Case-Specific Rx Instructions

Highest Priority (Individual Patient)

Instructions written on the individual case prescription (Rx) for a specific patient take first priority for that case.

  • Case-specific shade, material, or pontic contour note on the Rx
  • Request for digital design approval on a specific complex case
  • Patient-specific occlusal or contact instruction written by the doctor
Always used first whenever provided on the patient's Rx.

2. Established Office / Doctor Preferences

Standing Practice Profile

Standing preferences established by your office guide routine communication, shade system, design previews, contacts, occlusion, and appliance options when the Rx does not specify otherwise.

  • Preferred contact person and communication channel for case questions
  • Standing shade guide system (e.g., VITA Classical or VITA 3D-Master)
  • Standing occlusal and interproximal contact preferences
Applied consistently across your office's cases unless overridden by case-specific Rx instructions.

3. Lab Defaults When No Preference Has Been Supplied

Baseline When Unspecified

When neither a case-specific Rx instruction nor a standing office preference has been supplied for a routine detail, standard laboratory default settings provide a consistent baseline.

  • Standard baseline contacts, occlusion, or appliance thickness when unspecified
  • Each case may still be customized via the Rx or updated office preferences
Lab defaults never authorize automatic changes to preparation, opposing dentition, margin, material, or treatment design without doctor confirmation.

How Conflicts or Uncertainties Are Handled

If there is any conflict or uncertainty between case-specific Rx instructions, standing office preferences, and the submitted clinical records—or if a clinically significant change to preparation, opposing dentition, margin, material, or restoration design would be required—the lab contacts the office for clarification before proceeding.

Setting Up or Updating Your Office Preferences

Your office can establish or update standing preferences at any time through your lab representative or customer support contact, while continuing to write patient-specific instructions on each Rx.

Standing preferences are maintained with the laboratory team. This website does not collect or store customer or patient forms online.