Voices from The Bench Elvis Dahl

Our first episode since returning from the AMAZING Exocad Insights meeting in SPAIN! Thank you to all the wonderful people that put on the show and to everyone that stopped by and recorded with us. We can't wait to release all the episodes!


Go show some love to Jaume Aisa Moreno who is reuniting Elvis with his podcast laptop!


Shaana Gripp started off as a dental assistant because of her grandmother. After getting into doing some lab work, found out that she really enjoyed it. In the early 2000s she was exposed to CEREC and a passion for designing started. Moving to a full-time position in a lab was where she picked up all the skills as they moved her from models, waxing, and eventually ceramics. Now Shaana is running an in-office lab that does the work of 8 dentists in 4 locations. Shaana talks about her journey, learning how to self-teach, daily life in her lab, and how photography plays a big part in her full arch work.


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guest: Shaana Gripp.

Voices From the Bench is headed back to Florida for the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo all thanks to the great people at Jensen Dental. You know, the makers of MIYO!. Come visit Elvis & Barb in the Jensen booth June 7 & 8 in Orlando. Register today at FDLA.NET!


After countless past guests on the podcast (and Barb) sing the praises of the MIYO system, it only makes sense that we talk to the makers of it, Jensen Dental. Kevin Mahan has been with Jensen Dental for 32 years and has seen the company go from alloy and refining to a leader in the ceramic space. Kevin talks about his journey, the story of how they got the name MIYO, and how he meet Kite Saito. Kite is an amazing ceramist from Ozark Prosthodontics. He talks about his journey to America to fulfill a dream of being a blues guitarists, learning about the dental technology program at the LA city college, working in Beverly Hills, taking Ed McLaren’s course, and so many great tips and tricks he has learned over the years with MIYO.


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guests: Kevin Mahan and Kite Saito, MDC, CDT.

Voices From the Bench is headed back to Florida for the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo all thanks to the great people at Jensen Dental. You know, the makers of MIYO!. Come visit Elvis & Barb in the Jensen booth June 7 & 8 in Orlando. Register today at FDLA.NET!


Most people don't like to talk about health insurance. Because it's usually with some insurance broker that doesn't know anything about the dental lab industry and is just looking to make money off of us. But one man is changing all of that. Michael Clark was the Senior Vice President of Domestic Sales and Marketing for Argen for 10 years. Michael spent years learning, helping, and growing dental labs around the country. After some personal "events", Michael decided to fall back on another passion of his, providing good employee benefits. But because of his love for the dental lab industry, he is focusing on labs and technicians. Michael talks about his history before Argen, life at Argen, and how a few simple (and inexpensive) changes a lab can make to benefit every employee that works there.


https://www.mbclarkcompanies.com/


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guest: Michael Clark.

It's time again to raise money for the Race For the Future 10.0! This year it's being held in Fort Worth, Texas on September 15th. Go to dentallabfoundation.org and click the “donate today” button. Log in or create an account, then select the “Race for the Future” option and enter The Abutments or Barb Warner to donate. All the money goes towards furthering the education for dental technicians.


Voices From the Bench is headed back to Florida for the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo all thanks to the great people at Jensen Dental. You know, the makers of MIYO!. Come visit Elvis & Barb in the Jensen booth June 7 & 8 in Orlando. Register today at FDLA.NET!


This week we showcase that last 4 conversations we got while in the Ivoclar Ballroom at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2024.


First up is Randi James from Renstrom Dental Studio and Carrie Ling from Lifelike Dental Studio who talk about meeting for the first time and forming an important friendship that has helped them grow both of their labs.


Then we are visited once again by David Lesh from 8&9 Consulting who gives us all the low down on gross profit margins, cost of good sales, and how labs can make a few changes to go from breaking even to turning a profit.


Following up is Nitasha Rizvi who does ALL the work for a surgical group within a DSO. She talks about going the New York City College of Technology and finding her way to be a technician and teacher at Harvard.


We wrap up the whole weekend with a stellar cast of dental technicians from the UK. Bethany Brown, Lola Welch, and Julia Glancey stop by to tell us about their experience of coming to America, comparing Lab Day to show in the UK, and what they are speaking on for some upcoming shows.


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guests: Beth Brown, Carrie Ling, David Lesh, Julia Glancey, Lola Welch, Nitasha Rizvi, and Scott & Randi James.

