Packing and sending a case.
Cases move by UPS and Purolator between Fairmont and practices throughout British Columbia and across Canada. How a case is packed determines whether it arrives usable.
Disinfect first
Impressions, prostheses and appliances coming from the practice should be disinfected according to the manufacturer's guidance for the material, then rinsed and dried before packing.
Follow the stated immersion time rather than exceeding it. Prolonged immersion can affect dimensional accuracy, and polyether in particular absorbs water and should not be left soaking or stored in a humid environment.
Everything returning from the laboratory is disinfected before dispatch.
Protect the parts that matter
Secure impressions so nothing presses against the preparation areas. Pressure on a wash surface in transit distorts it, and the distortion is subtle enough to pass a casual inspection.
Immobilize models, dies and restorations rather than leaving them loose to move within a box. A case that arrives with a fractured die has usually been packed rather than mishandled.
Fix bite records so they cannot shift. A record that has moved against a model is no longer a record of anything.
Include the paperwork inside
Put the prescription inside the package as well as any external documentation, so a case separated from its paperwork can still be identified and processed.
Where photographs or a placement record are being sent physically, include them in the same package. Where they are being sent electronically, say so on the prescription so we know to look.
Label the package with the practice name clearly. A case arriving with no identifiable sender costs time at both ends.
Cases needing particular care
Alginate should be poured without meaningful delay, so it is a poor choice for anything travelling. Polyvinyl siloxane and polyether are dimensionally stable enough to tolerate transit, and neither benefits from sitting.
Existing prostheses being sent for repair, reline or rebase should be wrapped so nothing can chip an acrylic edge or bend a clasp, and all fragments should be included — including small ones.
Do not attempt a temporary repair with adhesive before sending. It contaminates the surfaces and frequently makes an accurate repair impossible.
Address and dispatch
Fairmont Dental Lab, 5349 Imperial Street, Suite 100, Burnaby, BC V5J 1E5. The laboratory is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The prescription form has a tick box for requesting more Rx sheets and plastic bags with your next delivery — use it rather than running out.
Delivery arrangements and rhythm are covered on pickup and delivery.
Returning restorations and prostheses to us
Where a restoration is coming back — for adjustment, remake, reline or repair — send it clean and disinfected, with a description of what happened rather than the item alone.
Include the original models where you have them, or note that the case was digital. For a denture repair, include every fragment; a missing piece means the relationship has to be reconstructed rather than reassembled.
Where a patient cannot be without a prosthesis, say so when you send it. That changes how the case is handled at this end.
What arrives back with a case
The restoration or appliance, disinfected before dispatch. Any records you sent that need returning. Alloy identification certificates where the case involved a casting.
Anything you need to know at the seat appointment travels with the case — a note about a component, a driver required, or something we found and worked around.
If something you expected is missing, call rather than assuming. It is generally a packing oversight and quickly resolved.
A note on digital cases
A digital case removes the outbound journey entirely, which is why scanning matters more to a practice at distance than to one nearby.
The return journey still exists, and any intermediate stage — a framework try-in, a verification jig, a set-up try-in — travels in both directions. Factor that into the schedule rather than treating a digital case as journey-free.
More in Dentist Resources
Send a case
Digital scans and conventional impressions are both accepted. Cases move by UPS and Purolator, and Fairmont works with practices throughout British Columbia and across Canada.