What are the departments in a dental laboratory and what are their main responsibilities?

1. Case Receiving & CAD Design Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Receive work orders, impressions, or intraoral scan files (such as STL files) from dental clinics.

• Check the completeness of case information (tooth position, shade, material requirements, etc.).

• Convert clinical requirements into design tasks that can be produced digitally.

• Use CAD software such as Exocad, 3Shape, or Dental Wings to design crowns, bridges, veneers, and implant abutments.

• Communicate with dentists to confirm or modify designs.

Related Products: Desktop scanners, CAD software, design service, shade guides, sample crowns.
 

2. CAM Milling Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Import digital design files into CAM software to generate milling paths.

• Operate CNC milling machines such as Roland, imes-icore, Amann Girrbach, VHF, UP3D, or Cameo.

• Mill various dental materials including zirconia, PMMA, wax, glass ceramics, and titanium.

• Maintain milling burs, calibrate machines, and ensure precision in production.

• Manage material inventory (white zirconia, multilayer, pre-shaded discs, etc.).

Related Products: Zirconia blocks, PMMA discs, glass ceramic blocks, titanium blanks, milling burs, CAM software.
 

3. Sintering & Finishing Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Sinter zirconia restorations and control the heating, holding, and cooling process.

• Compensate for shrinkage and shape changes after sintering.

• Perform trimming, polishing, and adjustment before try-in.

• Handle thermal processing or crystallization for PMMA, wax, or glass ceramic materials.

• Clean, sandblast, and finish the surface of restorations.

Related Equipment and Materials: Sintering furnace, sandblaster, polishing machine, abrasives, finishing tools.

4. Staining & Glazing Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Apply color and glaze based on VITA shade guide or the dentist’s instructions.

• Adjust surface shades of multilayer or white zirconia for better esthetic results.

• Mix staining liquids and glaze paste to achieve natural color transitions.

• Control the firing temperature and time during glazing to ensure a stable surface.

Related Products: HONCHON Paste Glaze/Stain, coloring liquids, shade guides, glaze powder.
 

5. Ceramic & Restoration Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Build porcelain layers on metal or zirconia frameworks manually.

• Control ceramic firing temperature to maintain translucency and natural layering.

• Perform contouring, polishing, and occlusal adjustments.

• Produce veneers, inlays, onlays, and full-ceramic crowns with high precision.

Related Products: Dental ceramic powder, glaze materials, shaping and polishing tools.
 

6. Implant & Metal Framework Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Manufacture implant abutments, screw-retained frameworks, and metal structures (Co-Cr, titanium).

• Perform metal casting, welding, and surface finishing.

• Inspect screw channels, occlusal clearance, and fitting accuracy.

• Work closely with the design department to ensure perfect matching with implant systems.

Related Products: Titanium blocks, metal milling burs, abutments, metal framework materials.
 

7. Quality Control & Fitting Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Inspect the precision, esthetics, and occlusal relationship of all restorations.

• Check color matching, surface finish, and marginal adaptation.

• Conduct model try-ins before final delivery.

• Record batch numbers, sintering curves, and quality tracking data.

Related Support: HONCHON zirconia block batch tracking, test models, measuring devices.
 

8. Packing & Shipping Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Pack finished restorations with case labels, color information, and material certificates.

• Keep shipping and delivery records for every order.

• Coordinate logistics and communicate with dentists or distributors about delivery schedules.

Related Materials: Packaging boxes, label printer, protective foam, shipping documents.
 

9. Administration & Customer Service Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Handle order processing, quotations, invoices, and daily communication with clients.

• Record customer preferences and case details for future orders.

• Track progress of samples and production batches.

• Manage after-sales support and feedback.

Related Services: OEM cooperation, order tracking, technical after-sales support.
 

10. R&D and Training Department

Main Responsibilities:

• Develop new dental materials and production technologies, such as multilayer zirconia or new coloring systems.

• Provide internal training for technicians on CAD design, polishing, and color matching.

• Work with material suppliers to test and improve product performance.

Related Cooperation: Technical training, sample testing, production guidance.
 

Summary of Department Structure