Veneers from Istar Dental Lab

Istar Dental Lab is a full-service dental veneer lab in Shenzhen and Huizhou, China. Every veneer we quote is designed, milled, layered, finished, and inspected under one roof — a 460-person team handles the whole case, from scan to shipment, with no third-party outsourcing.

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Our veneer product lines

Material selection is where most veneer cases succeed or fail. Each line carries its own clinical window — fracture resistance, translucency, bonding chemistry, and minimum thickness all shift between pressed lithium disilicate, layered lithium disilicate, monolithic zirconia, and layered zirconia. If a case sits on the edge of two lines, send the preparation scan and we’ll call it before the mill is engaged.

1440 × 960E.max press veneers · Recommended upload size · px

E.max press veneers

Material. IPS e.max lithium disilicate, pressed. Published vendor data lists flexural strength around 470 MPa.

Where it fits. Discolored teeth (fluorosis, tetracycline staining), enamel hypoplasia, closing anterior spaces under 3 mm, mild rotations, peg-shaped laterals, and other enamel-bonded anterior cases.

Where to hold back. Bruxism without an occlusal guard, or cases where the facial surface has lost most of its enamel. Needs adequate preparation thickness and resin bonding to the enamel to perform.

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E.max layered veneers

Material. Lithium disilicate core, hand-layered with feldspathic porcelain to carry incisal effects.

Where it fits. High-visibility anterior cases where you want mamelons, halo, or custom characterization beyond what a monolithic block can produce. Patients with photo-grade esthetic expectations.

Where to hold back. Thin bite space that doesn’t allow for both a strong core and a layered facial. We’ll flag the space calculation before layering starts.

1440 × 960Monolithic zirconia veneers · Recommended upload size · px

Monolithic zirconia veneers

Material. Multilayer zirconia with built-in cervical-to-incisal translucency gradient.

Where it fits. Patients with high occlusal load, bruxism, or clenching habits where lithium disilicate would be marginal. Also useful on patients whose adjacent teeth are already restored in zirconia and you want matched wear behavior.

Where to hold back. Front-and-center upper centrals when the patient wants the glass-like translucency of pressed ceramic. Zirconia reads more opaque; we flag that trade-off before milling.

1440 × 960Layered zirconia veneers · Recommended upload size · px

Layered zirconia veneers

Material. Zirconia substructure with porcelain layering on the facial.

Where it fits. Anterior cases that need the fracture resistance of zirconia and the optical depth of hand layering. The zirconia core takes the load, the layering carries the color.

Where to hold back. Cases where the margin needs to disappear optically. Layered zirconia is more technique-sensitive on our end, so these are routed to a dedicated small team and treated as design-approval cases by default.

1440 × 960PMMA veneer try-ins · Recommended upload size · px

PMMA veneer try-ins

Material. PMMA / provisional resin, milled from the approved design.

Where it fits. Try-in before the definitive restoration is pressed or milled. We use this on multi-unit anteriors, smile-design cases, patients who want to preview the shape, and anytime the restorative dentist wants to verify phonetics and lip support before cutting the final.

Where to hold back. Not a long-term restoration. PMMA is a staging tool, not a definitive material; we won’t quote it as a final case.

Not a veneer indication. Untreated caries, active periodontal disease, structural enamel loss too severe for bonding, severe malocclusion without an orthodontic plan, or heavy bruxism without a nightguard plan. We flag these during case review and the final treatment decision stays with the dentist.

Preparation guidance we work from

Veneer thickness and preparation depth are driven by the material, the shade shift you need, and the enamel the dentist leaves. We don't write the prescription — the dentist does — but we design to planning values that keep milling and layering within tolerance:

Zone	Common planning thickness	Why
Cervical third	0.1–0.3 mm	Preserve enamel at the margin; the margin is where bonding fails first
Middle third	0.3–0.5 mm	Carries the main body shade; this is where chroma shift happens
Incisal / edge	0.5–1.0 mm	Needs enough bulk to carry translucency, mamelons, and the incisal effect

These are planning values, not prescriptions. If the reduction varies, send the preparation scan and we'll flag any zone that drops under the material's minimum before design approval. Thickness-and-depth protocols are detailed in Alothman & Bamasoud (PMC4258505) and Alavi et al. (S1532338223001033).

