Voices from The Bench

443: Phil Reddington: From Skipping School to Building a Dental Lab

September 21st, 2026  |  1 hr 13 mins

35 years dental technology, 3D printing, Barb, Business growth, CAD/CAM, England, United Kingdom, accidental career, acrylic restorations, advanced dental laboratory, anex, bar overdenture, beever dental technology, bench test, blame culture, boutique dental laboratory, british dental lab, british dental technician, building a dental lab, career in dental technology, case acceptance, case communication, case documentation, case management, case planning, case quality, ceramic artistry, ceramic systems, ceramic technician, ceramics, checklists, clinical excellence, competing on price, complex cases, continuing education, continuous learning, cosmetic dentistry, cosmetic restorations, custom abutments, custom dental restorations, custom implant restorations, customized training, dental 3d printing, dental artistry, dental bar, dental bench test, dental business, dental business philosophy, dental cad design, dental cad/cam, dental ceramics, dental conferences, dental craftsmanship, dental education, dental educators, dental entrepreneur, dental entrepreneurship, dental implant solutions, dental implants, dental industry, dental industry events, dental industry innovation, dental industry leadership, dental lab, dental lab and dentist, dental lab business, dental lab business strategy, dental lab community, dental lab culture, dental lab education, dental lab equipment, dental lab evolution, dental lab growth, dental lab leadership, dental lab management, dental lab marketing, dental lab owner, dental lab partnership, dental lab pricing, dental lab profitability, dental lab qc, dental lab quality, dental lab referrals, dental lab return on investment, dental lab service, dental lab standards, dental lab stories, dental lab success, dental lab systems, dental lab team, dental lab turnaround, dental lab workflow, dental laboratory, dental laboratory apprenticeship, dental laboratory cad, dental laboratory family, dental laboratory independence, dental laboratory industry, dental laboratory management, dental laboratory marketing, dental laboratory philosophy, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory relationships, dental laboratory service, dental laboratory success, dental laboratory team, dental lectures, dental material selection, dental materials, dental milling, dental milling workflow, dental photography, dental podcast, dental professionals, dental professionals podcast, dental prosthetics, dental prosthodontics, dental restoration repair, dental restorations, dental speaking, dental team collaboration, dental team leadership, dental technician, dental technician artistry, dental technician career, dental technician community, dental technician hiring, dental technician life, dental technician podcast, dental technician skills, dental technician stories, dental technician support, dental technician training, dental technology, dental technology education, dental technology events, dental technology industry, dental technology innovation, dental technology investment, dental technology leadership, dental technology podcast, dentist communication, dentist lab partnership, dentist laboratory relationship, dentist referrals, dentist satisfaction, difficult cases, digital dental laboratory, digital dentistry, digital design, digital implant workflow, digital impressions, digital transformation, digital workflow, doctor technician relationship, elvis dahl, employee culture, employee development, employee retention, enjoying work, experienced dental technician, family and work, fixed dentistry, full arch, full arch bar, full arch cases, full arch dentistry, full arch digital workflow, full arch education, full arch rehabilitation, full arch restoration, full arch solutions, full mouth reconstruction, growing a dental lab, high quality dental restorations, hiring for attitude, hiring technicians, ids, implant abutments, implant bar, implant cases, implant crowns, implant dentistry, implant education, implant planning, implant prosthetics, implant prosthodontics, implant restorations, implant supported restorations, implant workflow, independent dental lab, independent dental laboratory, independent lab, international dental show, intraoral scanning, investing in education, investing in equipment, investing in people, io connect, knowing when to say no, lab efficiency, lab owner mindset, lab philosophy, laboratory artistry, laboratory business, laboratory communication, laboratory craftsmanship, laboratory culture, laboratory education, laboratory equipment, laboratory evolution, laboratory experience, laboratory growth, laboratory leadership, laboratory owner, laboratory profitability, laboratory referrals, laboratory skill sets, laboratory standards, laboratory support, laboratory technology, laboratory training, laboratory workflow, laughter at work, leadership in dentistry, learning dental technology, leeds, leeds dental laboratory, lifetime guarantee, long term restorations, mentorship, modern dental laboratory, modern dental technology, multi-unit abutments, non-toxic workplace, passion for dental technology, passion for dentistry, patient focused dentistry, patient outcomes, people first, people focused leadership, phil reddington, pmma, positive workplace, power of no, precision dental laboratory, precision dentistry, premium dental laboratory, premium dentistry, premium full arch, premium laboratory service, printed try-ins, prosthodontics, provisional restorations, quality assurance, quality control, quality dentistry, quality over price, quality over quantity, refractory technique, refractory veneers, removable dentistry, repairable restorations, restoration longevity, restoration repair, restorative dentistry, restorative workflow, roi dental laboratory, scan bodies, skill development, soap carving, social media marketing, supportive workplace, team building, team culture, teamwork, technical excellence, technician dentist collaboration, technician development, technician education, technician retention, temporary restorations, thimble bar, thimble bar repair, thimble bars, traditional to digital dentistry, true abutment, turnaround time, uk dental laboratory, value over price, veneers, vftb, voices from the bench, word of mouth marketing, work life balance, workflow efficiency, workplace culture, workplace relationships, zirconia, zirconia restorations

