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.

Fresh off the beaches and lectures of the beautiful island of Mallorca at the exocad Insights 2026 , Elvis and Barb sat down with three incredible women proving that digital dentistry is global, creative, and fueled by passion. First up is Andreea Bordea, a ceramist and lab owner originally from Romania who found her way into dental technology after narrowly missing acceptance into dental school. From analog waxing and staining zirconia with a single A2 shade to opening her own lab in Spain and building a digital workflow around exocad, Andreea shares the journey of learning everything the hard way. She talks about teaching herself digital dentistry, building a team, and how social media unexpectedly became her outlet while working alone in her lab. The conversation also dives into Ivoclar materials, zirconia, and the excitement around new products launched at Insights.

Then the microphones turn to Denisse Ramos from for one of the most energetic conversations of the event. Denisse talks about her journey from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Coca-Cola into the dental industry, eventually becoming a major force in digital workflows, 3D printing, and equipment sales. From Dentsply to Desktop Health and now leading sales at New Stetic USA, Denisse shares stories about mentorship, industry evolution, women in dentistry, and why labs need to charge for their expertise. We all talk about the rise of digital dentistry, treatment planning frustrations, social media, the future of dentures, and the importance of giving back through organizations like Ladies of the Mill and the NADL.

Finally, Elvis met Daniela Torres, better known online as “Danny Designer,” a digital designer from Chile whose Instagram portfolio turned into a thriving business. Daniela explains how she taught herself exocad through YouTube before traveling to Madrid for advanced training, eventually working at the MOD Institute in South Carolina before returning to Chile to build her own remote design business. From designing full arch restorations and dentures to handling dozens of cases a day entirely through email and WhatsApp, Daniela proves how powerful digital dentistry and social media have become for technicians worldwide. The conversation wraps with excitement around exocad’s newest updates, the exocad Hub, and what it means to be recognized as an exocad Hero.

Special Guests: Andreea Bordea, Daniela Torres, and Denisse Lasso Ramos.

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.

CAM has been a major topic lately, and a lot of that conversation keeps coming back to hyperDENT. But instead of just talking about the software itself, it’s worth looking at real-world experience. Imagine USA has been using hyperDENT in their own lab for over 15 years. That kind of longevity says a lot—they’re not just selling and supporting it, they’re relying on it in their own production every single day. That’s what really sets them apart.

This week’s episode brings it full circle as Elvis reconnects with one of the podcast’s very first guests, Renata Bundy, now a longtime professor at New York City College of Technology. Along with her are two technicians who represent both sides of the journey—lab owner Roberto Rossi and workflow master Eugene Vega—creating a conversation that dives deep into education, mentorship, and what it really takes to succeed in today’s dental lab world.

Roberto shares his unlikely path from working sanitation in New York to building a thriving lab, Synergy Dental Studio, over nearly three decades. With a relentless focus on quality, constant improvement, and embracing digital (while still questioning it), he explains how his lab has grown into a tight-knit, high-level operation. Eugene adds perspective from inside the lab, describing his evolution from student to managing daily workflow, highlighting how important environment, mentorship, and work ethic are when transitioning from school to real-world production.

Renata ties it all together from the educational side, reflecting on over 20 years of teaching and how the program has evolved alongside the industry—from analog fundamentals to digital workflows—while still preparing students for the realities they’ll face after graduation. The group doesn’t shy away from the tough truths either: low starting pay, steep learning curves, and the high dropout rate among new technicians. But the message is clear—stick with it, find the right lab, and the opportunity is there.

It’s a conversation about growth, grit, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people—whether that’s in the classroom or the lab. And if nothing else, you’ll learn that a little Italian lunch might just be the secret to building a loyal team.

Special Guests: Eugene Vega, Renata Budny, CDT, TE, and Roberto Rossi.

Dr. Andrew Turchin knew he wanted to be a dentist as soon as he shadowed one many years ago. After spending years in New York, he moved to Aspen, Colorado and opened his own practice where he created the Ageless Smile. To do this, he created a simple mathematical equation that works on almost every patient. Simple and always keeping the end in mind, he wanted to teach other doctors this method and opened Cosmetic Confidence Coaching. He comes on to talk about how the formula works, working with in-office technicians, and how occlusion goes beyond just the teeth.

Take it from Laura Prosser, the digital marketing manager for Ivoclar North America. She would like to invite you to start following them on Instagram. It's your chance to obtain exclusive updates on product announcements, industry news, upcoming educational events, and heartwarming stories about our local team and industry professionals. Let's get social together. Simply start following us on Instagram @Ivoclar.na. We'll see you there.

