News and Updates

The industry is splitting into two winners—industrial-scale commodity labs and high-margin niche boutiques—while the mid-size generalist lab is being squeezed from both ends. This post explains the three forces driving the split (labor crisis, digital disruption, PE consolidation) and the two viable strategies: scale with efficiency or specialize with leverage—both powered by automation.

This report argues the next 5–7 years will be a Golden Age for prepared labs: supply is shrinking, demand is growing toward ~$10B, and 73M seniors will drive higher-value implants/full-arch work. The constraint isn’t demand—it’s capacity—so labs that automate capture outsized share while others get consolidated.

First-gen dental AI often produces the “average crown”—acceptable but indistinguishable—pushing labs into a race to the bottom. This post explains the commoditization trap, what labs lose (signature, pride, pricing power), and how signature-preserving AI learns your style and dentist preferences while keeping technicians in control.

Dentists are getting younger, practice ownership is delayed, DSOs are rising, and inflation-adjusted income is down—changing how labs win and how labs lose. This post summarizes the shift and the operational playbook labs are using to reduce friction, protect margins, and stay relevant.

“We need automation” isn’t a business case—numbers are. This post summarizes a step-by-step ROI framework to convert portal downloads + data entry + errors into dollars, then project conservative savings with automation.

The best technicians aren’t choosing between AI and artistry. They’re using AI for routine work and reserving their expertise for complex cases, final adjustments, and doctor relationships—becoming the Quality Gatekeeper.

If your mornings start with 8–12 portal logins and hours of downloads + data entry, you’re not alone. This post explains the hidden cost of portal chaos and a practical rollout to automate intake.

Hiring isn’t a growth strategy anymore. This post breaks down why “headcount scaling” hits a ceiling—and how top labs use zero-touch intake, intelligent routing, and automated communication to grow volume without growing payroll.

Handwritten prescriptions force labs to guess. This post explains the interpretation tax, why misreads drive preventable remakes, and what changes when Rxs become structured data.

Most remakes start at intake. Bad scans, unclear Rx details, and mismatched specs slip into production when early checks are inconsistent. This post explains the intake blind spot and what better front-end QC looks like.

Great work isn’t enough. Labs lose clients when messages and case updates disappear across texts, emails, and calls. Learn the warning signs and download the whitepaper for the case-centric communication model.

Manual case entry creates invisible work because cases can sit in portals, folders, or emails without appearing in the lab management system. Until a case is entered, it can’t be tracked or scheduled—causing delays, errors, and intake bottlenecks.