This week we head across the pond to Leeds, England, to sit down with Phil Reddington of Beever Dental Technology lab. Phil shares the unlikely story of how skipping school and carving a tiny soap bottle with a scalpel at age 15 led him into a 35-plus-year career in dental technology. We talk about building a laboratory around quality instead of price, developing a strong team culture, digital dentistry, full-arch restorations, thimble bars, and knowing when to say no. Plus, there’s a bright orange vest, plenty of laughs, and a great conversation about what it really takes to build a laboratory where people actually want to work.

441: Amir Bagheri & Dan Sinclair: A Touch of Magic Can Solve A Lot of Lab Issues

September 7th, 2026  |  1 hr 11 mins

Communication, Software Engineering, accountability, accounting integration, accounting systems, all in one lms, all in one software, amir bagheri, analog workflow, api integration, app development, automated case routing, automated downloads, automated laboratory workflow, automated workflows, automation technology, bad habits, best dental lab software, business analytics, business automation, business intelligence, business management, business systems, business workflow, cad cam software, cad cam workflow, case automation, case bottlenecks, case downloads, case entry, case errors, case files, case management, case processing, case routing, case status, case tracking, centralized software, change management, cloud software, configurable software, connected dental laboratory, connected systems, crm, crm integration, crm systems, custom reporting, customer accountability, customer experience, customer management, customer relationship management, customer service, customer success, customer support, customizable software, dan sinclair, data analytics, data driven dental lab, data driven laboratory, data integration, data management, dental 3d printing, dental accounting, dental analytics, dental automation, dental business management, dental business podcast, dental business software, dental cad, dental cad cam, dental cam, dental case automation, dental case management, dental crm, dental customer management, dental design workflow, dental digital workflow, dental digitalization, dental industry, dental industry podcast, dental industry technology, dental innovation, dental innovation podcast, dental inventory management, dental lab automation software, dental lab business, dental lab consulting, dental lab data, dental lab digitalization, dental lab efficiency, dental lab integrations, dental lab interview, dental lab logistics, dental lab management, dental lab management software, dental lab migration, dental lab modernization, dental lab operations, dental lab owners, dental lab podcast, dental lab processes, dental lab productivity, dental lab reporting, dental lab software, dental lab software implementation, dental lab software integration, dental lab software transition, dental lab solutions, dental lab startup, dental lab systems, dental lab technicians, dental lab technology, dental lab transition, dental lab workflows, dental laboratory, dental laboratory automation, dental laboratory business, dental laboratory digitalization, dental laboratory management, dental laboratory management software, dental laboratory operations, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory software, dental laboratory software solutions, dental laboratory systems, dental laboratory technicians, dental laboratory technology, dental laboratory trends, dental laboratory workflow, dental labs, dental lis, dental lms, dental logistics, dental management podcast, dental manufacturing, dental manufacturing software, dental milling, dental offices, dental platforms, dental podcast, dental practices, dental production management, dental production software, dental production workflow, dental reporting, dental software, dental software development, dental software implementation, dental software integrations, dental