Displaying 3 items of Voices from The Bench with the tag "technician training".
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412: Matthew Douglas: The Fastest Hands in Texas and the story of the DLAT show
February 16th, 2026 | 1 hr 9 mins
affordable dentures, all-on-4, ambidextrous technician, analog workflows, barksdale dental lab, business systems, crown and bridge, dental, dental lab management, dental laboratory association of texas, dental meetings, denture setup, dentures, digital dentistry, dlat, full-arch, full-service lab, high-volume production, implant dentistry, industry networking, lab efficiency, lab growth, lab leadership, lab ownership, laboratory, live ce, outsourcing, regional manager, removables, state association, technician, technician training, voices from the bench, zirconia
Matthew Douglas shares his journey from a career-ending baseball injury to becoming a powerhouse denture technician, lab owner, and industry leader. From high-volume production at Affordable Dentures to pioneering All-on-4 workflows and revitalizing the Dental Laboratory Association of Texas, Matt’s story is all about speed, systems, and servant leadership. It’s a conversation about hustle, innovation, and building something bigger than yourself in the dental lab industry.
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411: Michael Joseph: No Wax, No Fear and One Lab’s All-In Leap to Digital Dentistry
February 9th, 2026 | 1 hr 14 mins
3d printing, brexit impact, business resilience, cad design, consistency, covid recovery, dental, dental education, dental laboratory, dental marketing, dental sales, dental scanners, dental technology, digital dentistry, exocad, full arch restorations, greatlab lms, immediate load, instagram marketing, itero, lab growth, lab management software, lab ownership, lab systems, laboratory, lithium disilicate, medit, milling machines, peer referrals, photogrammetry, pmma, primescan, quality control, reliability, remote designers, study clubs, technician, technician training, vertical integration, voices from the bench, workflow automation, zirconia
Elvis and Barb sit down with London lab owner Michael Joseph, who shares his journey from scooter courier to fully digital lab owner, including the hard lessons learned through COVID, Brexit, and rebuilding from the brink. Michael breaks down how committing to digital workflows, automation, photogrammetry, and rock-solid protocols transformed his lab into a scalable, referral-driven business. This episode is a powerful reminder that reinvention, consistency, and smart systems—not shortcuts—are what drive long-term success in today’s dental lab world.
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410: Helen Tanaka: From a Driver to the Bench and Knowing the Why
February 2nd, 2026 | 1 hr 8 mins
3shape, analog vs digital voices from the bench, arklign, attachments, bite blocks, bite records, case planning, case rescue, ce courses, chairside support, clearchoice, co-diagnostic, combination cases, continuing education, conversions, crown and bridge, dental, dental laboratory, dental materials, dental students, dental technician, dental technology, dentist collaboration, dentures, digital dentures, digital records, digital workflow, education, exocad, fundamentals, fundamentals first, fundamentals teaching, guided surgery, helen tanaka, implant courses, implant planning, implant restorations, lab driver, lab management, lab workflow, laboratory, locator attachments, mandibular advancement device, mentorship, microdental, model room, morphology, occlusion, orthodontics, overdentures, pathways, photogrammetry, quality control, removable prosthetics, removables, restorations, scanning, sleep appliances, sops, stackable guides, technical service, technician, technician training, training, troubleshooting, troubleshooting dentures, waxing copings, wire bending, workflow, zest
This week we talk with Helen Tanaka, a removable and implant specialist who started her career as a dental lab driver and worked her way into lab management, digital workflows, and clinical education. She shares her passion for dentures, occlusion, and implant restorations, emphasizing that technicians must understand the fundamentals and the why behind every step — especially in today’s digital world. The conversation covers guided surgery, digital dentures, doctor training, and the growing need for stronger removable education for both dentists and technicians.