Come join us at the Jensen Dental booth during the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo -

Elvis loves him some surgical guide design software. For years he has used a bunch of them, but it was when he started using RealGuide from ZimVie, he learned he found the best. Luckily a past podcast guest, Paolo Lubrano is using RealGuide everyday with his role at Implant Concierge. He is joined by Tiffany Schreppler who is the Product Manager at ZimVie. They both talk about their history with dental, how RealGuide came to be, what it does, and how it can help any lab take on a bunch of various cases easily with a more affordable option.

See Paolo demo RealGuide on June 3rd at 7:00pm eastern:

Special Guests: Paolo Lubrano and Tiffany Schreppler.

Come join us at the Jensen Dental booth during the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo -

We save a conversation from the Ivoclar Ballroom at Lab Day Chicago to release this week so if you are at Lab Day West you can go meet Mark Hidde from WINWINGO.com. Mark comes on to talk about owning a lab and seeing the struggles to find good talent. So he created a website where labs can create a profile to look for technicians and technicians can post that they are looking for a good lab. It's a different approach to a much-needed service in our industry.

Then we have a conversation with Chris Nevarez. Chris started his dental career with Patterson. From warehouse to customer service, Chris started to really understand the ins and outs of clinical dentistry. After his mother needed some dental work, Chris found a way for her medical insurace to help cover a lot of the cost. Now he is doing this for patients and clinics. The best part about all of this is that if more people have access to care, then that is more cases coming to the labs.

Special Guests: Mark Hidde and Chris Nevarez.

Come join us at the Jensen Dental booth during the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo -

Is the debate still going on for digital dentures? It is here and there is no going back. So as we move forward, how are we going to make sure that they are still done correctly? This is exactly what a dental technician and dentist are setting out to do. Robert Kreyer is an icon in the world of removables. From analog to the very first digitally manufactured denture, Robert has seen it all. Dr. Stephen Wagner has been doing removables for years and has embraced digital early in it's life. Together they talk about how digital dentures have evolved over time, the importance of knowing and using the fundamentals, and how the ultimate goal of digital dentures needs to be better and not faster.

Bigjawbone.com

Special Guests: Dr. Stephen Wagner and Robert Kreyer CDT.

Come join us at the Jensen Dental booth during the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo -

This week we wrap up the episodes that we got while in the Ivoclar Ballroom at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2025. First up is Federico Manes from MODJAW. Federico talks about discovering the world of dental, using his digital background to help a lab get digital, and how they have worked out a system to bring accurate jaw motions to all design software.

Then we meet Mellissa Everett. Mellissa loves being a dental technician. She loves it so much, she is usually working at two labs at the same time. She talks about finding out about dental, her desire to become a ceramist, and how her crazy work schedule has actually helped her become a better technician.

We then wrap up the episode with a different conversation. Two past podcast guests come on to give us a follow up. Sandra Puurits is from Finland. Jay Work is from Pennsylvania. Last year they meet at Lab Day 2024 for the first time. Now they are engaged and enjoying being them..... together.

Sandra's episode: https://www.voicesfromthebench.com/214

Special Guests: Federico Manes, Jay R. Work III, Mellissa Everett, and Sandra Puurits.

This week we bring 3 great conversation from the great Cal-Lab Association meeting that happened in February during Lab Day Chicago. First up is someone that has to put up with Elvis on a regular basis at Derby Dental Lab, Liam Johns. Liam talks about growing up with a technician father, becoming the removable manager at a young age, and how digital excites him for the future of dental technology.

Then we chat with two gentlemen from Wiand Dental Lab, Tom Wiand and Scott Lowrey. Tom tells the story of starting the lab in the early 90s, organically growing through the years, and keeping up with technology. Scott talks about going from selling burs to selling restorations 10 years ago. Now he does education, chairside support, and helps the lab succeed.

We wrap up the episode with former player for the Pittsburg Steelers, Matt Cushing. Once done, a buddy asked if he would do sales for his lab. Not knowing anything about teeth, it wasn't long before Matt found a passion for the industry and opened First Choice Dental Lab and is now (17 years later) a lab that has acquired other labs, grew to full service, and has a satellite lab in another state.

Special Guests: Matt Cushing, Liam Johns, Scott Lowrey , and Tom Wiand CDT.

The amazing people we talked to in the Ivoclar Ballroom during the 40th anniversary of LMT Lab Day Chicago just keep coming and this week we have a stellar line up.

First up is Eric Kukucka. Eric came on the podcast years ago to talk about his multiple denturist practices in Canada. But he has since sold them and has joined the Aspen Dental group as their Vice President of Clinical Removable Prosthetics & Design Technologies. Eric talks about going from making dentures for hundreds of patients to working with a team to produce quality dentures for millions.

Then we chat with Chelsea Homire, who has years of dental assistant experience, but when given the oppritunity to learn the in-office lab work, she took off. With a passion for printing, Chelsea is now teaching other offices (and even a few labs) how they can optimize their digital workflow.