software podcast, dental software solutions, dental software systems, dental tech, dental tech industry, dental tech podcast, dental tech software, dental technicians, dental technicians software, dental technology, dental technology interview, dental technology podcast, dental technology solutions, dental technology trends, dental workflow, dental workflow automation, dental workflow podcast, dentists, digital case entry, digital cases, digital dental lab, digital dentistry, digital dentistry workflows, digital file management, digital impressions, digital lab management, digital lab transformation, digital lab workflow, digital laboratory management, digital laboratory solutions, digital platforms, digital transformation, digital workflow, digital workflows, doctor relationships, efficient dental lab, efficient laboratory, elvis, email automation, email management, end to end lab management, end to end workflow, enterprise dental lab, enterprise lms, enterprise software, file management, future of dental labs, future of dental technology, gcm, glidewell, glidewell customer manager, glidewell laboratories, growing dental lab, healthcare it, healthcare software, healthcare technology, implementation, implementation strategy, inbox management, inbox sprawl, information management, integrated lab management, integrated software, integrated systems, intraoral scanners, inventory integration, inventory management, inventory systems, inventory tracking, lab analytics, lab annex, lab automation, lab automation software, lab bottlenecks, lab consulting, lab customization, lab efficiency, lab growth, lab information management, lab leadership, lab management, lab management solutions, lab management technology, lab managers, lab modernization, lab onboarding, lab operations, lab process, lab processes, lab productivity, lab remakes, lab reports, lab scalability, lab software migration, lab software systems, lab technology, lab technology trends, lab training, lab workflow, laboratory data, laboratory growth, laboratory information system, laboratory innovation, laboratory management, laboratory management software, laboratory management system, laboratory management technology, laboratory operations, laboratory owners, laboratory platforms, laboratory software implementation, laboratory software migration, laboratory software solutions, laboratory software transition, laboratory startup, laboratory technology, laboratory transformation, laboratory workflow, large dental lab, lis, lms implementation, lms integration, lms migration, lms software, lms transition, logistics, logistics integration, logistics systems, magic touch interview, magic touch lite, magic touch lms, magic touch podcast, 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history, software for dental laboratories, software for dental labs, software implementation, software innovation, software integration, software onboarding, software platforms, software scalability, software super user, software support, software training, software transformation, somer dental, summer dental, super users, system architecture, system consolidation, systems integration, technology consulting, technology for dental laboratories, technology for dental labs, technology leadership, technology platforms, voices from the bench, voices from the bench podcast, workflow analysis, workflow automation, workflow management, workflow optimization, workflow problems, workflow technology, workflow transformation

Elvis sits down with Dan Sinclair and Amir Bagheri from Magic Touch Software to talk about the history of the company, how it grew from a small development project into a complete laboratory management system, and why they believe labs need more than just production tracking. They dive into automation, digital case entry, integrations, reporting, and the importance of actually understanding how a lab operates before trying to improve it.

438: Shawn Nowak & Jude Grayson: What Does a Karate Guy Know About Dental Labs?

