Voices from The Bench

439: Caroline Kirkpatrick: From Ear Molds to Digital Dentures

August 24th, 2026  |  1 hr 32 secs

30 years dental technology, 3D printing, 3d printed dental models, 3d printers, 3shape, 3shape dental system, 3shape dentures, Edinburgh, Glasgow, United Kingdom, accessible digital dentistry, acrylic dentures, adaptability, adapting to technology, additive manufacturing, aesthetic dentures, affordable 3d printing, affordable dental technology, aligners, alternative dental workflows, analog dentistry, analog dentures, analog to digital, bench technician, bench to clinic, better dental workflows, blender, bridges, cad cam, cad cam dentistry, cad dentistry, career development, career progression, caroline kirkpatrick, caroline kirkpatrick clinical dental technician, caroline kirkpatrick dental technician, ceramics, changing dental laboratories, changing dental technology, clear retainers, clinical dental laboratory, clinical dental technician, clinical dental technician scotland, clinical dental technician uk, clinical dental technology, clinical dental technology scotland, clinical 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Caroline Kirkpatrick shares her incredible journey from discovering dental technology by chance in Scotland to becoming the first female clinical dental technician to qualify in the UK. She talks about building her own lab, teaching, treating patients, and embracing digital dentistry while constantly looking for better, more efficient ways to work. It’s a great conversation about curiosity, education, digital dentures, and the importance of sharing what you’ve learned along the way.

Episode 435: Matt Everatt is Making the Invisible Profession Visible

July 27th, 2026  |  58 mins 50 secs

3D printing, 3d printing dentistry, Amazon Prime, Barb, Behind the Scenes, Business growth, Communication, Creativity, Leadership, Netflix, Positivity, Productivity, Storytelling, adaptability, adapting to change, additive manufacturing, agile business, agile dental laboratory, ai and dentistry, ai dental technology, ai future, ai in dentistry, ai trends, airway appliances, airway health, anaplastology, anti-snoring devices, artificial ears, artificial eyes, artificial intelligence, artisan, artistry, artistry in dentistry, attention to detail, attracting technicians, audible, audiobook, audiobooks, author, behind the restoration, behind the smile, better future, better health, better patient outcomes, better sleep, bite splints, bleaching trays, blockbuster, book recommendation, book review, book writing, brand positioning, british dental technician, building a business, building teams, business agility, business book, business coach, business coaching, business disruption, business efficiency, business excellence, business exit, business identity, business innovation, business lessons, business marketing, business mindset, business opportunities, business ownership, business processes, business profitability, business resilience, business strategy, business sustainability, business systems, cad cam, cad cam dentistry, career book, career change, career development, career inspiration, career journey, career stories, ceramist, change management, changing customer expectations, changing dental industry, changing lives, changing the narrative, changing the profession, client service, clinical excellence, clinical expertise, clinical partner, clinical partnership, clinical workflow, collaboration, collaboration over competition, commercial dental laboratory, community support, company culture, competing on price, competitive advantage, content marketing, convenience, corporate dental laboratories, corporate dentistry, covid impact, covid-19, craftsmanship, 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from failure, lessons from success, lessons learned, linkedin, lovefilm, low-cost dentistry, making a difference, mandibular advancement devices, mandibular advancement splints, market disruption, marketing, marketing strategy, matt everatt, matt everatt interview, matthew everatt, maxillofacial prosthetics, maxillofacial surgery, maxillofacial technology, mentorship, milling, mindset, modern consumers, modern dental laboratory, modern dental technician, modern dental technician career, modern dental technology, motivation, motivational book, neurosurgery, new opportunities, next generation technicians, nhs dental laboratory, nhs dentistry, niche marketing, night guards, nonfiction, obturators, occlusal appliances, occlusal splints, ocular prosthetics, on-demand service, open laboratories, operational efficiency, opportunity, opportunity in dental labs, opportunity in dentistry, opportunity in technology, optimism, oral appliance therapy, oral appliances, oral health professionals, 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Matt Everatt joins Elvis and Barb to talk about his incredible journey through the dental laboratory industry, from maxillofacial prosthetics and sleep apnea appliances to co-founding a successful dental lab and eventually writing The Invisible Profession. They dive into the challenges facing dental technicians, the dangers of becoming a "busy fool," and why embracing technology, standing out, and becoming a true clinical partner are essential for the future of the laboratory industry.

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.