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.

From wire-bending machines and digital ortho workflows to Vulcanite dentures and photogrammetry, this episode from the DLAT floor is packed with stories, laughs, and a whole lot of dental lab wisdom.

First up, the crew sits down with Jason Dyas — better known these days as the man behind Ortho Outlaw and everyone’s favorite outlaw mascot, Clyde. Jason shares his journey from construction work and garage-built orthodontic appliances to running successful ortho labs and diving headfirst into digital technology. What started with fax-machine marketing and Walmart bench grinders eventually evolved into automated wire-bending machines, digital scanning, social media content creation, and a growing mission to help older labs embrace modern workflows instead of shutting their doors. The conversation covers everything from AI-driven ortho tech and the future of wire bending to building a brand, traveling to industry events around the world, and how Ortho Outlaw became one of the most recognizable new names in orthodontic lab social media.

Then the podcast catches up with longtime friend of the show Jim Collis for an incredible deep dive into 45 years of dental technology experience. Jim talks about teaching hands-on courses at DLAT, helping labs transition from analog workflows into digital dentures and 3D printing, and why education is still the key to success in modern dentistry. From discussing AI-assisted denture design and automated workflows to reminiscing about fixing Vulcanite dentures and the earliest days of implants, Jim delivers one amazing story after another. Along the way, he shares lessons from his CDT journey, the mentors who shaped his career, his passion for consulting and education, and why he still loves this industry after nearly five decades. It’s equal parts history lesson, technology discussion, and classic Voices From the Bench chaos — complete with Star Trek references, Slurpee stories, and enough off-topic tangents to make Barb proud.

Special Guests: Clyde, Jason Dyas, and Jim Collis CDT.

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.

This episode finally brings a long-awaited conversation to life with Kent Kohli, a name many in the industry recognize—but maybe don’t fully know the story behind. From an unexpected entry into dentistry (thanks to marrying his orthodontist’s daughter) to becoming a lifelong student of ceramics and education, Kent’s journey is anything but typical.

What starts as a pre-dental path quickly shifts once Kent discovers the lab side of dentistry—and more importantly, where his passion truly lives. From pouring models and grinding metal to studying under legends like John Archibald, Kent shares how mentorship, curiosity, and relentless work ethic shaped his career. Along the way, he opens up about the early struggles—working 100-hour weeks, barely making ends meet, and choosing quality over the “race to the bottom” that burned out many of his peers.

Kent dives deep into the evolution of dental technology, from the early days of PFMs and Empress to today’s digital workflows and liquid ceramics. But at the heart of it all is a consistent theme: education. Whether it’s learning from the “giants” of the industry or now helping guide the next generation through his role at Ivoclar, Kent sees it as a responsibility to pass on what was given to him.

He also shares insights into his current mission—bringing hands-on education back to the forefront, blending traditional techniques with modern materials, and helping technicians elevate their craft beyond just production.

Rising costs, tighter deadlines, and greater demands are challenging labs everywhere. When efficiency matters, you need tools that deliver—every day.

Roland DGShape milling solutions are reliable and easy to use. Just turn them on and let them run—no babysitting required. Fewer remakes and less wasted material mean your team can focus on getting cases out the door.

With the Elevate Denture solution, step into digital dentures without disrupting your workflow. Validated CAM strategies and Ivoclar compatibility mean you're building on a system you already trust.

Ready to boost efficiency? Explore DG Shape DWX Milling Solutions and the Elevate Dental Solution at RolandDental.com.

Special Guest: Kent Kohli.

First up is Björn Zäuner. Björn grew up in a dental family and wanted nothing to do with teeth. We've all heard this story, right? It wasn't long before Björn had a milling center and even an ortho lab. But he noticed that miss mounted cases were a problem and a main cause to most of his remakes. So he developed Bite-Finder to use AI to find the true bite and not the one "captured" with a blue bite or iOS scanner. He talks all about what it is, how it works, how to integrate it, and how you can try it for FREE for 2 weeks.

Then we meet the CEO and co-creator of exocad, Tillmann Steinbrecher. We have talked to literally hundreds of people on this podcast that all sing praises for the "purple program" and this time we get to hear the origin story. Tillmann talks about how is started as a research project where he and his partner saw potential for so much more. From walking around IDS 15 years ago with a laptop with a early version to being one of the leaders in dental design, Tillmann in his team has really changed the way labs stay ahead of the every changing workflow. He talks about the early versions, where the name and purple come from, how it's important to stay an open platform, and the importance of user feedback to keep getting better.

Take it from Jennifer Ferguson from Ivoclar. If you have a PM7 or are thinking about getting a PM7 (Take it from Barb, you should), Ivoclar had launched the "Ivoclar Block Module" that can speed up milling emax by 45%!! The best part is that you can try it for FREE for 90 days. All you have to do is send them a message on Instagram at Ivoclar.na or send a email to jennifer.ferguson@ivoclar.com. Now go mill emax faster!

Special Guests: Björn Zäuner and Tillmann Steinbrecher.