August 17th, 2026  |  1 hr 4 mins

3D printing, 3d printing dental laboratory, AI, Barb, Business growth, Leadership, Louisiana, New Orleans, Value, actionable advice, adaptability, adapting, adapting to technology, ai dental laboratory, ai in dental labs, ai in dentistry, artificial intelligence, automation, board breaking, breakout session, business adaptability, business challenges, business coach, business coaching, business coaching for dental labs, business decisions, business development, business education, business evolution, business failure, business growth strategy, business innovation, business leadership, business lessons, business lessons from karate, business mindset, business mindset for dental labs, business opportunities, business opportunity, business performance, business pivot, business planning, business resilience, business strategy, business success, business transformation, calculated risk, change for dental labs, change management, coach, coaching, coaching mindset, company culture, competing on value, competition, competition and business, competition mindset, competitive advantage, competitive business, competitive mindset, confidence, confidence building, continuing education, decision making, dental 3d printing, dental automation, dental business, dental business future, dental business podcast, dental ce, dental ce courses, dental conference, dental conference 2026, dental education, dental education 2026, dental education podcast, dental entrepreneurship, dental event, dental family business, dental industry, dental industry business, dental industry community, dental industry conference, dental industry disruption, dental industry education, dental industry events, dental industry future, dental industry innovation, dental industry leadership, dental industry networking, dental industry podcast, dental industry podcast episode, dental industry speakers, dental industry technology, dental industry trends, dental innovation, dental keynote, dental lab, dental lab ai, 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speakers, dental supplies, dental supply company, dental supply industry, dental technician, dental technician conference, dental technician podcast, dental technician podcast episode, dental technicians, dental technologist, dental technology, dental technology conference, dental technology future, dental technology podcast, dental technology trends, dental trade show, dental vendor community, dental vendor education, dental vendors, differentiation, digital dental laboratory, digital dental technology, digital dentistry, digital workflow, digital workflow dentistry, discipline, disruption, dso, dso growth, dso relationships, dsos, early adopter, early adoption, elvis, emerging technology, employee culture, employee morale, empowerment, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial failure, entrepreneurial leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship in dentistry, evolving dental industry, evolving dental labs, execution, executive coaching, executive leadership, failure, family business, family business leadership, fighting analogy, finding opportunities, five year old board break moment, future of dental laboratory industry, future of dental labs, future of dental technology, future of dentistry, future proofing, future proofing your dental lab, future trends, growth for dental labs, growth mindset, identifying opportunities, industry challenges, industry change, industry disruption, industry evolution, industry networking, industry trends, innovation, innovation for dental labs, innovation in dentistry, innovation mindset, inspiration, jude grayson, jude grayson nola labfest, karate, karate and business, karate at dental conference, karate business lessons, karate instructor, karate teacher, keynote speaker, knowing when to pivot, laboratory growth, laboratory leadership, laboratory management, laboratory success, leadership coaching, leadership development, leadership for dental labs, leadership lessons from martial arts, leadership mindset, 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networking, race to the bottom, resilience, risk management, risk taking, shawn nowak, shawn nowak nola labfest, small business, small business growth, small business leadership, staying relevant, strategic leadership, strategic pivot, strategic planning, strategic thinking, strategy for dental labs, tactical strategy, taking action, taking chances, taking risks, team building, team development, team leadership, technology, technology adoption, technology for dental labs, technology trends, thriving dental laboratory, thriving in dentistry, unconventional business lessons, unconventional speaker, unexpected dental speaker, unlocking potential, unlocking success, voices from the bench, voices from the bench podcast, voices from the bench podcast episode, winning, workplace culture

Shawn Nowak from Nowak Dental Supplies joins Elvis and Barb to talk about NOLA LabFest and the unexpected connection between martial arts and the dental laboratory industry with speaker Jude Grayson. They discuss leadership, business, knowing when to pivot, and how lessons from competition and martial arts can help lab owners navigate a rapidly changing industry. Plus, Shawn gives a preview of what’s coming to NOLA LabFest, including education, networking, and plenty of New Orleans fun.

