As full-arch dentistry continues to grow, so do the demands on today's dental laboratories. That's why Knight Dental recently launched SimplyARCH Studio, a dedicated production environment built exclusively for full-arch restorations. To support this specialized workflow, Knight invested in an XTCERA milling system and carefully evaluated multiple CAM software solutions before choosing hyperDENT. The decision came down to exceptional milling quality, minimal hand finishing, and impressive production efficiency. But what truly set hyperDENT apart was the implementation process. From the very beginning, the team provided more than software training—they shared the knowledge and experience needed to build an optimized workflow for complex full-arch cases. With proven expertise in advanced milling strategies and laboratory production, hyperDENT helped ensure SimplyARCH Studio was designed for long-term success from day one.

Join us at the Race For the Future 12 to raise money for the Foundation For Dental Laborary Technology. September 27th in Valley View, Texas!

https://dentallabfoundation.org/news-events/race-for-the-future/

Shawn Nowak from Nowak Dental Supplies joins Elvis and Barb to talk all things NOLA LabFest October 15-17th, including the welcome addition to the speaker lineup: martial arts instructor and business coach Jude Grayson. After Jude’s keynote at last year’s LabFest, the response was strong enough to bring him back for another keynote and a breakout session. The conversation starts with the obvious question: what the heck does a karate instructor know about the dental laboratory industry?

As Jude explains, quite a bit. Having practiced martial arts since he was five years old and built a career around teaching, competition, entrepreneurship, and business coaching, Jude draws a surprising number of parallels between martial arts and business. He talks about discipline, competition, confidence, risk, and his “five-year-old board break moment”—the idea that sometimes the ability to succeed is already inside us, and the right coach simply helps unlock it. He also explains how those lessons translate into working with business owners and helping them recognize opportunities they may not see themselves.

The conversation then turns toward one of the biggest challenges facing dental laboratories today: knowing when it’s time to pivot. With technology, AI, 3D printing, changing doctor workflows, and the evolving DSO landscape continuing to reshape the industry, Jude’s NOLA LabFest keynote will focus on how business owners can recognize when change is necessary, decide when to act, and understand the risks that come with being an early adopter. He also shares some great perspective on failure, competition, and why making a bad business decision doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost—the real loss comes when you stop competing altogether.

Shawn also gives us a look at what else is happening at NOLA LabFest, including education on AI, social media marketing, employee culture, DSOs, and other topics affecting dental laboratories right now. And, of course, there’s plenty of the NOLA LabFest fun mixed in, from the masquerade party and distillery tour to the return of Family Feud. It’s a conversation about business, leadership, taking risks, and finding ways to keep dental laboratories moving forward—and it all starts with a karate instructor walking into a dental show.

Special Guests: Jude Grayson and Shawn Nowak.

At exocad Insights in beautiful Mallorca, we finally caught up with Felix from Imagine USA—and the timing couldn’t have been better. As an exocad dealer on the front lines of digital dentistry, Felix shared his excitement about the strong turnout, the familiar faces, and most importantly, the innovation coming from exocad. What stood out most? The new exocad Hub and its cloud-based capabilities, along with powerful AI-driven tools inside DentalDB designed for efficient batch processing. For Felix and the Imagine team, it’s not just about seeing what’s new—it’s about putting it to the test. By running new features through their own production facility first, they ensure real-world performance before bringing solutions to their customers.

While at Exocad Insights in Mallorca, Elvis and Barb sit down with Beth Collington, President of Exocad America, to talk about the growth of digital dentistry and how Exocad continues to evolve to meet the needs of technicians, laboratories, and clinicians. Beth shares her thoughts on education, accessibility, and the importance of creating tools that help bring more people into digital workflows while maintaining the flexibility that has made Exocad a favorite throughout the industry.

Then Josh Jakson and Robert Norton join the podcast to discuss their roles as Exocad educators, trainers, and laboratory professionals. The conversation covers some of the biggest announcements from Exocad Insights, including AI Crown, Crown Finalization, and ExoHub, and what these developments could mean for the future of laboratory workflows. They also share how real-world production experience influences the way they teach, why Exocad's flexibility remains one of its greatest strengths, and how the software is being used for everything from high-volume crown production to custom grills, jewelry, and even automotive parts. It's a fun conversation filled with practical insight, industry perspective, and a glimpse into where digital dentistry is headed next.

