If you’re passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I’m honored to be part of Ivoclar’s development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing.

Let’s continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time.

When it comes to digital dentures, design is easy—manufacturing is where things get messy.

That’s why the Elevate Denture Solution brings it all together. Built by Roland DGSHAPE, Ivoclar, and FOLLOW-ME! Technology Group, it combines machine, materials, and CAM into one fully optimized workflow—so you get consistent, high-quality results without the guesswork.

Want to simplify production and scale with confidence? Check it out at rollanddga.com/elevate.

Live from LMT Lab Day Chicago, Elvis and Barb bring the mics to the Ivoclar stage for three very different conversations that all point to one big theme—this industry is evolving fast, and you better evolve with it.

First up, Savannah Elkins and Josh Williams from GPS Digital RPD jump into the digital removable world, where analog roots meet full-on additive workflows. Savannah shares how she went from pouring models to cranking out 100+ RPD frameworks a day, learning design in record time through hands-on training and a little “YouTube University.” The conversation dives into printed frameworks, flexible materials, and the push toward becoming a full lab-to-lab removable resource. It’s fast, it’s scalable, and yes… they absolutely test durability by throwing, stepping on, and possibly feeding things to alligators.

Next, Darin McCue from SalesLift Consulting flips the script and talks about what’s really holding labs back—and it’s not production. With a mix of passion and hard truth, Darin explains that most lab owners aren’t failing because they can’t make teeth—they’re failing because they don’t run a business. From leadership and communication to sales and team culture, he challenges owners to step off the bench and into a leadership role before burnout or failure forces the issue. His message is clear: if you don’t work on your business, it will eventually work against you.

Finally, Vicki Thomas and Carrie Ling bring a completely different energy, focused on community, collaboration, and leveling the playing field for smaller labs. Vicki shares the story behind launching Savvy Lab Solutions, a buying group built to give small and mid-sized labs access to the same pricing and vendor relationships as the big players. Carrie backs it up with real-world experience, explaining how vendors now proactively reach out with discounts and new products—saving time, money, and opening doors she didn’t even know existed. The conversation highlights the power of partnerships, word-of-mouth growth, and the realization that 78% of the industry is made up of labs that have historically been overlooked.

Join us at exocad Insights 2026, happening April 30–May 1, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. This two-day event features powerhouse keynotes, hands-on workshops, live software demos, and top-tier industry showcases—all in one unforgettable setting.

Barb and Elvis will be on site bringing you exclusive interviews, plus don’t miss the FIRST 5k run on the coast! And of course, cap it all off with the legendary exoGlam Night under the stars.

Tickets are limited. Visit exocad.com/insights-2026 and use code VFTBPalma15 for 15% off.

Special Guests: Carrie Ling, Darin McCue, Josh Williams, Savannah Elkins, and Vicki Thomas.

The guys walk us through the new Versalis implant line, why one connection for all indications is a big deal for labs, and how S.I.N. is pushing efficiencies for high-volume, complex full-arch clinicians. Then comes the star of the show: the MicronMapper—a lighter, faster, more accurate photogrammetry system that doesn’t just capture implants but verifies manufacturing accuracy, scans soft tissue, and reduces surgical guesswork. Blake breaks down real-world accuracy numbers, what RMSE actually means, why intraoral scanners aren’t cutting it for full-arch, and how FitCheck is saving labs from misfires, wasted zirconia, and bad days.

They also reveal the newest frontier: Tissue Mapper, a photogrammetry-based, scanner-free workflow that pulls bite, tissue, and implant data without fiducials or messy post-op scans. It’s nerdy, innovative, and ridiculously cool for the high-volume teams ready to level up.

If you love accuracy, numbers, full-arch workflows, or just really good dental tech nerding — this is your episode.

Happy Holidays from Ivoclar!

As the year comes to a close, all of us at Ivoclar want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible Voices From the Bench community. Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and the support you’ve shown throughout the year.

From our Ivoclar family to yours, we wish you a joyful, healthy, and safe holiday season.

