MedExplore Dental Recruitment Agency

Information Pages:

• Steps to registering as a dentist in the UK
• Official and regulatory UK dental bodies
• UK dental employment arrangements
• The NHS contract and Fee Scale
• The Staff
• Cross infection control
• Complaints and disciplinary procedures
• Risk management
• The referral procedure
• Working with a laboratory
• Radiation safety
• Links to rental agencies
• Transport uniform and car hire

Your working relationship with the laboratory

The laboratories you use for crown and bridge and denture work may be close by or far away, either way, get to know your technician. An open relationship is necessary so that you can return work you consider inadequate and he/she can return inadequate impressions. (Try not to be insulted if a technician returns an impression - it is much better to retake the impression than to complete unsatisfactory work). Also, from time to time, unusual cases will occur which require inventive responses from both you and your technician.

If you are not happy with the quality of the work from your laboratory, you should discuss the matter with your principal (unless you are an associate, and therefore have an autonomous arrangement with your technician).

Usually, when a dentist (assistant or associate) works for a percentage of the total fees (i.e. non-salaried) the lab fees are split between the principal and the dentist.

Most labs use pre-printed prescription forms. In these you must fill out the dentist's name and address. Only the patient's surname should appear on the lab prescription (for reasons of confidentiality). You must specify the tooth (teeth) to be restored and the sort of material required. 

Once the work has been fitted, the lab prescription docket should be kept inside the patient's notes. (It is part of the legal record).

Remember: it is the dentist's responsibility to ensure all lab work is adequately disinfected before it is returned to the lab.

MedExplore Ltd Dental Recruitment Agency takes no responsibility and bears no liability for the accuracy of this information. It is strongly recommended that you act only on advice from the BDA, the GDC or your defence union.

Other useful information about working as a dentist in the UK can be found by using the menu at the top of this page.  Register now as a dentist or dental practice and keep up-to-date with the latest jobs on offer, sent to you by email.