Voices from The Bench - Episodes Tagged with “Second Generation”

298: Turning Bad Experiences Into Good with Sam Talassinos and XYZ Dental

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0500

We talk to many vendors and milling centers on the podcast. But never have we talked to a company in Australia that does both. Sam Talassinos grew up in his father’s lab and never wanted to be in the industry. After a brief time in retail, Sam found himself in the lab (of course) and introducing digital to their workflow. It took a bad experience while getting some new equipment that drove him to open XYZ Dental, offering milling services and equipment to other labs in the area. Sam talks about growing up in the industry, how he approaches customer service, and why he joined the board of Australian Dental Industry Association to help the profession grow.

Are you in the market for top-notch digital equipment, such as mills, scanners, or furnaces? Well, the time to act is NOW! Ivoclar, has introduced unbeatable rates exclusively for customers in North America.

Ivoclar has made it easier for you to invest in cutting-edge digital equipment with lower-than-prime interest rates. Whether you're looking to upgrade your milling capabilities, enhance your scanning technology, or optimize your furnace performance, Ivoclar Digital has you covered.

To take advantage of this offer, the dedicated Digital Specialists at Ivoclar are ready to assist you. For details on how to get in touch, visit Voicesfromthebench.com and the Ivoclar tab to find all the information you need to get started.

Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.

Candulor a dental supply company from Switzerland has solutions no matter if you are analog or digital

Check out their PhysioSet TCR tooth line that has been complemented with 18 new shapes. A total of 48 age-appropriate anterior tooth shapes are available for the laboratory or dental practice to select from.

The Swiss School of Prosthetics in Springfield, Missouri is the place to learn all things removable. America with get supported and supplied by the only authorized partner Edmonds Dental Supply

Candulor, High End Only

Have you ever wanted to learn exocad? Do you find learning new design software overwhelming or just too costly because you have to go to a weekend course. Even if you have never used design any software before, we have the perfect solution for you to begin your exocad journey. Head over to the Institute of Digital Dentistry and select the “Mastering Exocad Course”.

Broken down to three segments, the amazing Marjorie will take you through Fundamentals, Intermediate, and Advanced courses leaving you with the confidence to tackle most cases coming into your lab. I personally am going through all 70 lessons and find it one of the most thorough courses you can take at your own pace.

And for being a listener of the podcast, if you enter code VOICES when checking out they will take an additional 10% off any course they offer…. And they offer a ton of content for labs and clinics.

Special Guest: Sam Thalassinos.

243: Whip Mix Digital Forum 2022 Part 1: Chris Wilson from Zubler USA, Blake Barksdale, Sandra Ramsey, and Bob Iulino

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0500

This week we start our conversation we got while attending the Whip Mix Digital Forum back in October. This amazing yearly event brought so many great speakers and attendees that gave us an opportunity to talk to so many wonderful people in our industry. There is nothing like good ol’ face-to-face recording. First up is the Vice President of Zubler USA, Chris Wilson. Chris talks about a lot of the items that Zubler sells, but really educates us all the different ovens in a lab and what makes a good oven good. Chiming in is Blake Barksdale from Barksdale Dental Lab (who was on episode 204) to give the perspective of actual real life lab use of a lot of the Zubler USA equipment. Then we are joined by two amazing small lab owners that found friendship within their successes. Sandra Ramsey, owner of Great Crowns and Smiles, talks about her path to owning a lab in Louisville and Bob Iuliano, owner of Adirondack Dental Ceramics in upstate New York, talks about his own path. Together the talk about running a lab in today’s market and how having each other to talk to has made them both better.

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.

Episode 233: Open Your Eyes and Learn More with Ocularist Zach Hetzler

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Come see ELVIS live at LMT Lab Day East - October 1st in Tarrytown, NY
Sign up for his presentation "A Couple of Studs at the Bar"

This week we decided to go outside of the dental laboratory industry to talk about another industry that also makes a replacement body part that both has function and esthetics. Zach Hetzler is a Board Certified Ocularist with Hetzler Ocular Prosthetics in Fishers, Indiana. Zach comes on to talk about of teeth nerds about the Ocular industry. He talks about getting into the field, the certification process, and walks us through the process from taking an impression to fabricating the prosthesis to final seat. The similarities with our industry (and denturist) are amazing.

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 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.

Special Guest: Zach Hetzler B.C.O., B.A.D.O..

Episode 102: Second Generation Lab Owners from Vision 21: Jesse Flor, Michael Farago, & Dory Sartoris

Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0400

Elvis and Barb wrap up the conversation they got while at the Vision 21 meeting from Las Vegas back in January. Elvis met Jesse Flor who owns a laboratory in California that has become a 100% digital lab, but also with his background working for DSOs has also opened up a few dental practices. His ownership of both has given him an interesting perspective into both fields. Then Elvis talks to two of the four participants who were on stage during the “Fireside Chat” about second generation lab owners. Michael Farago and Dory Sartoris both took a path in life that originally had them doing something other than the family lab. But they have now taken a leadership roll in their lab and are killing it by bringing non-bench-technician experiences into the workflow.

March 26 – 28 Dental Laboratory Association Texas Conference – Grapevine, Tx
*Ortho Technicians!!! Register for the AOLP meeting! *
Last year was a huge success and we loved this show. We are back this year at the ARGEN booth recording all weekend long. If you are in the area, attend. If you are not in the area, you should still think about attending. It’s worth it.

Thursday March 26, the good people at Alien Milling is hosting a evening event to kick of the DLAT Conference. We will be at Top Golf for fun, drinks, and podcasting. That’s right, we will be recording at the event. How fun is that! If you are going to the DLAT conference, don’t wait. Sign up here to join the fun!

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. The team at Alien Milling Technologies is comprised of talented computer and dental technicians who are passionate about mastering the newest and most effective technologies. See all they have to offer at www.alienmilling.com.

There are a lot of lab putty materials out there. When most labs try Panasil Lab Putty from Kettenbach they are amazed by the quality and consistency. It works wonders on your matrixing, indexing, and duplicating needs. Try some today, and for being a listener of the podcast when you call 877-532-2123 and mention the code – Dental Lab Podcast 199, you can get a box of Panasil Lab Putty and a box of Futar Bite Registration all for $199. Check out http://www.kettenbach-dental.us/ for more information. Thanks for your support of the podcast!

Special Guests: Dory Sartoris, Jesse Flor CDT, and Michael Farago.