Partnership and Patient Interaction: the Payoff For In-House Technicians

While representing a small percentage of the overall market, there are approximately 900* U.S. dental practices—ranging from solo practitioners to corporate dental chains—with in-house laboratories. Technicians who have been on both sides of the fence—working for an independent and an in-house laboratory—say they are vastly different experiences, and many prefer the in-house situation because working side-by-side with dentists provides the ultimate opportunity for teamwork, in-depth case planning and patient interaction.

"The biggest benefit of working in-house is getting to see completed work in the mouth on a daily basis. I enjoy a lot of patient contact and am asked to take shades, etc. so I really feel like part of a team. Since all my work is for the same doctor, I know exactly how he likes things and understand his philosophy," says Michael D'Agostino, CDT, TE, Lab Manager for Dr. Jeffrey Rodney and Dr. Cynthia Purtuc, Pennington, NJ.

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