Listen to the Full Conversation
A Good Lab-Dentist Partnership is a Win for Everyone
The phone call every dental laboratory dreads: “This doesn’t fit, and I need it fixed immediately.” The tension is palpable – time pressure, patient expectations, and professional pride all collide in a moment that can either strengthen or strain the dentist-lab relationship.
Rob Dulieu has fielded thousands of these calls over the past 30 years, and his response has evolved from defensiveness to one of partnership.
This isn’t marketing speak – it’s the fundamental difference between craftsmanship and manufacturing.
The Reality Behind the Bench
To understand Rob’s lab-dentist partnership approach, it is essential to view the laboratory from his perspective. “There’s nothing worse than a phone call when you put your heart and soul into something and it fits on the model beautifully, but it doesn’t fit in the mouth, and you’re getting thrown under the bus for it.”
Rob’s team faces this frustration from time to time: “We think, ‘Wow, I’ve put two days, three days of work into this, heart and soul, pride and joy, and I’m getting challenged because it doesn’t fit in the mouth.’ Well, it fits on the models, and that’s all we’ve got to work with.”
Rob Dulieu’s Collaborative Philosophy
This reality check forms the foundation of Rob’s collaborative philosophy. “The responsibility’s got to lie somewhere, and it might not be the dentist’s fault, might not be the lab’s fault, but something’s gone wrong in the process.”
The Macquarie Street Mystery
One of Rob’s favourite partnership stories illustrates this perfectly. “I remember years ago with a practice in Macquarie Street – really good practice – and all of the crowns were just too tight. I’m thinking, ‘This is ridiculous.’ We supply all crowns fitted on three models: the master die, a working model, and a final model, ensuring all contacts are checked. They fit on all three models, but weren’t fitting in the mouth.”
Rather than playing the blame game, Rob took an investigative approach. “I ended up going into the surgery, and what had happened was the dentist had had a change of staff. The new dental assistants were placing the impression material near the window, and the sun’s rays were affecting the impression material, causing it to set quickly. He was experiencing something called ‘rebound’ with the impression material.”
The solution was elegantly simple: “Once we moved the impression material back to where it should have been, we never had the problem again. It was as simple as that.”
Communication as Foundation
This experience shaped Rob’s approach to every challenging case. “One of my slides in my lecture at Sydney Uni says, ‘When it all goes wrong, blame the lab in front of the patient.’ But the point underneath that I make is: call the lab back, work it out, apologise to them, and then say, ‘Hey, what went wrong? What do you think went through the process?’ Find out the solution.”
Rob’s communication protocol includes:
- Immediate assessment without blame assignment
- Joint problem-solving to identify the root cause
- Process improvement to prevent recurrence
- Documentation of solutions for future reference
- Follow-up to ensure satisfaction
“Because there’s always something,” Rob notes. “And the solution should always have the patient in mind first and foremost.”
What Technicians Really Want
During preparation for the podcast, Rob asked his technicians to list their biggest frustrations and greatest satisfactions. The results were revealing:
Top Frustrations:
- Quadrant impressions with no bite registration
- Poor photography and unclear shade instructions
- Illegible lab sheets requiring practice manager translation
- No feedback on completed cases (good or bad)
- Subgingival margins in digital scans obscured by saliva
Greatest Satisfactions:
- Complete information on lab sheets
- Clean, precise impressions with proper bite registration
- Open discussions about case challenges and solutions
- Positive feedback and case photos
- Being treated as creative partners rather than vendors
The Two-Way Street for a Laboratory-Dentist Partnership
Rob emphasises that successful partnerships require mutual respect and understanding. “I love nothing more than the dentists we work with coming through the laboratory and spending time with us,” he says.
This transparency builds trust in both directions. Rob regularly invites referring dentists to:
- Lab visits to understand the fabrication process
- Case consultations for complex restorations
- Educational sessions on new materials and techniques
- Problem-solving meetings when challenges arise
- Celebration events to recognise successful outcomes
The Authentic Conversations All Team Members Need To Have
Not every partnership challenge has a simple solution, such as moving impression materials away from sunlight. Rob acknowledges the delicate balance technicians face: “Technicians often feel that they’re between a rock and a hard place. They don’t want to give feedback that will be taken negatively, but they have to give essential feedback.”
His approach to challenging conversations includes:
- Leading with respect for the clinical challenges dentists face
- Focusing on solutions rather than problems
- Providing visual aids like corrected prep models
- Offering alternatives when the original plan won’t work
- Maintaining professionalism even under pressure
“We’ve had to make some tough calls to clients,” Rob admits. “Cases sent through on Wednesday or Thursday that don’t include three public holidays in the turnaround time – that’s just impossible for us to get back in time at the quality we’d like to deliver.”
Setting Boundaries with Respect
The conversation about unrealistic deadlines reveals another aspect of Rob’s partnership philosophy. When a practice requested five to six hours of laboratory work with a two-day turnaround, Rob responded with a question: “Can you find four hours in your dentist’s day tomorrow? Because we can’t, unless we stay back until midnight to get that job done.”
This approach maintains boundaries while fostering understanding. “I think there just needs to be a lot more respect in the profession for technicians,” Rob observes. “It’s manual labour all day long under a microscope, concentrating and doing multiple cases at the same time.”
~ Rob Dulieu
Building Long-Term Success for Dentists and Laboratories
Rob’s most successful partnerships share common characteristics:
- Mutual respect for each other’s expertise
- Open communication about challenges and successes
- Shared commitment to patient outcomes
- Willingness to invest time in relationship building
- Flexibility when unexpected issues arise
“The dentist-lab-patient relationship is a team working together for the patient’s benefit,” Rob explains. “Our technicians are approachable and ready to discuss any concerns. This collaborative mentality leads to happier patients and fewer post-insertion visits.”
The RWD Partnership Promise
At RWD Dental Image, Rob has codified this philosophy into their service promise: “We take pride in treating every case as if it were for our own family, and we’re dedicated to making the referring dentist look good by delivering top-tier results.”
This isn’t just customer service rhetoric – it’s an operational philosophy that influences every decision, from material selection to quality control to communication protocols.
Your Next Lab Partnership
Rob’s final advice for dentists seeking better laboratory relationships is characteristically straightforward: “Find a lab that treats you as a partner, not just a customer. Look for technicians who are willing to have the difficult conversations, who invest in continuing education, and who share your commitment to patient outcomes.”
The partnership approach requires effort from both sides, but the rewards – reduced stress, better outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, and professional growth – make the investment worthwhile.
Ready to Experience True Dental Lab Partnership?
Book a consultation with RWD Dental Image to discuss how our collaborative approach can improve your case outcomes and reduce chairside stress. Discover what it means to work with a laboratory that treats every case as a team effort.
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Join the hundreds of Australian dentists who’ve discovered the RWD difference – where partnership isn’t just promised, it’s practised every day.
