Is the first try-in a test? Let's calculate its annual cost.

A patient comes to the practice. The dentist receives the crown from the laboratory, asks the patient to sit in the chair, and tries on the crown. Sometimes it fits. Sometimes it doesn't - the patient feels discomfort, the aesthetics are off, occlusal contacts are poorly distributed.

It requires modification. The laboratory receives the crown for rework. The patient has to return in a week for a second try-in.

This is the industry norm. But an industry norm doesn't mean optimal.

Industry norm: Is the first try-in a test or confirmation?

Industry statistics:

Low-quality laboratory: 30–50% of cases require a second try-in.

Good-quality laboratory (without PID): 15–20% of cases require a second try-in.

Laboratory with PID protocol: ~3% of cases require a second try-in — usually due to reasons beyond the laboratory's control (patient changed their mind, change in clinical conditions).

This means that in a "normal" practice — where the first try-in is a test — the laboratory's working time is wasted — an unfilled slot in the schedule, uncertainty, chaos.

Cost of the second try-in appointment

Second try-in = another patient appointment. For the practice:

No revenue from this appointment. A try-in takes 10–15 minutes. It's a verification procedure, not a treatment. The practice cannot bill this as a separate service (the patient has already paid for the crown) — so it's a pure cost of chair time.

Dentist's time cost: 15 min × 10 PLN/min = 150 PLN.

Assistant's cost and materials: preparation, cleaning, cement, protocol. ~20 PLN.

Lost slot in the schedule: a try-in takes up a slot that could have been used for another revenue-generating procedure. Estimated: ~80–150 PLN of lost revenue.

Total cost of the second try-in visit: ~130–320 PLN. Conservatively take 130 PLN.

This is a direct cost to the practice for a direct appointment. But that's just the beginning.

Scaling: How many second try-in cases?

A practice with 100 prosthetic cases annually (this is conservative — most practices do more).

With 20% requiring a second try-in: 100 × 20% = 20 cases requiring a second try-in appointment.

20 × 130 PLN = 2600 PLN annually — cost of time and lost revenue from second try-ins.

For practices with higher revenues or worse laboratories (30–40% second try-ins): 30–40 cases × 130 PLN = 3900–5200 PLN annually.

These are numbers that can be planned for and reduced.

Domino effect on schedule and reputation

Each second try-in disrupts the patient schedule. If a patient is scheduled for another procedure (cleaning, other treatment) and is moved for a try-in — the domino effect spreads throughout the entire practice's hourly work.

Additionally: each second try-in is an opportunity to lose patient reputation. The patient waits for the second appointment, feels that the first work was insufficient, fears further procedures. This is a psychological effect, but a real one.

The first try-in should be a confirmation, not a test

The solution is digital verification BEFORE production.

Scenario: Laboratory with PID

1. The dentist sends a scan and guidelines.

2. The laboratory creates a virtual mock-up (digital crown model on a 3D tooth model).

3. The dentist and patient view the mock-up on screen. The patient sees the result BEFORE production. Approves or proposes changes.

4. The laboratory modifies the model in CAD (15 minutes of work vs. paper rework).

5. After approval: final production.

6. Try-in = confirmation, not a test. The crown is polished before shipping (in the laboratory, where it's inexpensive), so it fits the first time.

Result: with 20 cases annually, this is potentially ~2600 PLN annually less on additional try-ins, plus additional benefits (polishing in the laboratory instead of chairside, psychological effect on patients, stable schedule).

For practices with more cases or a worse laboratory, savings reach 5000–8000 PLN annually.