How to Fill Out a Dental Lab Rx Form

The dental lab prescription form — often called the Rx, lab slip, or work authorization — is the single most important document in the lab-office relationship. Every detail the technician needs to fabricate your case comes from this form. When it’s filled out completely and clearly, cases run smoothly. When it’s not, you get phone calls, delays, and occasionally a prosthetic that doesn’t meet expectations.

This guide walks through each section of a standard dental lab Rx form and explains what your technician actually needs to see.

Patient Information

Start with the basics, but don’t rush through them.

• Patient name — Full name, spelled correctly. This sounds obvious, but transposed letters cause mix-ups when a lab is handling dozens of cases.
• Patient age or date of birth — Critical for shade selection and tooth mold. A denture for a 45-year-old should look different from one for a 75-year-old. Age guides the technician’s decisions on tooth size, shape, wear simulation, and characterization.
• Doctor/practice name and contact — Include a direct phone number, not just the front desk. If the technician has a question at 7 AM, reaching the doctor directly saves a full day.

Case Type and Service

Clearly indicate what you’re ordering:

• New fabrication — Full denture, partial denture, night guard, bleaching tray, etc.
• Repair — Specify what broke: midline fracture, broken tooth, cracked clasp, etc.
• Reline or rebase — Note whether it’s a hard reline, soft reline, or full rebase. These are different procedures with different materials and turnaround times.
• Adjustment — Describe the issue: high spot, pressure point, clasp too tight or too loose.

Be specific. “Fix denture” doesn’t give the technician enough to work with. “Repair midline fracture, upper complete denture, acrylic” tells the whole story.

Shade Selection

This is where the most remakes originate. A vague shade instruction forces the technician to guess — and guessing is expensive for everyone.

• Vita shade — Use the standard Vita Classical or Vita 3D shade guide. Write the specific tab (e.g., A2, B1, 2M2).
• Characterization notes — Does the patient want a natural, slightly uneven appearance? Translucent incisal edges? Slight staining to match remaining natural teeth? Write it down.
• Gingival shade — Don’t forget the tissue tone. Standard pink works for many patients, but darker or lighter gingival shades make a significant difference in appearance for others.
• Photos — A shade photo taken in natural light is worth more than any written description. If your lab accepts digital submissions, attach the photo to the case.

Pro tip: Take shade photos with the shade tab held next to the patient’s teeth, in natural daylight near a window. Operatory lights distort color.

Tooth Selection

For dentures and partials with prosthetic teeth:

• Mold/size — Specify the tooth mold from your preferred manufacturer (e.g., Ivoclar Vivadent Portrait IPN, Dentsply Lucitone). If you don’t have a preference, note the patient’s face shape (square, ovoid, tapered) and the technician can select an appropriate mold.
• Material — Acrylic, composite, or porcelain teeth each have trade-offs in wear resistance, aesthetics, and cost. If you have a preference, state it.
• Arrangement notes — Any special positioning? Slight rotation on a lateral for natural appearance? Diastema? These artistic details should be on the Rx, not assumed.

Design Specifications

This section varies by case type, but the principle is the same: be explicit about what you want.

For partial dentures:

• Framework design (which rests, which clasps, major connector type)
• Clasp type preference (wrought wire, cast circumferential, RPI)
• Acrylic or flexible base material

For complete dentures:

• Midline position relative to facial landmarks
• Occlusal scheme (balanced, monoplane, lingualized)
• Vertical dimension notes if you have specific measurements

For guards and trays:

• Upper or lower
• Hard or soft material
• Thickness preference
• Any special coverage requirements

Impression and Bite Information

This is mechanical but critical:

• Impression type — Alginate, PVS, digital scan. If shipping alginate, note how it was stored (wet napkin in sealed bag is standard).
• Bite registration — Wax rim, bite registration material, or digital bite. Note the VDO if you’ve established it.
• Articulation — Facebow included? If so, note the facebow system used.

Ship Date and Delivery

• Requested delivery date — Be realistic. Rush cases cost more and still require the same quality. Build in a buffer.
• Shipping method — Pickup, standard shipping, overnight. Note any shipping account numbers if applicable.
• Try-in needed? — For new dentures, a wax try-in stage lets you verify fit, shade, and arrangement before final processing. Always request one for new fabrication cases.

Special Instructions

This is your free-text area. Use it. Anything that doesn’t fit neatly into the structured fields goes here:

• “Patient has a strong gag reflex — keep posterior palatal seal minimal”
• “Match existing upper denture shade — see attached photos”
• “Patient prefers slightly longer centrals”
• “This is a remake — see case #1234 for reference”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Illegible handwriting — If your handwriting is hard to read, print clearly or use a digital form. A misread shade tab means a remake.
2. Missing contact number — The technician needs to reach you quickly when questions arise. Don’t make them call the front desk and wait on hold.
3. No shade specified — “Match natural” is not a shade. Neither is “you pick.”
4. Incomplete design notes — “Partial” without specifying framework design, clasp type, or tooth positions creates ambiguity.
5. No patient age — Age dramatically affects tooth selection and characterization. Don’t skip it.

Digital Rx Submission

Many labs now offer digital Rx forms through online portals. Masons View Dental Laboratory’s case submission system lets you fill out the Rx online, attach photos and scans, and track your case from submission to delivery. Digital forms eliminate handwriting issues, create a searchable record, and can auto-fill patient details for repeat cases.

Whether you use paper or digital, the fundamentals are the same: complete information, clear instructions, and open communication with your technician.