LMT Magazine recently released data on the growth of implant business reported by Labs. These reports align well with comments made recently by Keith Crittenden, President and CEO of AmericaSmiles Network founder of the American Cosmetic Dental Lab Association. He described an industry in flux, where many labs have reported significant challenges in 2025 and yet there continues to be growth in implant business, digital dentures, and great promise regarding new economy solutions to allow labs to better compete. 
Keith Crittenden offered five key steps you should take to stay competitive and relevant over the next 5 years:
- Join a Dental Lab network or association – AmericaSmiles offers labs the ability to partner together with other labs through both The AmericaSmiles Network and ACDLA. Together these organizations provide a powerful one-two punch in training and advise plus cost savings, technology solutions, and marketing support.
- Fully embrace digital technology and become a trusted advisor/consultant to your dentists concerning CAD/CAM and other digital technology.
- Secure the ability to offer your dentists digital solutions such as IntraOral Scanners for their practice. The company that supplies this solution to their doctors will secure their on-going business.
- Realize you will have to offer an economy line of crowns, large complex cases, and custom implant bridges to stay competitive in the market, but you should plan to offer both a Premium and an Economy solution to for Crown & Bridge
- Focus as much on retaining your existing dentists as you do on gaining new clients.
With these steps, every local small and medium size lab can remain relevant far into the future. At ACDLA and The AmericaSmiles Network, we are here to help. Let us know what you think and how we can assist.