437: Phillip Gold: The Gold Standard of Dental Technology

August 10th, 2026  |  1 hr 4 mins

3D printing, Barb, Business growth, Leadership, Learning, account management, account retention, ai education, ai for dental technicians, ai in dentistry, ai learning, analog dental laboratory, analog dentistry, artificial intelligence, barb and elvis, behind the scenes dental lab, business development, business relationships, business succession, business transition, by design, by design dental studio, cal lab, career development, career longevity, casting, cdt, cdt certification, cdt exam, cdt exam preparation, ceramic technician, ceramics, ceramics cdt, certification advocacy, certification preparation, certified dental technician, chatgpt, client relationships, client retention, clinical excellence, color science, continuing education, corporate dental laboratory, corporate dentistry, crown and bridge, crown and bridge cdt, crown and bridge technician, customer relationships, customer service, customer service philosophy, decades in dentistry, decades in the dental lab, dental ai, dental anatomy, dental anatomy and occlusion, dental artistry, dental associations, dental boards, dental business, dental business development, dental cad, dental cad cam, dental cam, dental career, dental career story, dental casting, dental ceramics, dental certification, dental certification exam, dental certification study, dental community, dental community support, dental conferences, dental craftsmanship, dental diagnostics, dental education, dental education community, dental education history, dental entrepreneur, dental entrepreneurship, dental equipment, dental exam preparation, dental excellence, dental family, dental family business, dental history, dental history stories, dental industry, dental industry career, dental industry community, dental industry education, dental industry history, dental industry leadership, dental industry legacy, dental industry mentorship, dental industry networking, dental industry podcast, dental industry relationships, dental industry stories, dental industry veteran, dental innovation, dental innovation history, dental lab, dental lab acquisition, dental lab culture, dental lab customer service, dental lab education, dental lab equipment, dental lab history, dental lab management, dental lab owner, dental lab ownership, dental lab podcast, dental lab quality control, dental lab relationships, dental lab stories, dental laboratory, dental laboratory business, dental laboratory career, dental laboratory certification, dental laboratory community, dental laboratory education, dental laboratory equipment, dental laboratory expert, dental laboratory growth, dental laboratory history, dental laboratory innovation, dental laboratory leadership, dental laboratory legacy, dental laboratory owner, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory sales, dental laboratory standards, dental laboratory stories, dental laboratory team, dental laboratory veteran, dental laboratory workflow, dental leadership, dental legacy, dental manufacturing, dental manufacturing technology, dental materials, dental materials history, dental meetings, dental mentoring, dental mentors, dental mentorship, dental milling, dental milling workflow, dental mills, dental networking, dental offices, dental organizations, dental podcast, dental podcast interview, dental podcasts, dental practice, dental practice relationships, dental printers, dental production, dental production workflow, dental professional, dental professionalism, dental professionals, dental prosthetics, dental quality, dental quality control, dental restorations, dental sales, dental tech podcast, dental technician, dental technician career, dental technician certification, dental technician community, dental technician expert, dental technician life, dental technician mentorship, dental technician podcast, dental technician stories, dental technician study tools, dental technology, dental technology community, dental technology education, dental technology evolution, dental technology exam, dental technology podcast, dental technology veteran, dental training, dental veteran, dental wax-up, dental waxing, dental work ethic, dental workflows, dentist, dentist relationships, dentists, denture technician, dentures, dentures cdt, diagnostic wax-up, diagnostics, digital cdt, digital certification, digital dental laboratory, digital dentistry, digital practical exam, digital technician, digital workflow, doctor relationships, e.max, elvis, empress, evolution of dentistry, experienced dental technician, experienced technician, family business, family business succession, family in dentistry, family laboratory, family legacy, family-owned laboratory, father and daughter, father and son, first one in last one out, generational business, giving back, gold alloy, gold dentistry, gold work, history of dentistry, implant dentistry, implant technician, implants, implants cdt, independent dental laboratory, industry camaraderie, industry involvement, industry leadership, industry mentors, industry networking, ivoclar, jacket crowns, knowledge sharing, lab management, lab sales, laboratory acquisition, laboratory culture, laboratory entrepreneur, laboratory growth, laboratory history, laboratory leadership, laboratory legacy, laboratory management, laboratory operator, laboratory ownership, laboratory relationships, laboratory stories, laboratory succession, laboratory team, laboratory transition, learning from experience, learning from mentors, legacy business, life in the dental lab, lifelong learning, lifetime in dental laboratory, lifetime in dentistry, master cdt, master dental technician, master technician, mentorship, milling, nadl, national board for certification, national dentex, nbc, ndx, next generation, next generation dental technicians, occlusion, oral arts, partial dentures, partials cdt, pfm, philip gold, philip gold cdt, philip gold dental laboratory, philip gold dental technician, philip gold interview, philip gold podcast, porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, practical exam, professional certification, professional development, professional growth, professional legacy, professional networking, professional standards, prosthodontics, quality control, quality dentistry, raymond gold, relationship business, removable prosthetics, restorative dental technology, restorative dentistry, sales, sharing knowledge, six cdt certifications, six certifications, skills development, study for cdt, succession, succession planning, supporting technicians, team building, technical excellence, technician advocacy, technician development, technician education, technician leadership, technician stories, troubleshooting, voices from the bench, voices from the bench podcast, wax-up, williams gold, williams gold refining company, work ethic