How a dental veneer case moves through our lab

Every case follows the same nine stages. All nine happen inside our own facility:

Case data received and checked. We confirm scan or physical impression received the same day; data completeness is verified within one business day.
CAD design. Our design department (~100 technicians) builds the restoration. For anterior veneers, multiple-unit cases, and any case where occlusion is tight, we send the design preview back to you for approval.
3D model print (if a working model is needed for layered or custom-stained work).
CAM milling (for lithium disilicate blocks and zirconia).
Pressing or sintering, using fixed temperature curves logged for every furnace cycle. Zirconia shrinkage compensation is set from the material manufacturer's parameters and verified batch-by-batch with standard test blocks.
Porcelain layering, staining, and glazing for cases that need custom characterization.
Polishing and finishing.
Quality inspection against the approved design and prescription.
Packaging and shipment.

For digital cases, you send the STL and we take it from there. For physical impressions, mail the model and we start once it arrives — the lead-time clock starts the day the case is received, not the day it was mailed.

Compatible scanning systems

We accept files from 3Shape TRIOS (.3oxz, STL, PLY), iTero (exported STL/PLY from the iTero portal), Medit (STL/PLY/OBJ), CEREC/Sirona (exported STL/PLY), Shining 3D, Dexis, Primescan, DS Core, and Panda. We also work through 3Shape Communicate, Medit Link, and generic file-transfer links. Native proprietary files from CEREC and iTero need to be exported as open formats first.

Design approval

For anterior veneer cases, multi-unit anteriors, and any case flagged for esthetic risk, we send a design preview — screenshot, STL, or video — before milling. You approve by WhatsApp group or email. The dentist is the final design authority on every case.

Quality control: what we actually check before shipment

Every case is inspected on the master model before it leaves the lab. For veneers, our QC log covers:

Marginal fit. Even seating around the preparation; no lifted edges, no gaps.

Internal surface. No burrs, no residual high spots, no porosity that could seat high or trap cement.

Proximal contacts. Appropriate tension; passive seating.

Occlusion. Centric, protrusive, and lateral checked against the opposing model.

Shade and layering. Compared against the shade photos and any approved reference, under standardized daylight.

Surface texture and incisal detail. Checked against the design preview you approved.

Structural integrity. No cracks, no voids, no chips.

When a case fails inspection, we remake it before contacting you — the shipment does not go out partially acceptable. Microscope, digital overlay, and manual measurement are all used in the inspection step as needed.

If a case can be seated and adjusted in the mouth without changing the body of the restoration, the margin, or the fit, that is a chair-side adjustment. If it would require altering the restoration itself, it is a remake.

Lead time and shipping

Standard cases: 2–3 lab days.

Complex implant or full-mouth cases: 5–7 lab days.

Rush is available on every material.

Shipping via DHL, FedEx, UPS, or SPIDER (France); transit time is quoted separately. Tracking numbers go out on the day of shipment.

Customer base spans the United States, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and other European markets — 50+ dental laboratories, 100+ clinics, and 400+ dentists.

Remake policy and complaint handling

Lab-side quality issues — open margin, open contact, high occlusion, failure to seat, wrong shade against the approved reference, visible defect — are remade free.

Rework cases run on a priority schedule, typically 3–5 days from re-start.

Shipping and implant parts are not included in a free remake.

Trigger conditions, exclusions, timing, and the complaint-filing format are detailed in our full remake and warranty policy.

Compliance and traceability

FDA establishment registration covers custom veneers, crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, abutments, implant superstructures, dentures, and provisionals (standard implant fixtures excluded).

EU MDR Annex XIII custom-device route for Class IIa restorations; the EU-authorized representative handles EUDAMED.

Patient data is encrypted in transit and at rest; NDA and data-processing agreements signed on request.

