Displaying items 1-10 of 394 in total of Voices from The Bench with the tag "technician".
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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.
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409: John Wilson: Margins, Meaning, and Knowing When to Say No
January 26th, 2026 | 1 hr 6 mins
adaptability, burnout prevention, business alignment, craftsmanship, dental, dental lab ownership, digital dentistry, education, fundamentals, integrity, laboratory, lab–doctor relationships, leadership, legacy, margins, margins and meaning, mentorship, podcasting, pricing pressure, saying no, storytelling, sustainable growth, team culture, technician, trust, voices from the bench
Barb and Elvis welcome back John Wilson of Sunrise Dental Lab for a candid, reflective conversation about purpose, integrity, and longevity in the dental lab industry. John shares why he chose alignment over growth, how protecting his team and values reshaped his business, and why strong lab–doctor partnerships are built on trust, not price. The episode also dives into the inspiration behind his new podcast Margins & Meaning, focused on storytelling, connection, and reminding technicians they’re not alone.
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408: Rob Nazzal & Mike Alessio: From the Bench to the (icortica) Dashboard
January 19th, 2026 | 1 hr 7 mins
change management, customer retention, data visibility, data-driven decisions, dental, dental laboratory management, digital workflows, dsos, employee engagement, family-owned lab, icortica, lab culture, lab software integration, laboratory, leadership, magic touch, productivity metrics, quality control, quality metrics, real-time reporting, remakes, sales effectiveness, share of wallet, team alignment, technician, technician retention, transparency, voices from the bench
Rob Nazzal returns to Voices From the Bench with Mike Alessio of Bonadent to talk about leadership, culture, and using data the right way in dental laboratories. They discuss transparency around productivity metrics, the challenge of measuring quality, and how open communication builds trust and stronger teams. The conversation also highlights how icortica helps labs and sales teams use real-time data to improve retention, grow existing accounts, and have smarter, better-timed conversations with doctors.
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Episode 407: Dr. Miles Cone From Dinosaurs to Dentures & Finding the Art in Prosthodontics
January 12th, 2026 | 1 hr 6 mins
aesthetics, analog workflows, career journey, cdt, collaboration, craftsmanship, critique, dental, dental photography, dental technicians, dentures, digital dentistry, documentation, growth, ivoclar, lab artistry, lab day chicago, laboratory, mentorship, military dentistry, patient connection, prosthodontics, removables, storytelling, teamwork, technician, voices from the bench
In this episode, we talk with prosthodontist Dr. Miles Cone about his unconventional journey into dentistry, from studying dinosaurs and living out of his car to serving in the Army and earning his CDT. Dr. Cone shares how photography, lab work, and collaboration with skilled technicians transformed his approach to dentistry into a true blend of science and art. The conversation highlights respect for the lab, embracing critique to grow, and previews his upcoming Ivoclar Lab Day Chicago lecture on elevating removable prosthetics through intention and teamwork.
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406: Stuart Steinbock: Lean, Keen, and Milling Machines
January 5th, 2026 | 1 hr 2 mins
3d printing, additive manufacturing, aligners, articulators, cad/cam, carbon, casting investment, continuous improvement, crystal ultra, dental, dental equipment, dental manufacturing, dental mills, dental stones, digital dental, digital dentistry, direct-to-consumer dentistry, entrepreneurship, family business, full-arch workflows, industry evolution, international sales, iso compliance, lab efficiency, lab management, laboratory, leadership, lean manufacturing, milling systems, ortho appliances, orthodontic labs, process innovation, product development, quality systems, resilience, startup culture, technician, voices from the bench, whip mix, workflow optimization
Barb and Elvis talk with Stuart Steinbock about his deep family roots in dental manufacturing, the evolution of Whip Mix, and how lean thinking and product development helped shape modern lab workflows. Stuart also shares his journey beyond the family business into startups, 3D printing, orthodontic labs, and ultimately leading Digital Dental. It’s an honest conversation about innovation, entrepreneurship, and navigating change in both the dental industry and life
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Episode 405: George Cowburn, Robert MacLeay, & Kaylee Jilbert: From Flask to Mill with Lab Pilot
December 29th, 2025 | 1 hr 7 mins
3shape, analog workflows, cadcam, canadian dentistry, chairside efficiency, cloud cam, custom pucks, dental, dental milling, dental technology, denture design, denturist, digital adoption, digital dentures, digital relines, digital study club, digital workflows, esther schwinning, exocad, fit accuracy, framework design, hybrid dentistry voices from the bench, implant overdentures, innovation, lab workflows, laboratory, labpilot, milled dentures, monoblock dentures, monolithic dentures, open mills, partial dentures, perfit, pmma acrylic, redon mills, reduced adjustments, removables, roland mills, scan and mill, technician, titanium frameworks, trad-digital
This episode features George Cowburn, along with denturist Robert MacLeay and digital designer Kaylee Jilbert, as they explore the evolution of digital dentures and the launch of Lab Pilot, a cloud-based CAM solution built to simplify removable workflows. They discuss blending analog fundamentals with digital design to achieve better-fitting dentures, titanium partials, and faster relines—without massive equipment investments. Ultimately, the conversation highlights how “trad-digital” workflows may finally make digital dentures practical, scalable, and accessible for everyday labs.
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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.
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403: Live from Lab Fest 2025: Duff Wilson and the Importance of Good Vendor Relationships with Aidite
December 15th, 2025 | 1 hr 18 mins
aidite, cad/cam, 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.