Petone Dental Laboratory is a specialist dental laboratory in Petone, Lower Hutt, dedicated to high-quality full and partial dentures and occlusal splints. It is operated by Steve Russell, a registered Clinical Dental Technician with 45 years' experience, who established the lab to continue the same high-quality service previously available at Pryor Dental Laboratories, of which it is the successor.
The lab's philosophy is that a well-made denture has genuine restorative potential. By preserving occlusion, providing aesthetics, facial support and phonetics, protecting against bone loss and restoring mastication, a denture can dramatically affect a patient's quality of life. Steve is upfront that this standard can't be rushed: like good wine, good dentures require time, skill, care, planning and attention to detail to achieve a top-quality result.
The workshop blends traditional bench craft with modern digital technology. Alongside conventional full and partial dentures, Petone Dental now offers digital partial dentures 3D printed in high-quality pure cobalt-chrome (Cr-Co) alloy — designed by Steve on the computer and printed by AMS at Callaghan Innovation in nearby Seaview. The result is described as absolute state of the art: thinner, lighter and stronger.
Every procedure is carried out in the lab's own purpose-built facility under its own quality control standards, using and recommending Mondial Premium teeth. Services include denture repairs, relines, occlusal splints, examinations, full job assessments and consultations, with follow-up appointments available at any time for pressure points or minor adjustments. You'll find the lab at the rear of 93 Hutt Road, with the entrance on Riddlers Crescent.
Tucked behind 93 Hutt Road in Petone, with its entrance on Riddlers Crescent, Petone Dental Laboratory is a small, specialist workshop devoted to one craft: dentures done properly. The laboratory is operated by Steve Russell, a registered Clinical Dental Technician with 45 years' experience, who set up Petone Dental Laboratory to carry on the same high-quality service previously available at Pryor Dental Laboratories.
The lab's banner message — "Where quality is the priority" — is more than a slogan. It shapes every stage of the work, from the first consultation through to the final fitting and the aftercare that follows.
What many dentists and patients don't realise, the lab argues, is the restorative potential of a well-made denture. By preserving occlusion, providing aesthetics, facial support and phonetics, protecting against bone loss and restoring mastication, a denture can dramatically affect a patient's quality of life.
Steve is candid that results at this level cannot be rushed. Good things take time — like good wine, good dentures require time, skill, care, planning and attention to detail to achieve a top-quality outcome. The lab's stated aim is the best-fitting dentures with excellent aesthetics and function, delivered within a reasonable time frame, with the best materials, and at a reasonable cost.
While the fundamentals are classic laboratory work, Petone Dental has embraced digital technology. Steve now provides digital partial dentures 3D printed in high-quality pure cobalt-chrome (Cr-Co) alloy. Each frame is designed by him on the computer and printed by AMS at Callaghan Innovation in nearby Seaview — technology he describes as absolute state of the art, producing partials that are thinner, lighter and stronger.
Whatever the technique, every procedure is carried out in the lab's own purpose-built facility, under its own quality control standards, and the lab uses and recommends Mondial Premium denture teeth.
The service list covers the full life of a denture. Full and partial dentures are available whether you need a few teeth replaced or a complete set. Occlusal splints and repairs bring dentures with issues back to perfect quality, while relines resolve dentures that have become uncomfortable or make eating difficult.
Examinations assess what is required for a full or partial denture fit-out, full job assessments ensure dentures are fitted for maximum comfort and durability, and consultations help anyone weighing up whether dentures are the right choice in the first place.
A full upper and lower denture usually follows four appointments. First comes a consultation and examination with a quotation, and tissue treatment or referral to a third-party specialist if required. The second appointment covers impressions, bite registration and tooth selection — a photo of a time when you had your own natural teeth is helpful here. At the third appointment you try in the completed setup, see how it looks, and give your input or approval. The fourth is the fitting, with checks to make sure everything is correct and satisfactory.
A digital Cr-Co partial denture typically takes five appointments, from consultation, primary impressions and shade-taking, through a working impression with your custom tray, design discussion and try-in with a firm quotation, to frame manufacture, finishing after your approval, and a fitting appointment where fit and function are thoroughly assessed and minor adjustments made.
With every high-quality appliance, the lab provides a complimentary denture brush instruction pamphlet, a four-month supply of a commercial denture cleaner, and a commitment to a backup service for minor adjustments. Follow-up appointments for any issues or pressure points can be made at any time.
Petone Dental Laboratory is located at the rear of 93 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt 5012, with the entrance on Riddlers Crescent. To arrange a consultation, examination or repair, contact Steve by phone on (+64) 4 566 4712 or by email — the team is happy to help you work out what's needed before you commit to anything.