Special Guest: Dr. Andrew Turchin.

Whip Mix is thrilled to announce their most recent addition to their milling product line. Introducing the DWX-53DC from DGSHAPE. This powerful mill satisfies your 'NEED FOR SPEED'. Three reasons to consider this mill:

1. It has 3 times the gripping power for PMMA.

2. It mills 30% faster.

3. The integrated webcam allows you to monitor a milling project from anywhere, on any device.

Go to tinyurl.com/WhipMixRolandMill to learn how you can take your milling to the next level.

Have you seen the high prices of precious metal these days? Kulzer Refining knows that you are using less Precious metal in your lab these days, but if you send in half of what you sent in 5 years ago ,your scrap return will be higher than it was 5 years ago! You won’t believe how much money your scrap is worth right now!

Kulzer Refining reimbursement to you is after their 10% refining fee. They have zero additional fees! If you need any free shipping containers, which contain a UPS prepaid, full insured label, please visit

mydental360.com/refining or call the Director of Precious Metal Refining, Tony Circelli, directly at

(914) 906-1843. Mention the Voices From the Bench podcast and Kulzer Refining will add an extra 5% to your scrap! Kulzer Refining. Tested, Trusted, and Honest.

Special Guests: Blake Barksdale, Bob Iuliano, Chris Wilson, and Sandra Ramsey.

Have you seen the high prices of precious metal these days? Kulzer Refining knows that you are using less Precious metal in your lab these days, but if you send in half of what you sent in 5 years ago ,your scrap return will be higher than it was 5 years ago! You won’t believe how much money your scrap is worth right now!

Kulzer Refining reimbursement to you is after their 10% refining fee . They have zero additional fees! If you need any free shipping containers, which contain a UPS prepaid, full insured label, please visit

mydental360.com/refining or call the Director of Precious Metal Refining, Tony Circelli, directly at

(914) 906-1843. Mention the Voices From the Bench podcast and Kulzer Refining will add an extra 5% to your scrap! Kulzer Refining. Tested, Trusted, and Honest.

Two dynamic teams have joined forces to rock the intraoral scanning world! Whip Mix has added the 3Shape TRIOS® line of scanners to its line of digital solutions for the dental office. Together, this dynamic duo can get your dentists scanning, providing you the reliable scans you need for your lab work. If you are interested in learning more about helping your dentists, go to: http://tinyurl.com/Whipmixtrios

Special Guests: Jorgen Gad and Vincent Silva.

We are back this week talking to a dental technician. Hugo Sousa is a very accomplished technician from the UK. Born and educated in Portugal at a university in Lisbon, Hugo then continued his career in England working for different labs and then obtained his Master's degree in dental technology. He is currently going for his PhD while hosting his own dental laboratory podcast in Portuguese called Conversa à Bancada.

Portuguese Podcast - Conversa à Bancada
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/conversa-%C3%A0-bancada/id1564666913
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6464EueS9V1T4MUTAzvzgG?si=4b0f4553e0e44ac2
Facebook - Conversa Bancada - https://www.facebook.com/thefree.tooth/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/conversa_a_bancada/

Long Distance degrees mentioned in the episode:

• University of Lisbon - https://www.ulisboa.pt/en
  Doctoral (Phd) degree in oral health sciences & technology (for Dental Hygienists & Dental technicians)

• Cardiff Met. - https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/sportandhealthsciences/courses/Pages/Dental-Technology---MSc-(Distance-Learning)-.aspx
  Masters for dental technicians

• Morphology School Japan
  Osaka ceramic training center
  http://www.pat.hi-ho.ne.jp/octc/sub/html/english/e-index.html

Whip Mix is very excited to announce the new PRO 4K large format 3D printer from Asiga. It’s ideal for printing any kind of model, dentures, splints, surgical guides, impression trays and more.

The Asiga Pro 4K DLP printer is priced at under $25,000, has a large build plate and is available in both 65µm and resolution versions. For information about the Asiga Pro 4K, visit www.whipmix.com.

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.

Special Guest: Hugo Sousa.

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. VISIT WHIPMIX.COM OR CALL (800) 626-5651

Gro3X is a dental supply, service, and marketing company. It is to help dental labs, and especially small labs to lower their cost for supplies, provide business opportunities, and generate growth. They carry amazing zirconia burs and their “rainbow burs” for PMMA and TriLor are top-notch. They also carry zirconia from Aidite, a wide range of Harvest Dental products, and different 3D print resins.