This week we sit down with Philip Gold to hear the incredible story of growing up in a dental laboratory, taking over his family’s lab, and building a career centered around relationships, education, and giving back to the industry. Philip shares stories from his journey, the evolution of dental technology, and what drove him to earn an impressive six CDT certifications—including digital. It’s a great conversation about family, legacy, leadership, and the people who make this industry so special.

436: Alyse Hifko & Martin Schmid Take Us Inside the Ivoclar Academy

August 3rd, 2026  |  48 mins 10 secs

3shape, CAD/CAM, Productivity, all-on-x, alyse hifko, apprenticeship, auto nesting, brushes, buffalo, cad/cam dentistry, cam software, ceram art, ceramics, ceramics course, chairside dentistry, clinical education, commercial laboratory, connectors, continuing education, dental careers, dental community, dental craftsmanship, dental education, dental industry, dental innovation, dental lab, dental lab owner, dental laboratory, dental manufacturing, dental materials, dental milling, dental podcast, dental professionals, dental technician, dental technology, dentures, design limitations, digital dentistry, digital dentures, digital technician, digital workflow, dry milling, e.max, education, efficiency, elvis dahl, esthetic restorations, esthetics, firing, firing protocols, flat tools, full-arch restorations, germany, glazing, hands-on training, hybrid milling, implant restorations, implant workflows, in-person education, infiltration liquids, innovation., ivoclar, ivoclar academy, ivotion, johnny jackson, lab life, laboratory efficiency, laboratory excellence, laboratory growth, laboratory innovation, laboratory management, laboratory workflow, lithium disilicate, maintenance, martin schmid, mentorship, milling, milling limitations, milling software, milling strategies, mississauga, nesting, pink esthetics, porcelain layering, precision, production efficiency, programmill, programmill 7, programmill cam, programmill dry, research and development, restoration design, restorative dentistry, restorative workflow, santa fe springs, screw channels, sintering, stain and glaze, support structures, technical support, technician skills, technician training, titanium milling, troubleshooting, veneers, voices from the bench, wet milling, white esthetics, wieland, workflow automation, workflow optimization, zirconia, zirconia veneers, zirconium oxide

Ivoclar is taking education to the next level with the new Ivoclar Academy, and Elvis sits down with Martin Schmid and Alyse Hifko to learn what makes these hands-on courses a game changer for today's dental technicians. From creating lifelike esthetics with Ceram Art to unlocking powerful features hidden inside ProgramMill CAM software, this episode is packed with practical tips that can help any lab improve its workflow, no matter their experience level.