We wrap up the episode with Brittany Mitchell. You might know her becuase she designed (and made the denture) on our "Just Say No to Brushing" shirt, but she's also a talented removable technician. Brittany talks about starting in at the front desk, drawing a picture that got notices and placed in the lab, falling in love with it, and making digital dentures for a 12 doctor dental group.

Special Guests: Brittany Mitchell, Chelsea Homire, and Eric Kukucka DD.

Way back in February, thousands of dental technicians gathered in Chicago for the 40th anniversary of LMT Lab Day Chicago. While stationed in the Ivoclar Ballroom, we got to talk to many wonderful people that make up our industry. We start this episode with a technician that followed his dentist uncle in Mexico and went to dental technician school. Christopher Hernandez soon found himself making sleep apnea devices for years before finding his new home at Clear Choice doing All-on-X cases.

Then we welcome back to the podcast, Greg Everett. Last time we talked to Greg, he was with a company that manufactured milling burs. Now he works on the whole mill with his new company Denteon. Specializing in Roland Mills, Greg provides a service to complete rebuild or repair your mill so you can continue to get your monies worth for years longer than expected. We suggest visiting denteon.com if you have any Roland Mills.

We wrap up the episode with Ivoclar's own Joe Braxon. Still talking about mills, but this time exclusively with Ivoclar mills. Joe is responsible for the installation, training, and service for all of the PrograMills. Joe talks about his background, finding Ivoclar, and what sets their mills above the rest.

Special Guests: Christopher Hernandez, Greg Everett, and Joe Braxton.

We are back from IDS in Cologne, Germany. THANK YOU exocad for hosting us and everyone, be prepared for some amazing new features coming to you soon! Along with a TON of crazy good conversations.

So when we got an email from the creators of a device that Elvis uses all the time asking to be on the podcast, we jumped at the opportunity. Luckly we were all going to be at the Cal-Lab Association meeting that happens the same week at Lab Day Chicago. This time, Elvis sits down with Danny Yao and Dr. Russell Crockett. Danny has a long history in sales with implants and full arch workflows. Dr. Crockett is a practicing Prosthodontist that loves to design better ways to do dentistry. Meeting awhile ago, Danny saw Dr. Crockett’s prototype for a way to get accurate full arch records using just an iOS scanner. Together they created OptiSplint and ArchTracer. Simply put, they screw onto MUAs, lute together, and you can get a series of scans pretty much guaranteed to perfect. Want to know more about this amazing workflow? Take a listen as we dive deeper into all that Digital Arches does.

Special Guests: Danny Yao and Dr. Russell Crockett.

Already we are missing everyone at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2025. Luckily, we talked to a lot of people that weekend and can still highlight some of the amazing people we met. First up on this episode is Julia Glancey who comes to Chicago all the way from the UK. Julia talks about her journey working for her dentist father, doing a little demolition, before finally finding a home in a dental lab. Entering the industry though management, it wasn't long before she was teaching herself the lab work and getting into full arch restoration. Now Julia is working with a team remotely from all over to provide exceptional care to patients.

Next we talk to Shavit Kohen, who is a student at the New York City College of Technology. The amazing thing is that before she has even graduated, she owns Spark Dental Lab in New York City providing everything from crowns to all-on-x cases. Shavit talks about her journey, starting at the front desk, to how a current student can open a lab with all the technology.

Then for the last conversation, we pivot to bring you Christine McClymont from exocad to talk all about what they have planned for IDS week! If you are at the show, make sure you stop by the exocad booth in HALL 1, booth A040/C041 and see all the amazing things Christine talks about.

Special Guests: Christine McClymont, Julia Glancey, and Shavit Kohen.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome back Renata Budny, our very first guest, alongside two inspiring students from the New York City College of Technology: Sevastiani Perselis and Rebca Nikedemos

The episode begins with Renata sharing her experiences over the past seven years, reminiscing about the first time she joined us at CDT Fest and how that moment sparked her journey with our podcast. This year, she brings along two remarkable students who have unique stories and backgrounds, each with a passion for dental technology.

Sevastiani, originally from Greece, shares her journey of moving to America at a young age with her family. She discusses the challenges of adjusting to a new culture and the differences in food and lifestyle. Sevastiani's determination led her to pursue her education in dental technology, where she found her calling. Her love for the craft shines through as she describes the joy of working in her father's dental lab and the satisfaction of seeing happy patients.

Rebca, on the other hand, comes from a lineage of dental professionals in Ethiopia. She recounts her family's history, with her grandfather being the first dental clinic owner in the country. This legacy inspired her to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in dental technology. As a first-year student, Rebca shares her initial fears and the excitement of learning in a new environment. She emphasizes the importance of making mistakes as part of the learning process, a sentiment echoed by her peers.

Special Guests: Rebca Nikedemos, Renata Budny, CDT, TE, and Sevastiani Perselis.