When a patient’s fit appointment is already booked, you want to know when their case will arrive and who to call if something changes. Those everyday details can tell you as much about a dental laboratory as its price list or portfolio.

If you’re reviewing your current arrangements or looking for a laboratory for a particular type of work, here are five things to consider before sending your first case.

1. Look for experience that matches your caseload

Start with the work your practice sends most often. If you do a lot of removable prosthetics, ask how the laboratory handles multi-stage denture cases and how it records changes from the try-in. If you mainly send crowns and bridges, ask to see examples of comparable work and find out what information the technician needs alongside the prescription.

It’s worth asking who will handle your cases, especially if you want to build a consistent working relationship across several clinicians in the practice.

2. Find out who you can speak to about a case

A quick conversation before work begins can save several rounds of messages later. You might want to discuss a partial denture design before taking the final impression, or check what photos would help the technician with a shade match.

Ask whether you can speak directly to a technician and how the lab handles a query once a case is underway. At BJM Dental Laboratory, practices can speak directly with our GDC-registered dental technicians.

3. Check how the lab fits your appointment diary

Ask what the quoted turnaround covers. For a multi-stage case, find out how many working days to allow between stages and whether collection and delivery are included in that timing. It’s also worth asking when the lab will contact you if it needs a new record or expects a delay.

At BJM, we allow five working days between standard denture stages and three working days for nightguards, bleaching trays and Essix retainers. Our in-house couriers cover routes across South London and parts of Surrey. For practices on those routes, we can usually collect the same day if you call before 10 am, Monday to Friday.

4. Check that case submission works for your team

If your practice uses an intraoral scanner, confirm how to send a case and what records the lab needs for that type of work. For conventional cases, check how to arrange collection and where to find the prescription form. If your practice uses both workflows, make sure everyone who sends cases knows which process to follow.

BJM accepts scans directly through iTero and can also work with exported STL, PLY and OBJ files. If you’re sending your first digital case to us, you can speak to the team about what to include before submitting it.

5. Send a representative first case

Choose a case that reflects the work you’re likely to send regularly. Before submitting it, agree the expected return date and ask what the quoted fee includes, particularly if additional stages or adjustments may be needed.

Once the case is complete, ask the clinician and the team member who booked the appointments how it went. Did the case meet the prescription? Was it easy to get an answer when needed? Did it arrive when expected? Their answers will help you decide whether the laboratory fits the way your practice works.

Sending your first case to BJM

BJM Dental Laboratory is based in Wallington and works with dental practices across South London and parts of Surrey. If you’d like to discuss a case, check your collection route or find out how to send a digital scan, get in touch with our team. We’ll talk through what we need from you and when you can expect the work back.