May your days be merry, your nights be bright, and your smiles shine like freshly fallen snow.

Ho, ho, ho — Happy Holidays from Ivoclar!

Big news is coming your way in the world of CAM. Our friends at Ivoclar have teamed up with FOLLOW-ME! Technology to bring the Ivotion Denture System into the HyperDent CAM workflow.

That’s right—your favorite pre-shaded, two-layer Ivotion discs, the ones that let you design and mill a complete denture in one seamless process with no bonding and no mess, are now moving beyond closed systems. Thanks to this new partnership, Ivotion can finally be milled on open machines through HyperDent.

And it gets better: you’ll first see this powerful workflow available on the Roland DWX-53 series mills—already a staple in so many labs—as well as the Imagine iMills.

If you’ve been waiting for a faster, cleaner, more flexible way to produce full dentures, this is it. Ivoclar and FOLLOW-ME! just made the future of denture manufacturing wide open.

Get ready—HyperDent is about to change the way you mill Ivotion.

Year-end chaos is here. Labs are slammed, deadlines are brutal, and mistakes are not an option. That’s when dental technicians rely on the one thing that never quits: https://www.rolanddga.com/applications/dental-cad-cam.

The DWX-53DC is a true workhorse—24-hour automated milling that keeps your lab running, your overhead down, and your ROI up. No redos. No downtime. Just consistent, precise results.

Built on decades of Japanese engineering, Roland delivers the reliability that keeps labs sane, profitable, and on schedule.

Finish the year strong with the mill you can trust.

Choose Roland DGSHAPE.

Precision. Reliability. Performance.

Learn more at rolanddga.com

Special Guests: Blake Roney and Patrick Dewey.

• Vision 21 in Las Vegas Jan 15-17 https://www.nadl.org/nadl-vision-21
• Cal-Lab Association Meeting in Chicago Feb 19-20 https://cal-lab.org/
• LMT Lab Day Chicago Feb 19-21 https://lmtmag.com/lmtlabday
• Dental Lab Association of Texas Meeting in Dallas Apr 9-11 https://members.dlat.org/
• exocad Insights in Mallorca, Spain Apr 30 - May 1 https://exocad.com/insights-2026

This week, Barb and Elvis finally sit down for a long-overdue full episode with the man behind the Fans of Voices From the Bench Facebook group, second-generation lab owner, NADL President, and all-around industry cheerleader: Joe Young of Young Dental Laboratory.

Joe shares his family’s incredible journey from Hong Kong to Philadelphia, how his parents built a small ortho lab out of a spare room, and how he grew up trimming models on a step stool before eventually returning to the lab after college. He walks us through the evolution of the business—from analog ortho, to adding fixed, to diving head-first into early CAD/CAM. Today, Young Dental is a 26-tech, multi-department full-service lab serving PA, NJ, and DE.

Joe talks about the challenges of ortho work in a digital world, the need for wire-bending talent, the rise of aligners, and the struggle of balancing old-school techniques with new-school tech. He also reflects on family legacy, his dad’s 45 years as a CDT, and why keeping that generation’s knowledge alive matters more than ever.

As NADL President, Joe dives into board service, workforce development, collaboration across organizations, and his goal of connecting labs and vendors more effectively. Plus, he gives an honest look at what it’s like to step into leadership, find your voice, and leave a legacy for the next wave of techs.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a VFTB episode without gifts, jokes, accidental innuendo, and a rapid-fire Q&A that reveals Barb’s love of tomahawks and Elvis’s dream of 88-degree weather.

Happy Holidays from Ivoclar!

As the year comes to a close, all of us at Ivoclar want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible Voices From the Bench community. Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and the support you’ve shown throughout the year.

From our Ivoclar family to yours, we wish you a joyful, healthy, and safe holiday season.

May your days be merry, your nights be bright, and your smiles shine like freshly fallen snow.

Ho, ho, ho — Happy Holidays from Ivoclar!

