Reimagining how dentists discover and connect with labs

Startup LabWorthy has announced what is reportedly the first review platform for dental labs. At LabWorthy.com, dentists can rate and review labs and discover new lab partners based on ratings, reviews and key services.

LabWorthy is designed to connect dentists with labs through socially validated referrals and reportedly helps dentists make better decisions, save time, and save money. With new digital technology in the dental office and the lab driving more decisions, LabWorthy connects dentists and labs based on quantifiable data and trusted referrals.

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LabWorthy is free to use for dentists. Dentists can leave ratings and reviews for labs. The ratings address four key elements in the lab/dentist relationship: communication, fit, esthetics and value. Dentists can provide up to a five-star rating for each element, which are then represented in an overall star rating for the lab. Dentists can also identify the type of service they are reviewing and the type of impression provided (traditional/digital/type of scanner). Finally there is an open comment section for a deeper review. This content can then be searched and evaluated by dentists looking for a new lab so they can identify the perfect lab that fits their needs. Labs can also feature LabWorthy certified reviews on their websites at the click of a button.

“I’ve been in the industry for 15 years, and I have always felt there was a better way to connect dentists with labs,” says John Schwartz, Founder and CEO of LabWorthy [Disclosure: John Schwartz was previously employed by UBM, the publisher of Dental Products Report]. “With overnight shipping, instant communication, digital impressions and multiple workflows for designing and fabricating cases, there’s no reason why labs and dentists need to be restricted by geography. We help dentists find the signal in the noise and optimize their lab relationships.”

In the United States, dentists spent $5.4 billion with their labs in 2016. LabWorthy builds trust to help dentists make better decisions-according to a recent survey by dental software research website Capterra, “84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.”    

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Schwartz sees data and crowdsourcing changing the market for the better. “Ratings and reviews are shaping our buying habits as we find ways to extract more intelligence from the masses of data available,” he notes. “Imagine dentists helping each other spend that $5.4 billion more wisely. Many fear a race to the bottom, but what we see is a new transparency that will lead to greater quality in restorations and better clinical outcomes”

For more information, visit labworthy.com.