Ask the Dentist!
Was your crown made in China?
If you’ve been watching the news, lately you know China has been a hot button topic. Slowly, over the last few decades, China has become the main manufacturer of many, if not most, of our goods in the United States. With labor costs so low, many companies have chosen to outsource or even move their manufacturing to China.
Unfortunately, dentistry is no different. Some of the high-volume, “corporate,” dental offices will send cases to dental labs that outsource to China because the cost is so low. This allows these dental offices to increase profits by lowering dental lab costs.
But at what price?
I personally do not trust a lab I am unfamiliar with when it comes to quality control and materials used, especially one outside of the United States. Although I am certain there are overseas labs other than China, these are the ones I see most often being outsourced to with the cheapest prices.
With all this uncertainty I choose to only use dental labs in the US, and locally if possible. This way I can have direct communication with the lab if any issues arise and feel confident that I know what the crown is made of and even who made it. The decision to outsource is a decision made by the dental office, but I feel the patient should be aware and even informed if their crown is being made overseas.
So, as a patient, never feel as though you can’t ask the simple question, “Where was my crown made?” You may be surprised by the answer.
Contact us is you have any questions or want to make an appointment.