Elvis and Barb are gearing up for their chat with the HyperDent Dude himself, Jordan Greenberg from FOLLOW-ME! Technology. At LabFest, Elvis found out that every hyperDENT license comes with Template Editor Lite — a built-in feature that lets you make safe, customized tweaks to your milling strategies. Whether you want to prioritize surface quality or speed, this tool gives you the control to fine-tune your results while FOLLOW-ME! keeps everything validated and reliable.

Because in the end, us lab techs love to tinker — and hyperDENT makes it easy to choose your own CAM-venture.

Special Guest: Joe Young.

• Vision 21 in Las Vegas Jan 15-17 https://www.nadl.org/nadl-vision-21
• Cal-Lab Association Meeting in Chicago Feb 19-20 https://cal-lab.org/
• LMT Lab Day Chicago Feb 19-21 https://lmtmag.com/lmtlabday
• Dental Lab Association of Texas Meeting in Dallas Apr 9-11 https://members.dlat.org/
• exocad Insights in Mallorca, Spain Apr 30 - May 1 https://exocad.com/insights-2026

This week, we finally bring on a guest who has been six years in the making: the one and only Jordan Greenberg, the North America Managing Director of FOLLOW-ME! Technology—better known as the HyperDent guy.

Jordan takes us on a wild ride through the world of CAM software, milling strategies, toolpaths, and the surprisingly fascinating story of how dental CAM even became what it is today. From his early days as a third-generation “dental nepo baby” to running a zirconia milling center with his dad, all the way to helping launch titanium-bar milling on Datron D5 machines, Jordan’s journey hits every corner of digital dentistry’s evolution.

He breaks down what CAM actually does in the simplest possible terms (yes, even Elvis-level simple), explains the magic behind toolpaths, tools, post-processors, and how HyperDent “drives the car” for hundreds of different mills. You’ll hear how materials get validated, why some ideas labs come up with are physically impossible, and why you should ALWAYS talk to your CAM provider before releasing new materials or components into the world.

Jordan also shares a behind-the-scenes look at solving problems like angulated screw channels, milling lithium disilicate pucks, and HyperDent’s upcoming work on milled dentures—including Ivoclar’s Ivotion processes coming to open CAM.

Whether you mill every day or still think CAM is just “putting a crown in a puck,” Jordan demystifies it all with humor, honesty, and more tech insights than we've ever had on the podcast at once.

* Dental Labs—The Ivoclar Flash Sale Is On!

* From November 3rd to 14th, Ivoclar is bringing you unbeatable deals on the equipment that will set your lab up for success in 2026.

* Upgrade your mill, your furnace, or expand your workflow—and save big while doing it!

* Plus, when you purchase a milling machine, you’ll get delivery, installation, and training—all included. That means your lab will be production-ready from day one.

* But hurry—these savings vanish after November 14th!

* Contact your Ivoclar sales rep today and power up your lab for the year ahead.

Elvis and Barb are gearing up for their chat with the HyperDent Dude himself, Jordan Greenberg from FOLLOW-ME! Technology. At LabFest, Elvis found out that every hyperDENT license comes with Template Editor Lite — a built-in feature that lets you make safe, customized tweaks to your milling strategies. Whether you want to prioritize surface quality or speed, this tool gives you the control to fine-tune your results while FOLLOW-ME! keeps everything validated and reliable.

Because in the end, us lab techs love to tinker — and hyperDENT makes it easy to choose your own CAM-venture.

Year-end chaos is here. Labs are slammed, deadlines are brutal, and mistakes are not an option. That’s when dental technicians rely on the one thing that never quits: https://www.rolanddga.com/applications/dental-cad-cam.

The DWX-53DC is a true workhorse—24-hour automated milling that keeps your lab running, your overhead down, and your ROI up. No redos. No downtime. Just consistent, precise results.

Built on decades of Japanese engineering, Roland delivers the reliability that keeps labs sane, profitable, and on schedule.

Finish the year strong with the mill you can trust.

Choose Roland DGSHAPE.

Precision. Reliability. Performance.

