Vietnam Outsourcing Dental Laboratory
Reviewed by Nguyen Van Hoi, Lead Technician and founder of Khai Nguyen Dental Lab. Last updated 9 September 2026.
TL;DR
- Khai Nguyen Dental Lab is an ISO 13485:2016-certified laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City, founded in 2017, producing fixed restorations (zirconia, lithium disilicate, feldspathic veneers, implant prostheses) for clinics and labs in the US, Australia and Europe.
- Typical in-lab turnaround is 1.5–3 working days for standard digital cases; DHL Express delivers physical restorations to most destinations in 3–4 days.
- Every restoration is covered by a written warranty from 6 months to 15 years depending on the product line, with a clear remake policy.
Why dentists outsource dental lab work to Vietnam
Three forces drive the growth of dental lab outsourcing to Vietnam:
- Cost structure. Skilled technician labour in Vietnam costs a fraction of what it does in the US, Australia or Western Europe, so identical restorations, built from the same zirconia disc and the same pressing ingot, can be produced at a significantly lower fee. Our price guide sets out what a unit actually costs.
- Digital workflows. With intraoral scanning a case travels as an STL file in seconds, so distance stopped being a barrier the day impressions went digital. See which scanner files we accept.
- Mature quality systems. Leading Vietnamese laboratories now run ISO 13485:2016-certified quality management, use genuine materials from 3M, Ivoclar Vivadent, Dentsply Sirona and GC, and employ technicians with decades of combined experience. Compare the options in our Vietnam, China and India comparison.
What you can outsource
A full-service outsourcing partner takes on virtually the entire fixed workflow: full-contour and layered zirconia crowns and bridges, lithium disilicate crowns and veneers (IPS e.max, GC Initial LiSi, Celtra Duo), feldspathic veneers, implant crowns and bridges, surgical guides, diagnostic wax-ups, occlusal splints and anti-snoring appliances. The full range is set out on our materials and restorations page. Laboratories working lab to lab can also outsource CAD design alone and keep milling in-house.
Choosing the right partner
Before a volume agreement, ask for the ISO 13485 certificate itself rather than a logo, insist on named and traceable material brands with batch documentation, send one technical question and time the answer, read the warranty terms in writing, and run two or three real cases first. Our ten-point checklist for choosing a dental lab and the five questions to ask first cover this in detail.
Who we work with as an outsourcing partner
We serve two kinds of partners. Dental clinics that want a reliable overseas lab for crowns, bridges, veneers and implant work without giving up shade control or communication with the technician. And dental laboratories that outsource part of their production (lab-to-lab), either the CAD design only or the finished restoration, to absorb volume peaks or to add esthetic layered work they do not produce in-house. Most of our international partners are in the United States, Australia and Western Europe; the same workflow applies to Canada and the Middle East. We set out what the arrangement looks like in practice for dental lab outsourcing for US and Australian dentists.
We do not treat patients and do not sell to the public. Our customers are dentists and laboratories only.
Dental lab outsourcing workflow, from scan to delivery
- Onboarding (once). Tell us your scanner, preferred materials, shade system and shipping address. We create your lab account, agree on a price list and set up the case portal.
- Case submission. Upload the intraoral scan (STL, PLY or DCM) with the prescription: restoration type, material, shade, margin notes, due date. Physical impressions or models can be shipped by DHL Express to our Ho Chi Minh City lab.
- Design review. Our CAD team designs the restoration in exocad. On request you receive a design preview (screenshots or a 3D viewer link) before production, so contacts, occlusion and contour are approved by you, not assumed by us.
- Production. Milling or pressing, sintering, staining or layering, glazing, then quality control on the model: fit, contacts, occlusion, shade and surface finish. Every finished case is photographed.
- Delivery. Digital-only cases (design files) are delivered by download. Physical restorations ship by DHL Express with tracking, packed and sealed with the case photos included.
- Follow-up. Adjustments and remakes are logged per case, so both sides can review the remake rate together after the first month.
Turnaround times
In-lab time depends on the material and the amount of hand work. Our full breakdown of dental lab turnaround time and shipping covers courier options and cut-off times. As a guide:
| Restoration | Typical in-lab time | Shipping (DHL Express) |
|---|---|---|
| Monolithic zirconia crown or bridge, stained and glazed | 1.5–3 working days | 3–4 days |
| Lithium disilicate crown, inlay/onlay (IPS e.max, GC LiSi, Shofu Vintage LD) | 2–3 working days | 3–4 days |
| Layered or cut-back esthetic crowns and veneers | 3–5 working days | 3–4 days |
| Implant crowns and bridges on Ti-base or custom abutment | 3–5 working days | 3–4 days |
| Full-arch implant restorations, wax-ups, surgical guides | agreed per case | 3–4 days |
| CAD design only (lab-to-lab) | same or next working day | digital delivery |
Rush cases are possible for digital work; tell us the deadline at submission. Working hours are 08:00–17:30 Indochina Time (GMT+7), Monday to Sunday. Cases received on Vietnamese public holidays are confirmed on the next working day.
