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.

Elvis actually made it down to the exhibition halls this year — and hyperDENT from FOLLOW-ME! Technology was everywhere.

Booth after booth, people were talking milling strategies, templates, and workflows. It felt like a full-on CAM takeover. Their Milling Roadmap scavenger hunt had attendees bouncing between Axsys, Imagine, D.O.F., and Roland collecting stamps like responsible adults…

Responsible adults chasing a bright orange folding electric hyperDENT scooter.

That’s what we love about the FOLLOW-ME! team — world-class CAM engineers talking microns and validation protocols one minute, then ripping around Lab Day the next.

Serious about precision. Not too serious about themselves.

Big shoutout for bringing the brains — and the electric horsepower.

Come see and talk to Elvis and Barb at all these amazing shows in 2026*

• 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

Live from the Ivoclar stage at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2026, Elvis and Barb sits down with two very different innovators shaping the future of the dental lab world.

First up is industry veteran Rob Fletcher, who shares the story behind ACES (Automated Case Entry Software)—a system designed to eliminate one of the biggest bottlenecks in dental labs: manually entering handwritten prescriptions. Drawing on years of lean manufacturing experience running labs like Knight Dental Group and Bayshore Dental Studio, Rob explains how combining OCR and AI can read RX forms, learn lab terminology, and automate case entry directly into an LMS. The result? Faster workflows, fewer data entry headaches, and one less department that labs have to constantly hire and retrain.

Then the conversation shifts to collaboration and innovation as Don Bell and Andreas Klie discuss a new partnership between Ivoclar and Panthera Dental. They break down how Panthera’s Fusion Bar technology works with Ivoclar materials to simplify full-arch workflows while improving precision, aesthetics, and efficiency. The team also dives into the education behind the technology, the launch of the Panthera Academy, and how collaboration between companies—and listening to technicians—helps push the industry forward.

Hey, listeners—ever wonder what Elvis is doing when he’s not recording Voices from the Bench?

He’s a client rep for Derby Dental Laboratory, out in the field every day doing chairside visits and building relationships. His job is simple—keep doctors happy and keep them coming back.

And he couldn’t do it without iCortica.

Right from his phone, Elvis can see sales, remake rates, account notes, risks, and cross-sell opportunities—even before he walks through the door. No spreadsheets. No surprises. Just the info he needs to grow accounts.

Stop digging for data and start taking action.

Head to icortica.com and schedule your demo today.

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.

In today’s dental labs, reliability isn’t optional—it’s essential. That’s why so many labs trust Roland DGSHAPE milling solutions—true workhorses known for precision, durability, and dependable performance day after day.

Now Roland is taking digital denture production even further with the Elevate Denture Solution, including compatibility with Ivotion Denture System from Ivoclar. This validated workflow gives labs a powerful way to produce premium digital dentures with confidence and consistency.

Built on the trusted DWX milling platform, the Elevate Denture Solution allows labs to expand their capabilities while continuing to rely on the same dependable technology that keeps production running smoothly.

Learn more about DWX Milling Solutions and the new Elevate Denture Solution at rolanddental.com.

Special Guests: Andreas Klie, Don Bell, and Rob Fletcher.

We are once again showcasing some wonderful conversation that we got while in the exocad booth at IDS 2025. It's funny to travel all the way to Germany to talk to two Americans, one of them even works with Barb!

First up is the CEO of the Leixir Dental Group, John Krier. John talks about coming to dental from orthopedics and the differences he is noticing. Only 18 months into his new role, John has already visited every lab in the Leixir group and has started to change the culture of over 1000 employees to empower them to take ownership of the work they do.

Then we meet fellow podcaster, Dr. Jeff Horowitz. Dr. Horowitz has two practices in South Carolina, GP and Sleep and airway. He talks about the importance of creating the space in the arches for better sleep and how they are even expanding the palate on adults. Dr. Horowitz is also 1/3 of the podcast Dentist IN the Know and tells us all about how a couple of dentists got together during the pandemic to chat about what they all love so much.

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: Dr. Jeff Horowitz and John Krier.

On August 27th many brave and fearless dental technicians will take to the water and road to participate in the 2023 Chicago Triathlon. They don't do it for fame or personal gain, but to raise money for the Foundation For Dental Laboratory Technology.
PLEASE head over to dentallabfoundation.org and click the DONATE TODAY button. Log in and choose the “Race for the Future” option. There you can put the name of a racer you want to sponsor. You can put:

Barb Warner
Team Abutments (Elvis Dahl, Mark Williamson, Bobby Kennedy)
Voices From the Bench (50/50 split between Barb and Elvis' team)

We love it whenever technicians support technicians. And when we found out that 4 past podcast guests started a group to showcase female technicians, we just had to have them back on to learn more. Joining us again are Nina Frketin from Mango Dental Technologies, Deppa Bharakhda from Dencraft Dental Lab, Deppa Bharakhda, and Emily and Eleanor Pittard from The Hive Dental Lab. All four update us on what they have been up to since their previous episodes and how they have grown since. Nina explains the reason for starting Nightshift and how she needed the help of everyone to help grow it. They explain their roles in the group, what the purpose of Nightshift is, and their BIG plans for the future.

Check out all their previous episodes:

Nina: https://www.voicesfromthebench.com/171
Emily and Eleanor: https://www.voicesfromthebench.com/211
Deepa: https://www.voicesfromthebench.com/213

Did you know that Ivoclar has Digital Equipment Sales Specialists?

These experienced professionals are here to help make your transition to digital, a smooth one. They help provide customized solutions, analyze your ROI, provide hands on assistance and localized support. All of this, catered to your needs. Contact a Digital Equipment Sales Specialist today by emailing Digitalspecialists@ivoclar.com. Tell them you heard it on the podcast!

Special Guests: Deepa Bharakhda, Eleanor Pittard, Emily Pittard, and Nina Frketin.

Did you know that most inLab MCX5 users that have ordered burs from Gro3X once, keep on ordering Gro3X burs over and over again? Because Gro3X burs are engineered by some of the folks who have been providing burs to some of the largest US production labs for years.

Did you also know, that most Roland and DGShape users have no idea what they are missing out?

To give Roland and DGSHAPE users the opportunity to find out for themselves how good Gro3X burs work also for their machines, Gro3X is now offering a BUY 3, GET 2 BURS FREE special. This is exclusively for Voices From The Bench listeners.

Simply go to the Gro3X website at gro3x.com click on burs, then select Roland & DGSHAPE. Add five burs of your choice to your cart, click on CHECK-OUT, enter discount code B3G2Burs and check out.

Whip Mix is now providing its milling customers with Prima Milling Tools, the high performance milling tools engineered specifically for Roland mills. This new tool range outperforms the competition. The results show not only that the tools last 29% longer than most others, their precision creates pin-point accuracy, ensuring a perfect fit for the patient.

The uncoated tools save up to 40% per restoration over the market leaders, VISIT WHIPMIX.COM OR CALL (800) 626-5651

Special Guests: Nathan DiBiase, Nathan Stainback, Patrick Strohkirch, and Tom Houle.