FAQ
What is a lab remake rate?
A straight answer first, then the context behind it, from the technicians who do the work.
THE SHORT ANSWER
A lab remake rate is the percentage of dental restorations a laboratory must fabricate a second time due to fit issues, shade failures, or clinical rejection. Industry average hovers around 5-8%. A rate below 2.5% indicates tighter digital workflows, named-technician accountability, and consistent case communication between lab and clinician. It is a direct measure of production quality.
THE CONTEXT
What sits behind it
For general dentists and prosthodontists, remake rate translates directly into lost chair time. Every rejected crown is a reappointment, an impression or rescan, and a turnaround cycle that pushes revenue out by days or weeks. A lab quoting low prices but running a 7% remake rate will cost more in rescheduling friction than a lab charging a modest premium with a sub-3% rate. The math is straightforward once you run it against your own schedule.
Remake triggers typically fall into three categories: marginal fit, occlusal contacts, and shade mismatch. Fit issues usually trace back to scan quality or CAD setup discipline at the lab. Shade failures come from inadequate shade documentation on submission or insufficient ceramist involvement in the staining and glazing step. Labs running named-technician workflows catch both problems earlier because one person owns the case from digital design to final polish, not an assembly line of anonymous steps.
When evaluating a lab partner, ask for the remake rate in writing and ask how it is calculated. Some labs count only cases returned before delivery; others count post-cementation remakes as well. Post-cementation is the number that matters to your practice. A transparent lab will give you both figures and explain the delta.
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This question is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.
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