Voices from The Bench - Episodes Tagged with “Engineering”

417: Lab Day Chicago 2026 Part 3 with Frederic Rapp, Casey Baldwin, & Darin Lockaby

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah!

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 the Ivoclar ballroom at Lab Day 2026, Elvis and Barb dives into conversations that perfectly capture what this industry is all about—innovation, relationships, and a whole lot of nerding out.

We kick things off with Frederic Rapp, who went from growing up in his dad’s basement lab in France to scaling it into one of the largest labs in Europe. After selling the business, he found his way back into the industry through innovation—helping labs unlock the gold mine sitting inside their own data with icortica. From dashboards to AI-driven insights and even voice-activated notes in the parking lot, it’s all about working smarter, not harder… and maybe not looking like an idiot when you walk into a doctor’s office.

Then things shift to a great partnership with Casey Baldwin and Darin Lockaby, where we get into a seriously cool collaboration between Ivoclar and DESS. Think plug-and-play workflows that let labs mill their own abutments in-house—FDA compliant, streamlined, and actually simple. With margins tighter than ever, this kind of control over production isn’t just nice… it’s becoming necessary.

From scaling labs to scaling data, from implants to AI, this episode is packed with insight, laughs, and a clear message: the labs that embrace technology (without losing the human touch) are the ones that are going to win.

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 Women in Dentistry Lunch, celebrating career growth, wellbeing, and the real stories shaping our profession. 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: Casey Baldwin, Darin Lockaby, and Frederic Rapp.

351: Swirling in a Vortex of Clinic and Lab with Dr. Danny Domingue

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Usually, dental technicians frown upon dentists that do their own work. I mean, we get it, but we still want to do the work for you. But some dentists go as far as turning it into a 15 person lab doing work for other dentists. That we can get behind, because at that point they are creating careers for dental technicians. Dr. Donny Domingue followed an uncle to become a dentist. Wanting to do more with implants, he did a residency in New York that allowed him to place many. Once he found his home again in Lafayette, LA, Dr. Domingue started working with labs for his implant restorations. He found that he needed to educate many labs on the proper way to make a custom abutment. That's when he started doing his own. It wasn't long before he was doing them for other dentist and opened Louisiana Dental Implant Lab. It was after training a bunch of engineers to be dental technician that Dr. Domingue developed the Vortex screw to help him with his own full arch cases.

Learn more about the Vortex screw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxu5b6xOGmo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oMGXcDFUFU

Advanced Guided Surgery Course – January 2025 with Dr. Danny Domingue and Cory Glenn

Make sure you visit Ivoclar at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2025. Ivoclar will be in their usual spot at Grand Ballroom A&B in the East Tower, on the Gold Level. Right across from the registration desk. They have a killer line up of speakers including:

Mariano Maurizi

Lee Culp

Dr. Shashikant Singhal

Don Yancey

Jed Archibald

Benjamin Gebhardt

Tanya Little

Aaron Johnson

Jenelle Tabaković

Patrick Coon

John Wilson

Luke LaRocque-Walker

Paul Imperius

Jonny "exocad" Jakson

Yuki Momma

Dr. Ken Malament

Stephenie Goddard

Jessica Love

Dr. George Tysowsky

Michael Roberts

Barbara Warner!

Register today!

Make sure you come see VOICES FROM THE BENCH recording from the Ballroom all weekend!

Special Guest: Dr. Daniel Domingue.

229: Blending Dental and Technology with Wolfgang & Michael Teiniker

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Two brothers with extensive dental experience put together Blender for Dental, an affordable alternative to the other design software in our industry. Brothers Wolfgang & Michael Teiniker learned the craft in South Africa. Wolfgang continued his career in Germany, and then they connected again in New Zealand. You can say they know a thing of two about dental technology. Michael started to play around with a program called Blender. It wasn't long before he realized that it could be used in the dental lab industry. Now they are both exclusively working on and maintaining Blender for Dental to offer a design software made by technicians for technicians.

Information and how to register for the Race For the Future 8.0 August 28th

Information and registration for the Chicago Triathlon

Donate to Barb or Team Voices From the Bench!!!!

Did you know Asiga has over 500 validated materials on their open material system. And it's growing every day?

By harnessing Asiga's proprietary layer monitoring technology with its smart positioning system and integrated internal radiometer, as a laboratory, you will be able to produce any indication you desire. Whether models, splints, temporaries, or even permanent crowns.

Your investment will be future proofed by Asiga's rugged engineering. Providing you with a fast, accurate, and repeatable machine, with a reputation that is time tested in the laboratory industry.

If you would like to learn about Asiga's machine or material offerings, please visit the website at asiga.com or contact your favorite dental reseller.

Whip Mix offers you the ultimate in ease, material flexibility and unattended production with the Roland DGA DWX-52DCi milling machine. The popular mill’s automatic disc changer expands your lab production and profit, using a 6-slot Automatic Disc Changer, 15-station Automatic Tool Changer and several other automated features.

The DWX-52DCi dental milling machine now comes with performance visualization software and other intelligent updates. The 5-axis mill even knows which tool to automatically swap out when tools have reached their designated lifespan. Just power it on, let it go, and automatically and accurately mill numerous dental restoration jobs with complete unattended confidence.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Roland DGA DWX-52DCi, visit whipmix.com or call 800-626-5651.

Special Guests: Michael Teiniker and Wolfgang Teiniker.