How to Start with a Dental Lab Trial Case

A dental lab trial case is the single most useful way to evaluate a new outsourcing partner before committing volume. One crown or a small bridge tells you how the laboratory asks questions, reviews a design, controls fit and handles a problem — things no price list can show.

This guide covers choosing the first case, how to send a digital dental case, and the checkpoints that decide whether to scale.

Why start with a trial case

Sales conversations are consistent; production is not. A trial case converts promises into something you can measure: margin fit, contact tightness, occlusion, surface finish and the quality of communication when something is unclear. It also sets expectations on both sides before volume raises the stakes.

Choose a representative, low-risk restoration

Pick a case that represents the work you send most often, but keep the first one simple:

• A single zirconia crown or E.max crown for fixed work
• A small crown and bridge unit if bridges are typical for you
• One unit rather than a full arch, so a problem is contained

Avoid making the first case your hardest — the goal is to test the workflow, not the laboratory’s limits.

How to send a digital dental case

If you scan in-house, submission is usually a one-time setup:

• Confirm the accepted file formats, including scanner-native exports
• Record the prescription, tooth number, material and shade per case
• Attach a shade tab photo for esthetic cases
• Note occlusal and contact requirements, or include a bite record
• For implant units, include the system, platform size and scan body data

Our guide to sending STL files to a dental lab covers the format details. If you send impressions instead, confirm packaging and transit expectations first.

What to evaluate when the case returns

• Fit — does it seat fully, with a clean margin and no rocking?
• Contacts — are proximal contacts present but not excessively tight?
• Occlusion — does it match the record you supplied?
• Finish — is the glaze and surface texture consistent with the prescription?
• Communication — were questions raised before production rather than after?

Request that the case be photographed at final inspection so the review is objective.

How the laboratory should respond

A laboratory worth scaling will confirm the prescription, flag anything incomplete before designing, and return a design for approval where the workflow allows. Compare this behavior against the questions on our quality page — it is a better signal than any turnaround promise.

Scaling after a successful trial

Once the first case meets the checkpoints above, add a second and third of the same type before widening scope. Keep the same intake process, then expand into additional restorations. Our outsourcing guide sets out the fuller picture.

Start now

To begin, start a trial case or send a case, and request a price list so you can compare like for like.