Voices from The Bench

444: Mike Archibald: Finding Your Place at the Bench and Table

September 28th, 2026  |  1 hr 11 mins

Communication, Family, Fatherhood, Life Lessons, accountability, addiction recovery, aesthetic dentistry, archibald family, authenticity, barb and elvis, becoming a dental technician, becoming your best self, behind the scenes dentistry, being coachable, being present, cad cam dentistry, career development, career growth, career journey, ce, ceramic crowns, ceramic technician, coaching, community, confidence, continuing education, cosmetic dentistry, craftsmanship, crown waxing, dental aesthetics, dental anatomy, dental art, dental artistry, dental business, dental business leadership, dental cad cam, dental career, dental careers, dental ce, dental ceramicist, dental ceramics, dental coaching, dental community, dental conferences, dental craftsmanship, dental crowns, dental education, dental education community, dental education podcast, dental educator, dental industry, dental industry career, dental industry conversations, dental industry education, dental industry podcast, dental lab, dental lab community, dental lab conversations, dental lab education, dental lab education community, dental lab experience, dental lab family, dental lab leadership, dental lab owner, dental lab podcast, dental lab training, dental laboratory, dental laboratory education, dental laboratory family, dental laboratory history, dental laboratory owner, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory technician, dental laboratory technician education, dental laboratory technician training, dental leadership, dental lectures, dental lecturing, dental materials, dental materials education, dental mentoring, dental mentorship, dental milling, dental morphology, dental occlusion, dental patients, dental podcast, dental presentations, dental products, dental professional development, dental professionals, dental speaker, dental stories, dental technician, dental technician community, dental technician education, dental technician imposter syndrome, dental technician life, dental technician podcast, dental technician stories, dental technician training, dental techniques, dental techniques training, dental technology, dental technology podcast, dental technology training, dental training, dental waxing, dentistry, dentistry and life, dentistry podcast, difficult conversations, digital dental laboratory, digital dental technology, digital dentistry, digital design, digital detox, digital workflow, disconnecting, education, esthetic dentistry, experienced dental technician, family business, family expectations, family legacy, family time, family values, father and son, finding balance, finding purpose, finding your path, finding yourself, following your own path, function, functional aesthetics, functional dentistry, functional design, gc initial, getting outside, giving back, gold crowns, gordon christensen, gordon christensen dentistry, growth mindset, hands on training, harvest dental, healthy habits, healthy lifestyle, helping others, helping people, honesty, imposter syndrome, insecurity, jed archibald, john archibald, kelly and associates, lab management, laboratory dentistry, laboratory leadership, las vegas institute, learning dental technology, learning dentistry, legacy, life beyond dentistry, lifelong learning, living up to expectations, lvi, master technician, meaningful life, meaningful work, mental health, mentorship community, mike archibald, mindset, mindset coaching, natural dentistry, natural looking restorations, nature, occlusion, open bench, open conversations, outdoor life, overcoming addiction, overcoming adversity, overcoming challenges, overcoming imposter syndrome, overcoming struggles, parenting, patient care, patient centered dentistry, personal accountability, personal coaching, personal development, personal growth, personal journey, personal priorities, personal transformation, personal wellness, positive mindset, professional coaching, professional growth, professional imposter syndrome, public speaking, purpose, ray foster, real conversations, real talk dentistry, rebuilding your life, recovery, recovery journey, redefining success, relationships, resilience, restorative aesthetics, restorative dentistry, restorative dentistry lab, second chances, self confidence, self doubt, self improvement, self worth, slowing down, sobriety, speaking in dentistry, starting in a dental lab, staying coachable, stories from the lab, success, success in dentistry, success in life, supporting technicians, table 52, table 52 community, taking a break, taking responsibility, teaching dental technology, teaching technicians, technician community, technician conversations, technician development, technician journey, technician mentorship, technique education, third generation dental technician, transformation, treating every patient equally, unplugging, vftb, voices from the bench, voices from the bench podcast, vulnerability, waxing, work life balance

This week we sit down with Mike Archibald, the “black sheep” of the Archibald family, to talk about his journey through dentistry, family expectations, imposter syndrome, recovery, and personal growth. Mike opens up about the lessons he learned from his dad, his path into ceramics and education, and his vision for Table 52—a place for honest conversations about the struggles that happen behind the scenes. It’s a real and personal conversation about dentistry, life, and finding a healthier way forward.

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.

442: Michael Wandling: The Long Road to CDT of the Year

September 14th, 2026  |  1 hr 12 mins

2025 cdt of the year, Barb, Leadership, aidite, bruxzir, cad cam, career growth, cdt, cdt certification, cdt exam, cdt exam preparation, cdt practical exam, cdt written exam, ceramics, certified dental technician, complete dentures, continuing education, crown and bridge, crown and bridge technician, dental cad cam, dental ceramics, dental certification, dental certification exam, dental education, dental implant certification, dental implants, dental industry, dental industry podcast, dental lab, dental lab community, dental lab culture, dental lab leadership, dental lab management, dental lab mentoring, dental lab owner, dental lab podcast, dental lab success, dental lab training, dental lab workflow, dental laboratory, dental laboratory careers, dental laboratory education, dental laboratory industry, dental laboratory leadership, dental laboratory podcast, dental laboratory standards, dental materials, dental milling, dental podcast, dental tech podcast, dental technician, dental technician career, dental technician education, dental technician success, dental technology, dental technology career, dental technology education, dental technology industry, dental training, dental zirconia, digital dental laboratory, digital dentistry, digital workflow, elvis dahl, fixed dentistry, giving back to the industry, horizon digital, implant cdt, implant dentistry, keller dental laboratory, key opinion leader, kol, lab owner, laboratory innovation, laboratory management, lifelong learning, master cdt, mentorship, mike wandling, national board for certification, nbc, nbc exams, production management, professional development, prozir ultra, quality assurance, quality control, removable dentistry, study clubs, summit horizon dental laboratory, technician development, technician training, vftb, voices from the bench, zirconia

This week on Voices From the Bench, we finally sit down with the 2025 CDT of the Year, Mike Wandling! Mike shares his journey from starting as a dental technician in 2001 to becoming an educator, Master CDT, examiner, NBC Board member, lab owner, and now Operations Manager at Summit Horizon Dental Laboratory. We talk certification, education, the future of the CDT program, his “A-Team” partnership with Barb, and what it means to give back to the dental 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.