The ADA and the National Association of Dental Laboratories advise dental professionals to conduct necessary due diligence when sending work out to dental labs.
The American Dental Association (ADA) and the National Association of Dental Laboratories are encouraging dental professionals to conduct necessary due diligence when sending work out in order to determine whether dental labs are offshoring production.
“ADA policy supports dental laboratories letting dentists know if the prescribed dental prostheses, components or materials are to be manufactured or provided by a foreign dental laboratory,” Dr Rudy Liddell, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice, said to ADA News. “It also notes that state registration of dental labs is one way to achieve this.”
According to Travis Zick, immediate past president of the National Association of Dental Laboratories and co-founder of Apex Dental Laboratory Group, offshore companies offering bargain-basement prices for cheap products and material has been a source of frustration for lab owners for years.
“Buyers should definitely beware,” Zick said. “If a lab is offering products at half the average cost you typically see, you should be very skeptical.”
This warning comes as dental practices may consider labs with discounted pricing as a way to cut operating expenses mid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zick adds that dental professionals also need to make sure the labs manufacturing their devices follow the appropriate infection control protocols.
