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.

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 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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.

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.

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.

427: exocad Insights 2026 Part 1: Marjorie de Andrade, Dr. Dwight Pate, & Dr. Eimear O'Connell

June 1st, 2026  |  1 hr 8 mins

3D printing, Lecture, Social Media, Speaker, aesthetics, ai crown design, ai dentistry, align, analog dentistry, articulation, articulator, brazil, cad cam, case planning, cbct, centric relation, ceramics, ceramist, chairside dentistry, clinician education, clinician perspective, clinician technician relationship, cloud workflow, collaboration, collaborative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, crown and bridge, crown design, dawson, dental ai, dental artistry, dental collaboration, dental communication, dental education, dental events, dental evolution, dental excellence, dental future, dental implants, dental industry, dental influencer, dental innovation, dental innovation conference, dental lab, dental labs, dental materials, dental mentorship, dental networking, dental podcast, dental scanning, dental software, dental technician, dental technology, dental technology trends, diagnostic wax up, digital articulation, digital dentistry, digital dentistry evolution, digital dentures, digital models, digital occlusion, digital planning, digital planning workflow, digital prosthetics, digital smile workflow, digital transformation, digital treatment planning, digital workflow, education, education platform, esthetics, exocad, exocad hub, exocad insights, exocad on demand, exocad trainer, exoplan, freelance designer, full arch restoration, full mouth rehab, functional dentistry, germany, glazing, guided implant surgery, guided surgery, ids, implant dentistry, implant planning, implant restorations, implant workflow, implants, institute of digital dentistry, intraoral scanner, ireland, itero, lab communication, lab life, laboratory communication, laboratory workflow, mallorca, maryland bridge, mastering exocad, mentoring, mentoring technicians, milling, new zealand, occlusal design, occlusal vertical dimension, occlusion, online learning, pankey, patient care, patient communication, patient outcomes, printed models, prosthetics, prosthodontics, provisionals, remote design, removable prosthetics, restorative dentistry, restorative excellence, restorative workflow, scanner technology, scotland, semi adjustable articulator, smile creator, smile design, smile makeover, spain, staining, tampa, teamwork, teamwork in dentistry, technician education, technician life, technology in dentistry, veneers, voices from the bench, wax up, workflow, workflow efficiency, workflow integration, workflow optimization

At exocad Insights 2026, three very different conversations all focused on how digital dentistry is transforming workflows and communication. Marjorie de Andrade talked about building a global freelance career through education and social media, while Dr. Dwight Pate shared an incredibly detailed workflow that blends traditional occlusion concepts with modern exocad design. The episode wraps with Dr. Eimear O'Connell discussing how digital tools are helping clinicians, labs, and patients work together better than ever—ultimately creating more predictable outcomes and happier smiles.

404: Rik Jacobs & Jess Gray: Gradient Dentures and Grit: Two Conversations from Lab Fest 2025

December 22nd, 2025  |  1 hr 12 mins

3D printing, all-on-x, analog workflow, dental, dentures, digital dentures, digital workflow, exocad, facial scanning, hard-soft appliances, in-house lab, instarisa, lab growth, lab ownership, laboratory, multi-color, multi-material, night guards, pmma, production dentistry, technician, technician education, voices from the bench, voxel printing, zirconia

Live from NOLA Lab Fest, we talk with Rik Jacobs of Novenda Technologies about a game-changing, production-scale 3D printer that can print full dentures and hard/soft appliances in true multi-material, multi-color—without supports and with massive throughput. Then we catch up with Jess Gray, who shares her journey from front desk to running a fast-growing, digitally driven in-house lab, blending analog and digital workflows, facial scanning, All-on-X, and leadership lessons from the bench up.

403: Live from Lab Fest 2025: Duff Wilson and the Importance of Good Vendor Relationships with Aidite

December 15th, 2025  |  1 hr 18 mins

CAD/CAM, aidite, crown and bridge, dental, dental laboratory, dental technology, dentures, design services, digital dentistry, full arch, implant restorations, lab associations, lab efficiency, lab ownership, laboratory, lean workflow, mentorship, milling center, relationship, relationships, removables, support, technician, technician education, voices from the bench, zirconia

Duff Wilson shares his unconventional journey through dental technology—from getting thrown into high-volume removables at a major lab to building a lean, relationship-driven lab that’s thrived for over two decades. Along the way, he breaks down why mentorship, smart workflows, and trusting the right people and products matter more than hype, trends, or chasing volume in today’s dental lab world.