The Bent Wire - An Orthodontic Lab Podcast

Are machines going to replace us?

Last week on The Bent Wire, we talked about the shortage of dental laboratory technicians. This week, I started wondering: if we're already short on technicians, could technology actually be part of the solution?

But what happens when the technology gets so good that we don't need the technician anymore?

In Episode 2, I take a look at how technology has already changed the dental laboratory—from plaster models and handwritten prescriptions to digital models, 3D printing, automated wire bending, AI-assisted design, and digital workflows.

I also talk about my own experience with the DenckOrtho Bender-S and how it has changed the way I work. It hasn't replaced me as a wire bender. It has changed what I spend my time doing—and moved the bottleneck somewhere else.

That's really the bigger question:

Did technology replace the technician… or did it change what the technician does?

We also look at AI, CAD automation, cloud design, 3D printing, and what the orthodontic laboratory technician of 2035 might actually look like.

And this is where I think foundational skills become even MORE important. A machine can produce a wire, but can you tell whether that wire is actually right for the case?

As I say in the episode, we have to understand both the traditional craft AND the technology.

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Do you think technology will eventually replace parts of the dental laboratory technician's job?

What technology has changed your lab the most?

Are you using AI, automated wire bending, 3D printing, CAD automation, or cloud design?

And what do you think the dental laboratory technician of 2035 will look like?

Leave your thoughts in the comments. I may feature your comments in a future episode of The Bent Wire.

👇 RESOURCES & LINKS

DentalRevolution.ai — "The Dental Lab Technician Isn't Disappearing. The Job Is Being Rewritten."

https://dentalrevolution.ai/article-dental-lab-tech-rewritten/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Maxinomics — Video discussing AI, automation, and jobs

https://youtu.be/zRv5kW5mAxM?si=0oT4Y4NeWDPFrro3

Orthodontic Lab Academy — Learn the foundational skills behind the technology.

https://www.skool.com/orthodontic-lab-academy-5726/about

Hawley Retainer Blueprint Desk Mat — My ortho-specific desk mat for digital designers.

https://retainer-designer-shop.fourthwall.com/products/retainer-blueprint-desk-mat

DLAT/ORG Southwest Conference & Expo — April 1–3, 2027 in Grapevine, Texas.

https://orthodonticresource.com/

Happy bending!

Cade

00:00 Are Machines Going to Replace Us?

01:02 Technology Has Already Changed the Lab

02:52 What Technology Has Already Replaced

05:10 From Manual Workflows to Digital

07:50 Did Technology Replace the Technician?

08:15 What Does "Replace" Actually Mean?

08:30 How Much of a Hawley Can a Machine Do?

13:32 Doing the Task vs. Understanding the Task

15:17 My Bender-S Experience

17:00 Technology Doesn't Always Save Time

18:00 My Bender-S Doubled My Productivity

19:40 What Can the Wire Bender Actually Do?

20:34 What Still Requires a Technician?

21:15 Would You Trust a Machine You Didn't Understand?

22:41 Why Foundational Skills Still Matter

22:58 This Episode's Sponsor... Me! 😆

24:17 AI, Automation & the Future of the Lab

25:00 The Bottleneck Is Moving

27:50 When Technology Makes the First Draft

28:20 Does the Appliance Actually Work?

29:00 Why Material Knowledge Still Matters

30:49 The Future Technician Is Not a Button Pusher

31:47 AI Is Changing the Technician's Role

33:45 Is Automation Making Wire Bending Better?

34:06 What the Data Says About AI & Jobs

35:33 What AI Can Teach Us About Jobs

37:35 CAD Automation Is Coming

38:02 What Technology Still Can't Do

40:15 Technology Doesn't Replace the Profession

42:08 What Does the Technician of 2035 Look Like?

44:23 What Might a Future Ortho Lab Look Like?

45:59 Cade's Humble Opinion

48:01 Who Is Going to Teach the Technician of the Future?

48:27 What's Coming in Episode 3?

Where did all the dental lab technicians go?

In the first episode of The Bent Wire, I dig into a workforce problem facing the dental laboratory industry: experienced technicians are retiring, fewer people are entering the profession, and accredited dental laboratory technology programs have declined dramatically.

I share the research that caught my attention, including BLS data, LMT’s State of the Industry survey, and a recent JDT article about the shrinking education pipeline.

But is technology part of the problem—or could it be part of the solution?

I also share my own perspective after nearly 30 years in the orthodontic laboratory industry, and why I believe the future isn't technicians versus technology. It's technicians USING technology.

We'll talk about digital workflows, 3D printing, AI, automation, training the next generation, and why we can't automate our way out of understanding what we're doing.

And this is just the beginning of The Bent Wire—a weekly conversation about the people, technology, business, education, and future of the orthodontic laboratory industry.

👇 RESOURCES & LINKS

Movix / Movix AI:
https://www.movixtech.com/solutions

Linkedin Areticle:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/retirements-outpacing-new-techs-31-marina-domracheva-0lwic/?trackingId=T0jZKQCfQVuuzOpKCQl4nw%3D%3D

"Where Did All the Dental Lab Technology Schools Go?"
https://youtube.com/live/-rXTSozjOI8?feature=share

BLS – Dental Laboratory Technicians:
2024 - https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/dental-and-ophthalmic-laboratory-technicians-and-medical-appliance-technicians.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com#tab-6

2025 - https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/dental-and-ophthalmic-laboratory-technicians-and-medical-appliance-technicians.htm#tab-6

Everyday Smart – Dental Lab Workforce Information:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DGAerGQhe/

Orthodontic Lab Academy:
https://www.skool.com/orthodontic-lab-academy-5726/about

Hawley Retainer Blueprint Desk Mat:
https://retainer-designer-shop.fourthwall.com/products/retainer-sketch-tee

DLAT/ORG 2027 Conference:
https://orthodonticresource.com/

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Are you a dental lab technician or lab owner?

Were you trained through an accredited school or on the job?

What percentage of your lab's work is digital?

Where do you think technicians fit into the future of the dental laboratory industry?

Leave your thoughts in the comments. I may feature your comments in a future episode of The Bent Wire.

Happy bending!
Cade