The role of the dental lab in your smile makeover. You might not have given the idea of which dental laboratory your dentist uses much thought. You should because this is more important than you think. Just like all dentists are not created equal neither are the dental laboratories. Some dental laboratories are large facilities that cater to large quantities of dentists nationally. This type of dental lab is the Wal-Mart of dentistry. The teeth they produce are adequate but very little artistry goes into their creation. This type of lab is available to every dentist and the quality is adequate. The other type of dental laboratory is like a fine art specialty store. Here the laboratory personal are more than just technicians stamping out teeth that all look the same. This laboratory is usually owned by a Master Ceramist. A Master Ceramist is someone who understands the art of creating a beautiful smile. Their creations are indistinguishable from natural teeth. Only a select few dentists who qualify in skill comparable to the ceramist are invited to use the laboratory to create beautiful smiles. Naturally the cost for teeth created by a Master Ceramist is very different than those created by the Wal-Mart technician. Both will work. The question is do you want your smile to be a custom fabricated work of art indistinguishable to natural beautiful teeth or do you want standard “teeth”. In dentistry as in all walks of life you get what you pay for and the best always costs more.