how to open dental lab in california?

[nnguyen595]

Hi all,
1st of all, thank you very much for reading my thread. A little bit about myself.
I'm an accountant and also dental lab tech for couple years. I don't have much experience as dental tech but office clerk.
My dad was a dentist back in Vietnam. He is now a dental tech who take care most of denture cases in his company. His company is huge in CA though. He has been in this industry for about 35+ years. But there is only reason, he can't speak English well. And I decide to work with him. I know it is a little late for him to start a business, but well nothing is impossible. We want to try.
Here are my concerns:
1> Can I open a dental lab in my garage?
2> What permits/licences do I need?
3> Can I have a sample prices list of the products? like how much to charge for denture/partial denture/valplast/crown/bridge etc...?
Thanks again for helping me.

 

[doug]

Welcome to the bored

 

[JMN]

Hi all,
1st of all, thank you very much for reading my thread. A little bit about myself.
I'm an accountant and also dental lab tech for couple years. I don't have much experience as dental tech but office clerk.
My dad was a dentist back in Vietnam. He is now a dental tech who take care most of denture cases in his company. His company is huge in CA though. He has been in this industry for about 35+ years. But there is only reason, he can't speak English well. And I decide to work with him. I know it is a little late for him to start a business, but well nothing is impossible. We want to try.
Here are my concerns:
1> Can I open a dental lab in my garage?
2> What permits/licences do I need?
3> Can I have a sample prices list of the products? like how much to charge for denture/partial denture/valplast/crown/bridge etc...?
Thanks again for helping me.

Greetings Earthling! Welcome!

 

[nnguyen595]

Welcome to the bored

thanks for warm greetin, guys... can you help me to answer my concerns?

 

[JMN]

As an accountant, you know how to set up the legal business side with an LLC and proper tax papers to the right people, right?

Do a business plan before you progress any farther than where you are now. If you don't know how you're getting there, or where you're going, how will you know if you're off course?

For the lab side, if you have a separate entrance to the area you want to use as the lab so that you do not need to access it from the residential areas, you're clear with FDA, but CA may have other requests, along with your zoning board for the city/county that you are working in.

Here's a step by step in another thread. If you need more info, and you should anyway, check with the CA dentistry board to see what, if any, requirements they have on prescription information, and other regulations that will impact you from their side. For example, my state has a prescription template showing what is required by law and regulations.

http://dentallabnetwork.com/forums/threads/outside-accounts.25488/

An attourney and accountant are usual contacts for getting information about this and how to keep everything correct, legal, safe, trackable, and out of trouble. You may not want to pay another accountant, but it's always better to get an informed opinion from someone outside the situaton who is not invested in the idea and can see confirmation bias in your decisions.

 

[nnguyen595]

As an accountant, you know how to set up the legal business side with an LLC and proper tax papers to the right people, right?

Do a business plan before you progress any farther than where you are now. If you don't know how you're getting there, or where you're going, how will you know if you're off course?

For the lab side, if you have a separate entrance to the area you want to use as the lab so that you do not need to access it from the residential areas, you're clear with FDA, but CA may have other requests, along with your zoning board for the city/county that you are working in.

Here's a step by step in another thread. If you need more info, and you should anyway, check with the CA dentistry board to see what, if any, requirements they have on prescription information, and other regulations that will impact you from their side. For example, my state has a prescription template showing what is required by law and regulations.

http://dentallabnetwork.com/forums/threads/outside-accounts.25488/

An attourney and accountant are usual contacts for getting information about this and how to keep everything correct, legal, safe, trackable, and out of trouble. You may not want to pay another accountant, but it's always better to get an informed opinion from someone outside the situaton who is not invested in the idea and can see confirmation bias in your decisions.

I used to own a business b4, so I think I have good experiences of bookkeeping and taxation.
Can you provide me a sample listing price for finished dentures?
Thank you so so much for your reply. It is so valuable.I have learned alot.

 

[grantoz]

what ever you do dont outsource to cheap overseas companies with no regulations from government bodies like the fda .

 

[Mrs.galfriday]

Every city is different, but most people open a lab in their home, first. As a denture lab, that will be a major installment from the ones I have seen (old school). Pull all your info and equipment together, then go get your license at the city offices. They will have you project your earnings (start small) and state what type of business you have (manufacturing). Then you will post in a local newspaper your lab name. You may have to research at the county offices to see if your intended one is taken. I researched mine and found only two, One on the East coast and one in Saudi Arabia. Then a month later I typed a Google search and found a hundred. I was shocked and embarrassed.

As for the price list, good luck. Have your dad give you one from the lab he works at. Everyone here would love to see it. I have yet to wrangle one from Micro, Glidewell or whomever else is out there.

 

[JMN]

I used to own a business b4, so I think I have good experiences of bookkeeping and taxation.
Can you provide me a sample listing price for finished dentures?
Thank you so so much for your reply. It is so valuable.I have learned alot.

Prices are where you must make your own decisions. Decide what profit % you want to make, how long it takes you + What you are worth per hour, how much it costs per hour to operate your business, the prices of all you use to do the case... There is regional variance, and quality variance as well. A sloppy case will be worth less than a beautiful case, etc.

Some of the larger labs with websites have their prices posted, but that's what works for them. You need to figure out what works for you. Your overhead and transportation costs are different from anyone else.

 

[CatamountRob]

My base model, which I call "The West Virginian", has one tooth per arch and sells for $179.
It goes up from there.

 

[JMN]

My base model, which I call "The West Virginian", has one tooth per arch and sells for $179.
It goes up from there.

Saw a T shirt today, "West Virginia: 1 Million people, 15 last names"