Learn more at rolanddga.com

Special Guest: Jordan Greenberg.

We are many, many months away from Chicago in February, but our very own Barb Warner is going to be the very first female Chair of the Cal-Lab Association that is over 100 years old. Let’s make this the most well-attended event ever. Head over to Cal-Lab.org and sign up for this amazing meeting that takes place the Thursday and Friday of the same weekend as Lab Day Chicago. Let’s all plan to go and support Barb!

Now, first up we chat with a dentist from India, Dr. Manish Chhabra. After going though the school, Dr. Chhabra discovered that he really had a fondness for digital design. So he opened a lab. Eventurally he meets the owner of Leixir Dental Lab Group and formed a partnership to open a design center in India to support the group of labs. Starting with 2 employees and taking it to 300, Dr. Chhabra learned all about training and scaling. Now he has set off and created dgadental.com to train clinicans and technicians using VR headsets.

Then we sit down with someone from Ivoclar that has a lot to do with their success, Tobias Specht. Tobias came on the podcast about 2 years ago and this time stops by to update us on celebrating 20 years of emax , their new Ivotion Printed Base and how easy it is to reline, what Ivoclar has going on at IDS in their two booths, and a new way to mill emax faster. So much is covered, it’s hard to believe it all new from Ivoclar.

Take it from Laura Prosser, the digital marketing manager for Ivoclar North America. She would like to invite you to start following them on Instagram. It's your chance to obtain exclusive updates on product announcements, industry news, upcoming educational events, and heartwarming stories about our local team and industry professionals. Let's get social together. Simply start following us on Instagram @Ivoclar.na. We'll see you there.

Special Guests: Dr Manish Chhabra and Tobias Specht.

Do you remember the early 2010 and doing zirconia? Because milling machines were not yet affordable to most labs, milling centers did most of the work. One of the biggest players back then was CAP (Custom Automated Prosthetics). One of the founders and the CEO was Rob Nazzal. Rob comes on the podcast to talk about getting into the dental industry, becoming a milling center known for great customer service, and pivoting the business as more and more labs got their own milling machines. 7 years after, Rob is now providing labs a fantastic software that takes the data you already and makes it easy to read and use to grow your lab called icortica.

Does your lab use Magic Touch? If not, you should think about switching just so you can use icortica. Icortica is a program that uses all the data you already collect in Magic Touch and puts it in one easy to see, use, and understand dashboard. Look at every account and see trends, sales, notes, payments, and even remake percentages. Use the data you already have to take your lab and your customer service to the next level. Elvis uses it daily and swears it is a huge part to his success working at the lab. Head over to icortica.com/voices to learn more or send an email to Rob Nazzal at rob@icortica.com and tell him you heard about it on Voices From the Bench!

Special Guest: Rob Nazzal.

If you want to save, and also grow, Gro3X is, where you should go!

Resins to print night guards, for high-impact and flex, look no further, because we have them at Gro3X.

Burs for your mills, Zirconia for your crowns, with Gro3X you will be the hottest lab in town!

And last but not least, if you seriously want to grow, add Gro3X Aligners, and your doctors will say Wowww!

Is your lab in a position to take on new customers? Do you have the capacity to service more doctors? AmericaSmiles has helped hundreds of labs across the country to acquire new dental accounts. They’re the biggest name in Dental Laboratory marketing. Don't waste time mailing and calling hundreds of doctors just to see poor results and hear overwhelming rejection. Let AmericaSmiles do all the heavy lifting for you. For just $195 a month, the AmericaSmiles One Voice program will help you skip to the front of the line. They'll prospect your local or target area, produce your creative marketing, and do all the cold calling to leave you with extremely qualified appointments; guaranteed to help you find your ideal clients and grow your business.

Visit AmericaSmiles.net/One-Voice to learn more about how you can increase your lab's bottom line. Use promo code VOICESFROMTHEBENCH during checkout to qualify for a month-to-month agreement enabling you the freedom to cancel the marketing service any time! If you’d like to speak with an agent who can answer your questions about a time-tested, completely done-for-you approach to marketing, please call 708 279 9031. Join AmericaSmiles One Voice today - Getting new dentists to try your lab has never been easier.