Files and scanners we accept
We accept open STL, PLY and DCM files from any intraoral scanner, including iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Medit, Dentsply Sirona Primescan/Omnicam, Carestream and Shining 3D. For closed ecosystems (for example iTero), export the case to our lab through the scanner portal or send the exported STL. Files larger than 100 MB can be shared through the case portal or a download link. Please include the bite scan and, for implant cases, the scan body reference and implant system.
Physical work: silicone impressions, stone models or bite registrations ship well by courier. We pour, scan and return the models with the case if you need them back.
Materials and brands
We use brand-name materials only, with batch traceability under our quality system. Which disc suits which case is set out in our note on 3Y-TZP versus 5Y-PSZ zirconia.
- Zirconia: 3M Lava Esthetic, IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime, Dentsply Sirona Cercon, Dental Direkt DD Bio, DMax Natura
- Lithium disilicate and glass ceramics: IPS e.max Press, IPS e.max CAD, GC Initial LiSi Press, Shofu Vintage LD Prime, Celtra Duo
- Veneers: feldspathic and non-prep veneers, pressed and layered veneers
- Implant: crowns and bridges on implants, full zirconia on Ti-base, full-arch zirconia on bar, surgical guides
- Appliances and planning: occlusal splints, sleep apnea appliances, diagnostic wax-ups
Not sure which material fits a case? See our comparison of zirconia, lithium disilicate and feldspathic ceramics.
Quality system
Khai Nguyen Dental Lab operates a quality management system certified to ISO 13485:2016 for medical devices, certificate No. 9199293420717-MED issued by ISOCERT and valid to 10 March 2028. You can check it yourself on the ISOCERT certificate lookup with retrieval code 9199293420717. In practice certification means documented work instructions for every production step, material lot traceability from the disc or ingot to the finished unit, calibrated equipment, and a formal complaint and corrective-action process. If you are weighing the risk of sending work overseas at all, we answer that objection directly in is outsourcing dental lab work safe.
Our restorations also hold Certificates of Free Sale issued by the Vietnam Ministry of Health on 25 June 2025 (Nos. 25001419, 25001420, 25001421 and 25001425 CFS/BYT-HTTB), plus Class B medical-device declarations 250000953/PCBB-HCM for porcelain veneers and 250000951/PCBB-HCM for all-ceramic restorations. Scans and full details are on the certificate page.
Warranty and remakes
Every restoration is covered by a written warranty from 6 months to 15 years depending on the product line. If a unit does not fit or fails within the warranty period under normal use, we remake it. Adjustments are reviewed case by case. The full terms, including what is and is not covered and how to claim, are set out in our dental lab remake policy.
Dental lab outsourcing pricing
Unit prices depend on material, complexity (monolithic versus layered) and volume. The real cost of outsourcing is unit price multiplied by remake rate plus your chair time, which is why we recommend starting with 2–3 trial cases before agreeing on a price list. Read what dentists should expect to pay a Vietnam dental lab, then request a quote with your typical case mix.
Capacity and team
We are a mid-sized esthetic laboratory, not a volume factory: a dedicated technician team trained by experienced clinicians, with CAD/CAM milling, pressing and sintering in-house and a ceramic department for layered work. For a comparison with larger high-volume labs in Vietnam, read our honest comparison of dental labs in Vietnam.
How to start
Send us your scanner model and a typical case, and we will set up your account and run the first case as a trial. Read the outsourcing FAQ or the step-by-step ordering process, or contact us directly: WhatsApp +84 902 945 585, email cs@khainguyenlab.vn.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with individual dentists or only with laboratories?
Both. Clinics send us finished cases (scan plus prescription) and receive the restoration; laboratories send design work or overflow production. The workflow, warranty and pricing structure are the same; only the shipping cadence differs.
How do you handle shade matching from abroad?
Send a photo of the shade tab next to the prepared tooth under neutral light, plus a full-face smile photo when the case is in the esthetic zone. For complex anterior cases we can produce a try-in or a design preview before final glazing.
What happens if a restoration does not fit?
We ask for photos and, if needed, the model or a new scan, identify whether the cause is the scan, the design or production, and remake the unit under warranty when the cause is on our side. Remake reasons are logged per case and shared with you.
Are there customs or import issues for dental restorations?
Custom-made dental restorations ship as medical devices made to a prescription. DHL Express handles the export declaration from Vietnam; import formalities depend on your country and are usually handled by the courier. We provide commercial invoices and, where required, the Certificate of Free Sale.
Can we start with a small trial?
Yes. Two or three trial cases of your typical work is the fastest way to evaluate fit, shade and communication before you agree on a price list. See five questions to ask before choosing a dental lab.
