Cost of materials used in a crown

Restorationlab

Restorationlab

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I am reviewing my fees tonight and want to know if anyone knows of an industry average for the weight of porcelain used to layer a PFM or zirconia coping. I have not kept track of the pre- and post-layering weights so I am hoping someone knows of an average for the industry.
 
JMN

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I am reviewing my fees tonight and want to know if anyone knows of an industry average for the weight of porcelain used to layer a PFM or zirconia coping. I have not kept track of the pre- and post-layering weights so I am hoping someone knows of an average for the industry.
An average would contain a quite wide data pattern depending especially on ant/post and also coping design philosophies.

Your porc tech would probably be able to give you a good guess.
 
Restorationlab

Restorationlab

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Thanks. I am the porcelain tech! :artist.png: I was hoping to save myself the calculations necessary to get a good idea. I guess I will start weighing each crown before and after applications and start tracking.
 
JMN

JMN

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Thanks. I am the porcelain tech! :artist.png: I was hoping to save myself the calculations necessary to get a good idea. I guess I will start weighing each crown before and after applications and start tracking.
The dry powder weight and fused weight will be slightly different like uncooked vs cooked hamburger as the colorants will be burned off, your buildup liquid may alter this as well. Density is a funny thing.
 
Restorationlab

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Stop, stop--you are making my head spin and eyes cross!!!!:arghh:
 
sidesh0wb0b

sidesh0wb0b

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add 15% to whatever you come up with.
its like measuring flooring. there has to be extra. unless you always use every last bit of porcelain you put on the tray every time you stack...
 
C

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I think you wasting time even thinking about the cost of porcelain. Your real cost is labor.
Here's my opinion on reviewing fees. I bet the majority of labs fail to increase prices yearly and then
come up with the dilemma of how do I raise prices enough to make up for all the increase of all the materials we
use. Add in new equipment cost, cost of going digital, etc. Better idea is to raise your prices yearly with a modest increase.
Large price increases tend to drive off some accounts.
 
Jason D

Jason D

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Statistically, it is not worth the time you will spend measuring.

porcelain ranges from, what? $1 a gram to $2 a gram depending on brand?...how much do you get out of a 20 gram bottle? 50 crowns? 40? monolithic occlusals or full builds? bridges with porcelain wraparounds?

That's far too much analysis for a component that accounts for less than 0.5% of your product, on a product group that is dying.

If your profit margins require analysis on such a microscopic level then you should just raise prices $5 because you are cutting too close to the bone...porcelain cost is a non issue in the cost of manufacturing a crown.
 
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