What’s really cool about Gro3X is, that you can join their Gro3X Family program for only 99 cents. This will then give you an additional 10% discount on all of their supplies and even their CAD/CAM design and fabrication services.

Get a 3-months trial membership with Gro3X Family now for only $0.99 and receive 3 Shade Peg Shots - free of charge.

Just go to www.gro3x.com and add Gro3X Family to your cart, then add 3- Shade Peg Shots of 3cc each to your cart and go to check out, enter discount code VFTB for Voices From The Bench and check out.

Special Guests: Cassandra Dombrowski, Emily Valentine, Mary Nosal, Mary Valentine, and Sherri Weatherby.

First up is Jason Stubbs, who is amazing at getting the word out on social media about all the amazing things the DLAT is doing and also speaking at the event about using Texas Dental Lab law to get new clients. Then sitting down is a one-woman lab owner, Bianka Nathery, who talks about the pros and cons of working by yourself and learning the craft in Germany where she grew up. Then we wrap up the whole conference with Mel Thorp, who 50 years ago was in a horrible accident that led him on a career where he earned 3 CDTs and still enjoys working on the bench. Great fun from the "DEE-LAT"!

The UP 3D P5 milling maching from Aurident is a 5 axis, efficient, dry mill. Great for milling zirconia, PMMA and wax. It boasts software that produces high precision and fast milling. It can mill a crown in 14 minutes and the tool life yields about 60-80 hours of quality restorations. A game changer for labs of all sizes, big and small. For under $20K, a small lab can now do their own milling instead of outsourcing and reducing their profits. Quite impressive! Give Aurident a call at 800-422-7373 or you can visit their website at aurident.com.

Using 3D printed Dentca Temporary Resin is the easy, fast, clean and accurate way of creating natural-looking temporary restorations using Dentca Temporary C&B 3D Print Resin from Whip Mix.

The new temporary material is FDA cleared, biocompatible, photocurable, and can be printed fast. That patient can be temporized with the highest quality temporary crowns that last a minimum of one full year in the mouth. Dentca C&B Temporary features excellent life-like esthetics and shade-matching capability with Vita shades A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B1, B2, and BL (Bleach).

Dentca Temporary C&B resin is validated for use with the Asiga Max, Asiga Pro 2, Asiga Pro 4K, and the Whip Mix Veribuild printers, and with the following curing units: Uvitron (SunRay 400 and IntelliRay 600), and the CUREbox Plus.

For more information, visit www.whipmix.com.

Special Guests: Bianka Nethery CDT, Jason Stubbs, and Mel Thorp CDT.

March 26 – 28 Dental Laboratory Association Texas Conference – Grapevine, Tx

Alien Milling Technologies is a cutting-edge Dental Milling Center known for using the latest methods and technologies in milling top dental prosthetics. They can help your lab by milling everything, like crowns, abutments, partials, guards, and even titanium bars. Best part is that they are all milled right here in the USA. Plus they also provide the same zirconia they mill in-house. Until the end of March 2020, if you buy 4 pucks you get one FREE! See all they have to offer at www.alienmilling.com.

How many of you are printing models? I bet most of you. Do you print in different colors depending on what you are using the model for? No? Whip Mix is happy to add grey to their

VeriModel OS product line. Not only do they have golden brown, ivory, and white, but the gray gives a visual contrast to waxes and features an easy-to-clean, smooth matte surface finish. Use it for study models, models with removable dies, and orthodontic models. Check them out at www.whipmix.com. Thanks for your continued support of the podcast Whip Mix!

Special Guest: Ricki Braswell CAE.

-Jim and Samantha Emmons. Jim (CDT) talks about how much of his career has been teaching and inventing and some of the amazing stuff he has come up with and still coming up with. He talks about a non-aerosol spray on glaze and a way to do a shade analysis with a smart phone. Be sure to check out Spectrafire.com to learn more.

-Mac Perry from San Antonio leaves a great "First Impression" and talks about learning about dental technology in the Air Force, going to Saudi Arabia, and then settling down at his own lab. An amazing experience worth sharing.

Be sure to check out DLAT.org to see all the AMAZING things the Dental Laboratory Association of Texas is doing. Come next year to their AWESOME conference where these interviews were recorded at!

Special Guests: Jim Emmons CDT, FNBC and Mac Perry.