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Who Pays for Dental Lab Remakes?

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Categories: Practice Management, HR and Accounting;
Who Pays for Dental Lab Remakes?

A clinical and real-world overview

The Dentaltown community has had extensive, passionate debate on who should bear the cost of remakes in dental lab work, especially in cases involving PFMs, zirconia bridges, and shade mismatches. The consensus is fractured, with valid points on all sides.

Core dispute
When a lab-fabricated restoration fits the model but not the mouth, dentists often believe the lab should remake it at no charge. Labs counter that if it fits the model, the scan or impression is likely the issue, and they shouldn’t bear the cost.

Changing industry norms
Many dentists note that free remakes are becoming rare. Labs cite rising costs, alloy prices, and tighter margins, prompting many to adopt “no-fault” or 50% remake policies, regardless of blame. This frustrates dentists who feel punished for lab errors, especially when they’ve used proper technique and had a successful framework try-in.

Warranty and trust issues
A major friction point is labs not honoring their stated warranties or changing decisions after initially promising to cover remakes. This erodes trust more than the cost itself. Dentists shared stories of labs reversing credit decisions, blaming minor prep changes post-fracture, and using technicalities to avoid coverage.

Material-specific failures
Zirconia cases often come back too light. Labs claim it’s better to start light and darken via staining. But clinicians argue this compromises longevity and aesthetics. For PFM and layered ceramic, fractures or warpage after porcelain application are commonly blamed on lab technique.

Size of the lab
Some feel small labs are less equipped to absorb remake costs and more likely to blame dentists. Others say corporate labs offer better remake policies but worse communication and consistency.

Philosophical differences
Some dentists prefer a clear-cut responsibility model—if it’s their fault, they pay; if it’s the lab’s fault, the lab pays. Others accept the ambiguity and prefer to share costs or build “remake overhead” into fees to avoid adversarial dynamics.

Professional etiquette
The most respected labs and clinicians communicate transparently. When labs proactively flag issues and warn that warranty may not apply unless a new impression is taken, doctors are more willing to accept responsibility. When doctors are respectful, labs are more willing to comp a remake.

Associate redos and compensation
On a related topic, many owners agree that associates should not be forced to redo prior dentists’ work for free. Owners typically absorb the remake cost to preserve goodwill and focus associates on production.

Bottom line
Who pays for a remake depends less on rigid policy and more on the strength of the relationship, transparency in communication, and shared respect between lab and dentist. However, a lab that doesn’t honor its own warranty, or a dentist who abuses remake privileges, quickly poisons that relationship. Most agree that the worst approach is ambiguity—clear policies, early warnings, and mutual accountability are key.

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