Episode 433: From FDLA 2026: Morris Fucarino, Enja Dorjchuluun, Joseph Núñez Reyes

July 13th, 2026  |  1 hr 20 mins

3D printing, Barb, CAD/CAM, Instagram, Leadership, Orlando, Social Media, analog dentistry, analog techniques, articulators, belt-driven handpieces, biomedical engineering, board service, boutique laboratory, cam, carbon printers, career development, career growth, casting, cdt, ceramics, certification, certified dental technician, collaboration, community, continuing education, continuing growth, craftsmanship, cross-training, customer service, dedication, dental community, dental content creator, dental craftsmanship, dental industry, dental innovation, dental lab, dental laboratory, dental manufacturing, dental materials, dental podcast, dental technician, dental technology, dentistry, dentures, digital content, digital dentistry, digital transformation, digital workflow, e.max, education, efficiency, elvis, enja dorjchuluun, excellence, expansion, experience, fdla, fdla board, fdla symposium, florida, florida dental laboratory association, focus magazine, full gold crowns, future of dentistry, future technicians, general manager, gold restorations, gps digital dental lab, gps digital rpd, handpieces, hands-on education, heygears, high noble alloy, hiring, icpr junior college, implant restorations, implants, impressions, industry veterans, innovation, inspiration, ivoclar pm7, joseph núñez reyes, knowledge, lab day, labfest, laboratory careers, laboratory culture, laboratory growth, laboratory leadership, laboratory life, laboratory management, laboratory operations, legacy, lifelong learning, lithium disilicate, mentorship, milling, milling center, model work, morris fucarino, national board for certification, nbc, nesting, networking, next generation, night guards, one-man lab, operations, organized dentistry, passion, passion for dentistry, patients, perseverance, pfm, pmma, porcelain fused to metal, post-processing, problem solving, professional development, puerto rico, qc, quality, quality control, relationships, roland, roland mills, sakr dental arts, scanning, smiles, soft tissue models, state association, stone models, success., supervisors, team building, teamwork, technician, technician education, technician pride, technician recognition, technician spotlight, technician stories, technician training, technicians, technology, turnaround time, voices from the bench, volunteering, waxing, webinars, workflow, workflow optimization, zirconia, zirconia milling

From the FDLA Symposium, Elvis and Barb sit down with three passionate technicians who represent the past, present, and future of the profession. Morris Fucarino reflects on an incredible 50 years as a CDT and the value of lifelong learning, Enja Dorjchuluun shares how she's helping shape the future of Florida's dental laboratory community through Sakr Dental Arts and the FDLA Board, and Joseph Núñez Reyes discusses his journey from Puerto Rico to GPS Digital Dental Lab and his dream of inspiring the next generation of technicians.

432: Felix Chung: Imagine That an Aerospace Engineer Turned into a Dental Nerd

July 6th, 2026  |  1 hr 3 mins

3D printing, 3shape, 98mm puck, CAD/CAM, NASA, additive manufacturing, aerospace engineering, cad design, compatible implants, crown and bridge, custom abutments, datron d5, dental business, dental cad, dental cam, dental innovation, dental lab, dental laboratory, dental manufacturing, dental materials, dental podcast, dental software, dental technology, digital dentistry, digital transformation, digital workflow, dof scanner, engineering, entrepreneurship, exocad, exocad insights, felix chung, georgia tech, hyperdent, imagine, imilling, implant bars, implant components, implant dentistry, implant restorations, ims icore, in-house milling, innovation, jordan greenberg, keystone dental, lab day, laboratory efficiency, laboratory growth, laboratory workflow, milling, milling center, milling machines, milling strategies, mist, oem, open systems, outsourcing, prosthetics, restorative dentistry, scan bodies, sic implants, technical support, ti-base, titanium bars, titanium nitride, united states navy, voices from the bench, walter reed, zirconia, zirconzahn

This week we sit down with Felix Chung from Imagine to hear the incredible story of how an aerospace engineering graduate and NASA intern unexpectedly found his passion in dental technology. From building one of the industry's leading digital dentistry companies to discussing milling, CAD/CAM, implant components, and the future of laboratory workflows, Felix shares the lessons, risks, and innovations that have shaped his journey over the past 15 years.