Whip Mix’s new VeriWhirl resin cleaning station is the ideal piece of equipment to use in the 3D printed resin post process. It’s oscillating, multi-speed stirrer produces a tornado-like vortex every 30-seconds, and guarantees efficient, effective and powerful cleaning whether the units are individual or still attached to the build plate.

The two alcohol baths make an effective step-wash system. It cleans more efficiently and there is less alcohol needed, since it is re-used for both a fresh bath and a dirty bath.

The VeriWhirl's intelligent design offers features such as Mode, Time, and Start/Stop button display which gives the operator full and automatic control of the cleaning process. A mesh basket used in the wash container makes it easy to keep track of small printed parts when cleaning. The affordable unit’s one-year warranty ensures peace-of-mind for the owner.

Visit whipmix.com or call (800) 626-5651 for more information about this great new product.

Special Guests: Brian Heaslip, Christina Heaslip, Jonathan Thompson, and Katie Boteler.

While many labs are already full into the digital workflow, some are still looking for a way to enter the "game". And some of the labs that are already in the "game" need a resource to improve the workflow or assistance to bring on a new product. Enter Jesse Zamarripa from Opulent Digital Specialist. Jesse comes on the podcast to talk about how his company can help your lab enter the digital workflow or even help you improve your current workflow with dedicated service available 24/7. Partnering with names such as Amman Girrbach, ExoCad, and NT-Trading, Opulent is a good option with labs that want to go digital.

Aurident offers so much more than just the P5 michine. They offer all the needed accessories like Nabertherm furnaces and vacuums by Renfert. And all the consumables can be got in one place! Aurident has Delta Zirconia, Aurident Zr, Aurident cutting tools, and Quest pmma ! Aurident definitely is a One Stop Shop for any dental laboratory's needs! Call our friends, Aurident, at 800-422-7373 or visit their website at aurident.com!

Have you seen the CUREBox Plus from Whip Mix yet? This highly effective yet affordable light-curing unit is ideal for most printed resins on the market. The economically priced curing box uses a specific wavelength and intensity light source, time control, and temperature control to polymerize (cure) dental resin materials. The unit’s glasswork surface features diffuse reflectors, which improve light transmission uniformity to the bottom of the model, and its maximum temperature of 80˚C provides increased compatibility with medical device 3D print resins. It also provides faster heating.

The glove-friendly, easy-to-use touchscreen includes status indicators for heat, lamps, and the door to the large capacity chamber and it features One-touch presets, customizable settings, a timer (5 Minutes - 12 Hours), a temperature controller (30 - 80˚C), and an auto-start and shut down mode.

For more information about Whip Mix’s CUREBox, visit whipmix.com.

Special Guests: Bennett Napier and Jesse Zamarripa.

We start off talking with our neighbor from the exhibit hall Jimmy Ruiz from Aurident. Known for their alloy, Aurident is heavy into CAD/CAM and Jimmy tells us all about his role and what they had at Lab Day.

Then we talk to a voiceover professional Jonathan Thompson from WorkNC Open Source Dental Software. We talk with him about how a lab can use Open Source to simplify and streamline your lab’s CAD/CAM software.

Check out a the commercial for the St. Paul public library he mentions during the interview!

And we finish up with Carrie and Corinthia Warner. They are a mother and daughter team from Birch Dental Lab in Oregon and Carrie is also the Executive Director for the Oregon Association of Dental Laboratories (OADL).

Check out the OADL annual meeting!

A BIG thanks to our newest sponsor PREAT CORPORATION. Use code "VOICES" online and on the phone to get 5% off your order and 1% donated to The Foundation of Dental Laboratory Technology
THANK YOU PREAT!

Special Guests: Carrie Peil Warner CDT, Corinthia Warner , Jimmy Ruiz, and Jonathan Thompson.