Special Guests: Beth Collington, Joshua Jakson, and Robert Norton.

At exocad Insights in beautiful Mallorca, we finally caught up with Felix from Imagine USA—and the timing couldn’t have been better. As an exocad dealer on the front lines of digital dentistry, Felix shared his excitement about the strong turnout, the familiar faces, and most importantly, the innovation coming from exocad. What stood out most? The new exocad Hub and its cloud-based capabilities, along with powerful AI-driven tools inside DentalDB designed for efficient batch processing. For Felix and the Imagine team, it’s not just about seeing what’s new—it’s about putting it to the test. By running new features through their own production facility first, they ensure real-world performance before bringing solutions to their customers.

This week, Elvis and Barb continue their coverage from exocad Insights 2026 in beautiful Mallorca, Spain, where the conversations are just as valuable as the lectures. The episode starts with Dr. Zhiqiang Luo, who shares his perspective on educating the next generation of dentists in an increasingly digital world. The discussion explores how students are adapting to technology, why foundational analog skills still matter, and the challenge of preparing future clinicians for workflows that continue to evolve at a rapid pace. It's an insightful look at where dental education is headed and how digital dentistry is becoming second nature to new graduates.

The conversation then shifts to one of the most memorable encounters from the event as Elvis and Barb sit down with Alyson Bravo, a passionate dental technician from Brazil who has traveled across the globe to attend exocad Insights. What starts as a discussion about digital workflows quickly turns into a story about chasing dreams, making connections, and experiencing the international dental community firsthand. Alyson talks about discovering digital dentistry, teaching himself advanced design techniques, and the excitement of finally meeting people he has only known through podcasts, social media, and online education.

The episode wraps up with returning friend of the podcast Tobias Specht from Ivoclar. Fresh off several major product announcements, Tobias gives listeners an inside look at the collaboration between Ivoclar and exocad and how customer feedback continues to shape product development. He discusses the integration of Ivotion into the exocad workflow, the importance of training and education, and how Ivoclar works with customers around the globe to refine new products before they ever reach the market.

Special Guests: Alyson Bravo, Dr. Zhiqiang Luo, and Tobias Specht.

At exocad Insights in beautiful Mallorca, we finally caught up with Felix from Imagine USA—and the timing couldn’t have been better. As an exocad dealer on the front lines of digital dentistry, Felix shared his excitement about the strong turnout, the familiar faces, and most importantly, the innovation coming from exocad. What stood out most? The new exocad Hub and its cloud-based capabilities, along with powerful AI-driven tools inside DentalDB designed for efficient batch processing. For Felix and the Imagine team, it’s not just about seeing what’s new—it’s about putting it to the test. By running new features through their own production facility first, they ensure real-world performance before bringing solutions to their customers. Beyond the technology, Felix emphasized the value of being there in person—connecting face-to-face with partners, having meaningful conversations, and stepping back to see where the industry is headed. And of course, doing it all in Mallorca doesn’t hurt either.

"LIVE" again at the 2026 DLAT meeting, two very different conversations came together around one common theme: the future of dental technology is still being shaped by passionate people willing to learn, teach, and adapt. First, the podcast catches up with returning guest Tiffany Prater from Destination Orthodontic Lab, who shares how her lab journey has evolved from running a large commercial space with employees to building a smaller, more personal business focused on private practices and hands-on craftsmanship. Alongside her is Sydney Ribera, a young technician discovering orthodontics through mentorship, creativity, and a fascination with bending wire and pouring colorful acrylic retainers. The conversation dives into the realities of learning ortho in today’s digital world, the importance of organizations like the Orthodontic Resource Group, and why mentorship still matters more than ever in a profession where most of the training happens shoulder-to-shoulder.

Then the crew sits down with Marlin Gohn from Argen to talk about everything from next-generation zirconia to massive dental labs in China and the surprisingly common mistakes labs make when choosing disc sizes for milling. Marlin breaks down Argen’s new gradient translucency zirconia, explains why nesting strategy matters more than most labs realize, and shares real-world troubleshooting tips that can save labs time, money, and remakes. The conversation also wanders through SLM frameworks, milled gold crowns, PFMs, translating lectures in China, and why some old-school techniques still outperform the newest trends.

Special Guests: Marlin Gohn CDT, Sydney Ribera, and Tiffany Prater CDT.