Why would a dental office have an in house lab?
The reason most premium dental offices have an in-house lab is to provide their patients with customized dental restorations in a convenient and predictable manner.
There are only a couple of dental offices that have a full ceramic in-office laboratory in San Antonio and we are one.  Genuine cosmetic dental offices have direct one on one contact with the lab and its technicians.  A dentist that was a lab technician is even better because he understands the ins and outs of making a crown look natural.  Yes, Dr. Moore has been a lab technician and illustration artist for dental books and manuals.
A veneer, a crown, or bridge can be made very custom to ones body frame, shape of face, position and shape of the lips and gender.  When a lab technician can meet and see the person he is making the teeth for it becomes a custom restoration and the technician naturally becomes better and better at the fit and finish; therefore, any restoration done in this way is true artistry.
A color can be matched better by looking at the natural teeth and the selected shade by direct comparison.  Because each tooth is unique in shape and shades can change even within a single tooth seeing this directly under the different lighting can make a significant difference in the outcome.
In addition to colors and shapes being more natural and similar to the existing teeth shapes, we can make almost any restoration in just two visits.  If we make changes to the color or shape, we can do it while you wait instead of sending it back out to an outside lab and sending you home while the changes are being made.  This saves you another trip to the office.
Bottom line, no factory labs can produce a smile that’s unique to each patient in a fast and effective manner like an in house lab can.  For the best cosmetic results, find a dental office with a full in house lab.