Episode 431: exocad Insights 2026 Part 5: Beth Collington, Josh Jakson, & Robert Norton

June 29th, 2026  |  56 mins 10 secs

3d design, 3d modeling, CAD/CAM, advanced dental technology, advanced workflows, ai crown, ai dentistry, ai in dental labs, ai-assisted dentistry, ai-powered design, artificial intelligence, automotive parts design, bench talk, beth collington, cad design, cad designer, cad workflow, clinicians, continuing education, creative cad applications, crown and bridge, crown design, crown finalization, crown production, custom grills, custom jewelry, custom restorations, dental automation, dental business, dental cad, dental cad community, dental cad experts, dental cad software, dental cad training, dental collaboration, dental community, dental conference, dental craftsmanship, dental design, dental design innovation, dental design software, dental design techniques, dental discussion, dental education, dental educators, dental engineering, dental expertise, dental future, dental industry, dental industry leaders, dental industry podcast, dental innovation, dental innovation summit, dental jewelry, dental lab, dental lab future, dental lab professionals, dental lab technology, dental laboratory, dental laboratory management, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory workflows, dental leadership, dental manufacturing, dental manufacturing technology, dental podcast, dental professionals, dental prosthetics, dental restorations, dental scanning, dental software, dental software experts, dental software innovation, dental software platform, dental software training, dental software updates, dental solutions, dental technician, dental technician life, dental technician training, dental technology, dental technology conference, dental technology education, dental technology experts, dental technology trends, dental trends, dental workflow efficiency, dental workflow management, dental workflow solutions, dental workflows, digital dental education, digital dental laboratory, digital dental revolution, digital dental solutions, digital dentistry, digital dentistry podcast, digital design solutions, digital impressions, digital lab, digital manufacturing, digital prosthetics, digital restoration design, digital solutions, digital tools, digital transformation, digital workflows, emerging technology, exocad, exocad america, exocad community, exocad ecosystem, exocad innovations, exocad insights, exocad training, exocad users, exocad users meeting, exohub, freeform design, future of dentistry, future-ready dentistry, industry insights, industry leaders, industry networking, innovation in dentistry, intraoral scanning, josh jackson, lab technology, lab-to-clinic communication, laboratory best practices, laboratory conversations, laboratory digital transformation., laboratory education, laboratory education and training, laboratory efficiency, laboratory excellence, laboratory growth, laboratory innovation, laboratory management, laboratory operations, laboratory perspective, laboratory productivity, laboratory support, laboratory technicians, laboratory technology, laboratory technology trends, mallorca, mallorca conference, modern dental laboratory, modern dentistry, next generation dentistry, podcast, production laboratory, production workflows, professional development, restorative dentistry, restorative technology, restorative workflows, robert norton, software development, software flexibility, technician education, technician insights, technician perspective, technician training, technician-led innovation, technology adoption, technology and dentistry, technology in dentistry, vftb, voices from the bench, workflow automation, workflow improvements, workflow integration, workflow optimization, workflow technology

While at Exocad Insights in Mallorca, Elvis and Barb catch up with Beth Collington, President of Exocad America, to discuss the continued growth of digital dentistry, the importance of education, and how Exocad is helping make digital workflows more accessible across the industry.

Then Josh Jackson and Robert Norton join the conversation to share insights from the lab and training side of Exocad. From AI Crown and Crown Finalization to creative applications beyond dentistry, they discuss the latest innovations, real-world workflows, and where digital technology is taking the profession next.