Good Quality vs Maximum Profit: Can You Really Have Both?

A realistic guide to balancing clinical excellence and financial efficiency in modern dental practices.

Good Quality vs Maximum Profit: Can You Really Have Both?

🔎 The Dilemma: Can You Deliver High-Quality Restorations and Still Be Profitable?

If you’ve ever questioned whether providing top-tier prosthetics can coexist with strong financial performance, you're not alone. The good news? With the right approach, you don’t have to choose one or the other.

Let’s take a deeper look — backed by real-world data and clinical studies — at the true costs of in-office milling and smarter alternatives for maximizing profitability without compromising quality.

🛠️ In-Office Milling: When "Convenience" Comes at a Price

While Chairside CAD/CAM systems initially promise speed and control, their long-term operational costs and inefficiencies often outweigh those benefits.

📊 Case Study: Hidden Costs Exceeding Lab Fees

According to an analysis published in Dental Economics (2018), the total cost of producing a single crown using an in-house milling system was, on average, 15–20% higher than outsourcing to a professional dental lab. This includes:

• Material costs

• Equipment maintenance and depreciation

• Software upgrades

• Most significantly, the dentist or trained staff’s time diverted to lab-related tasks.

Additional findings from Avant Dental and Decisions in Dentistry also show that ongoing expenses such as consumables, technician salaries, and system upkeep create a mounting financial burden over time.

Furthermore, a study in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry (2019) found that in-house systems have higher error and remake rates than external labs — resulting in wasted materials, longer chair times, and decreased patient satisfaction.

💸 The True Costs of In-House Milling

1. Accumulating Direct Costs

• Premium block prices due to low-volume ordering

• Frequent bur/tool replacements

• Recurring maintenance, repairs, software fees, and depreciation

2. Lost Opportunity Time

• Valuable time spent on scanning, designing, finishing, and equipment upkeep

• Time that could otherwise be used for revenue-generating patient care

• Every hour behind the machine is an hour lost from your core skill — dentistry

3. Quality Limitations and Workflow Disruptions

• In-house systems often underperform on complex or high-aesthetic cases

• Increased errors lead to rework, longer appointments, and possible loss of patient trust

✅ The Smarter Strategy: Collaborate With a Trusted Dental Lab

When considering total costs — both direct and indirect — outsourcing to a professional dental lab often results in better financial outcomes and higher-quality restorations.

Focus on what matters most: treating patients and growing your practice.

🎯 How to Choose the Right Lab Partner

Look beyond cost alone. The right dental lab should offer:

• Consistent precision and craftsmanship

• Fast turnaround and proactive communication

• Low remake rates and accountability

• Scalability as your clinic grows

A high-quality lab is not an expense — it’s a strategic asset that supports your clinical goals and financial success.

📚 References

• Dental Economics. (2018). The hidden costs of in-office milling.

• Avant Dental. Decisions in Dentistry: Cost analysis of chairside CAD/CAM.

• Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. (2019). Systematic review on CAD/CAM denture accuracy and efficiency.