Want to go on the ULTIMATE exocad vacation? Endless fun, epic weather, amazing food, exotic culture, and two days all about the greatest software in dental, exocad. Join Elvis and Barb on May 9 and 10 on the beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca. It's called exocad Insights 2024 and it's full of amazing speakers, great breakout sessions, evening events, and attendees from all over the world. Don't wait, register today at exocad.com/insights2024 and use the code VFTB15 to save 15% off the fee. We will see you there!


Voices From the Bench is headed back to Florida for the FDLA Southern States Symposium & Expo all thanks to the great people at Jensen Dental. You know, the makers of MIYO!. Come visit Elvis & Barb in the Jensen booth June 7 & 8 in Orlando. Register today at FDLA.NET!


We are back to the episodes we got while in the Ivoclar Ballroom at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2024.


First up is a group of designers from Ziemek Dental Lab out of Washington State. What's cool is that only one for them actually works in the lab. Nichoel Burdge is the cad/cam manager and currently has 13 remote designers around the country. Joining her in Chicago is Kay Fritze from Michigan and Allison Cook from Nebraska. They all talk about the dynamic of having remote workers, communicating between themselves and the dentists, and staying disciplined when you can work in your pajamas.


Then we are joined once again by Jen Ludwig who talks about her new role at her new home, Renstrom Dental Studio. She's also joined by Mike Claugherty who has a unique story of being the only dental technician stuntman when he was used for the dental scenes in "A Serious Man". Check out the scene here: https://youtu.be/Rru5jRWqj0c?si=aRgoI2rMCZO8YSoJ


We wrap up the episode with two technicians that have made the better articulator. Scott Gallacher & Dee Grimm from Black Diamond Innovations talk about their extensive history in the industry, why and how they made a better articulator, and how they keep in relevant with digital models.


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guests: Allison Cook, Dee Grimm CDT, Jennifer Ludwig, CDT, Kay Fritze, Mike Claugherty CDT, Nichoel Burdge, and Scott Gallacher.

The shirts and hoodies are BACK! Back in January we sold "Dental Technicians: Making Dentist Look Good since the 1700s" shirts for Lab Day. So many people asked us to bring them back, so we did! Get them here before April 18!
https://www.bonfire.com/vftb-the-zippered-hoodie-era/


This week we talk all about the exocad event of the year, exocad Insights 2024. Christine McClymont is the Global Head of Marketing and Communication for exocad and comes on to tell us all about the speakers, topics, the expert’s corner, and parties that are happening May 9 and 10 in Mallorca, Spain. Also joining her is Dr. August de Oliveria who is a speaker at Insights, but also talks about his journey in digital, some of the lessons he has learned, and what he’s doing now with virtual reality and augmented reality in dentistry.


The Vectra Face Scanner Dr. de Oliveria talked about: https://www.canfieldsci.com/imaging-systems/vectra-m3-3d-imaging-system/


Want to go on the ULTIMATE exocad vacation? Endless fun, epic weather, amazing food, exotic culture, and two days all about the greatest software in dental, exocad. Join Elvis and Barb on May 9 and 10 on the beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca. It's called exocad Insights 2024 and it's full of amazing speakers, great breakout sessions, evening events, and attendees from all over the world. Don't wait, register today at exocad.com/insights2024 and use the code VFTB15 to save 15% off the fee. We will see you there!


Wanting to take your knowledge and skills to the next level? If you are looking for the best education dedicated to dentistry in both the labs and clinics, check out Ivoclar Academy.

From on-demand webinars to in-person training, Ivoclar Academy has a program to meet your busy schedule. Check out all they have to offer HERE!



Whether you are looking to elevate your craftsmanship or looking to cut back costs, look no further – VITA MFT Teeth are the ultimate solution for creating lifelike and stunning smiles.

Crafted with precision and backed by cutting-edge technology, VITA MFT Teeth offers unparalleled esthetics and durability. And since VITA believes in the power of experiencing excellence firsthand, for a limited time only, they’re offering you the chance to get a complimentary case sample. That’s right, a full case, absolutely free. Just visit vitanorthamerica.com/freemft

Don’t wait any longer to start providing your customers with a premium tooth at an economy price. Redeem your free case sample and if you’re ready to buy, VITA will even give you an extra 10% discount by shopping online on their newly launched online store.

Join the VITA family today.Special Guests: Christine McClymont and Dr. August de Oliveira.