Private-label packaging and prescription slips without Istar branding are standard for outsourcing-lab customers.

Factory visits in Shenzhen or Huizhou, and remote video audits of the production line, are available on request.

Working with us: how to send your first case

Send a scan or ship a physical impression. For digital, use any of the compatible scanning systems (3Shape, iTero, Medit, CEREC, Shining 3D, Dexis, Primescan, DS Core, or Panda) or share a WeTransfer link.
Attach photos, shade information, and esthetic parameters matching the shade-and-esthetic submission checklist (photos, scans, occlusion, base shade, target shade, translucency, incisal effect, surface texture, tooth proportion).
We confirm within one business day whether the case data is complete, or flag what is missing.
Design preview goes out for approval on anterior veneer cases.
Production begins once design is approved.
Shipment with tracking on the day the case leaves the lab.

FAQ

Do you make no-prep or minimal-prep veneers, and when do you advise against them?

Yes. No-prep and minimal-prep are supported when the facial contour has room for added volume and the existing tooth is not already in protrusion. Two conditions push us toward conventional preparation instead: a shade shift larger than two VITA steps (ultra-thin ceramic cannot mask a dark base color), or a Class III or edge-to-edge occlusion that would push the new facial out of the arch. Send a diagnostic wax-up or a mock-up photo and we’ll call it before the preparation is cut.

A patient’s existing veneer debonded. Can we send it as a rebond or do you need to make a new one?

We’ll look at the clinical photo and the recovered veneer first. If the margin is clean, the restoration is intact, and the tooth has not been re-prepared, a rebond is often workable and no lab-side work is needed. If the recovered veneer is chipped, the margin is damaged, or the preparation geometry has changed, we rebuild the case as a new unit from the scan. Either way, send the recovered restoration with the submission so our technicians can measure the fit before quoting.

Can we order try-in versions in two or three different shades for shade confirmation?

Yes. We can produce layered PMMA try-ins in alternative shades alongside the primary try-in. Confirm the shade variations on the prescription so we fabricate them in one production cycle rather than back-to-back cycles.

If the preparation margin ends subgingivally, what do you need to design accurately?

A clean margin capture from the scanner, with retraction cord placed and the sulcus dried before scanning; or a physical impression using double-cord technique. If the scan shows blood, saliva, or a diffuse margin line, we flag the file at intake and send it back for a re-scan rather than guessing at the finish line.

For a fully digital workflow, do you still want a physical working model?

Not required. We print a working model in-house for layered and custom-stained cases, so a digital submission is enough. If you want the printed model shipped back for your records or for seating verification, say so on the prescription and we’ll include it in the package.

How long do you keep the digital files for a case?

Case files (STL, design, prescription, QC record) are retained for a minimum of two years from shipment, which covers most follow-up and warranty questions. If you need a redesign or a replacement veneer for the same patient within that window, we can re-mill from the saved file rather than redesigning from scratch.

Can one case contain veneers plus adjacent crowns or bridges, and will the units match?

Yes. Mixed cases — a veneer on one tooth and a crown on the neighboring tooth, or a veneer alongside an implant restoration — are handled as a single case with a single shade and texture lead. Matching layered restorations across different material families is one of the reasons layered zirconia and layered e.max are produced on the same bench.

If the prescribed material is a tight fit for the case, will you recommend an alternative?

Yes, in writing, before we start milling. If the preparation depth, the opposing bite, or the shade shift don’t suit the material on the prescription, our technical director opens a note in the WhatsApp group with the issue, the proposed alternative, and the reason. We do not substitute materials unilaterally — the dentist signs off on the change.

Send us a case

Email, WhatsApp, 3Shape Communicate, Medit Link, or your own portal — whatever your office already uses, we match.

Ask for a current price list, a sample case, a trial order, or an NDA before you place the first case.

Reach out through the inquiry form and a case coordinator will reply within one business day.

Want to get in touch directly? Reach out to our sales representative via WhatsApp at +8618925410015 for a quick response and a price quote!