Business phone system for dental laboratories in Tennessee

How many dental laboratories operate in Tennessee

Tennessee had 77 dental laboratories in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 339116, Dental Laboratories). They employed 1,232 people in mid-March and reported $73.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 21st highest count among the 50 states and DC with published figures. Dental laboratories make up 0.05% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 1.1 dental laboratories, 24.2% below the national rate of 1.4. The average establishment has 16.0 employees against 8.8 nationally. Payroll per employee is $59,986, 9.2% above the U.S. figure of $54,943.

Where dental laboratories in Tennessee are concentrated

Census published dental laboratory counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 25 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 52% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at dental laboratories in Tennessee

48.0% of Tennessee's dental laboratories with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 62.7% nationally. 82.7% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Why the phone matters for dental laboratories in Tennessee

Dental labs work almost entirely for dental offices, and their calls center on case status checks, shade questions and delivery dates. Quick, accurate answers keep referring dentists loyal. That holds for dental laboratories in Tennessee as much as anywhere.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for dental laboratories in Tennessee:

• The lab calls an office about an impression that needs to be retaken.
• A dental office calls to ask when a crown will be ready.
• A new practice calls to ask about turnaround times.

Business texting for dental laboratories

Labs text case-ready and pickup notices to dental offices.

Texting from a local number in Tennessee requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

What a phone system costs a dental laboratory in Tennessee

Dental laboratories in Tennessee average 16.0 employees, so the comparison uses a 16-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 16 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $480.00 a month and 16 on Ooma Office Pro cost $399.20. Callata comes to $319.00 a month for 16 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $1,932 less than RingCentral for a dental laboratory in Tennessee of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a dental laboratory can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for dental laboratories in Tennessee

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Tennessee is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.