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Voices from The Bench

Voices from The Bench

By: Elvis Dahl & Barb Warner
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 A weekly podcast dedicated to the dental laboratory industry. Featuring anyone associated with the profession from all over the world. Host are in their own dental laboratory every day making teeth and interviewing people from the industry on their time off. New episodes every Monday morning.© 2026 Voices from The Bench Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Science
Episodes
  • 410: Helen Tanaka: From a Driver to the Bench and Knowing the Why

    410: Helen Tanaka: From a Driver to the Bench and Knowing the Why
    Feb 2 2026
    Join Ivoclar (AND US!) this February at LMT Lab Day in Chicago. Ivoclar will be offering 16 different educational lectures over the three-day event, giving dental professionals plenty of opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. Visit labday.com/Ivoclar to view the full schedule and register, and be sure to stop by and see the Ivoclar team in the Windy City. Walking the Lab Day Chicago floor? Make it worth it. Stop by the FOLLOW-ME! hyperDENT booth (E-27, East Hall) and take part in their Milling Roadmap—a quick, scavenger-hunt-style activity that leads you to key milling partners like Axsys, Imagine, DOF, and Roland. Collect stamps at booths you’re likely visiting anyway and get entered to win some great giveaways—including this year’s grand prize: a foldable Honda electric scooter. You’re already walking the floor. Now it might carry you. Come see and talk to Elvis and Barb at all these amazing shows coming up in 2026* Cal-Lab Association Meeting in Chicago Feb 19-20 https://cal-lab.org/LMT Lab Day Chicago Feb 19-21 https://lmtmag.com/lmtlabdayDental Lab Association of Texas Meeting in Dallas Apr 9-11 https://members.dlat.org/exocad Insights in Mallorca, Spain Apr 30 - May 1 https://exocad.com/insights-2026 This week Elvis and Barb sit down with Helen Tanaka — a removable, implant, and digital workflow specialist whose career started in one of the most relatable ways possible: as a dental lab driver. What began as a job delivering cases quickly turned into a full-blown passion once she stepped inside the lab and saw what technicians were creating. From trimming dies and waxing copings to managing labs, supporting implant surgeries, teaching doctors chairside, and leading removable and implant teams, Helen shares a journey built on curiosity, persistence, and a deep drive to understand the why behind everything in dental technology. Helen talks about working her way through crown and bridge fundamentals before discovering her true passion in removables, dentures, implants, and occlusion. After getting real-world lab experience, she attended dental technology school, studied all six specialties, and continued expanding her knowledge through advanced occlusion training and continuing education. She explains why understanding morphology, materials, and occlusal principles is critical — especially today — and why technicians must know more than just the steps of fabrication. For Helen, dentures and implant prosthetics offer the ultimate puzzle, combining anatomy, function, and problem-solving in ways that keep her constantly engaged. The conversation dives deep into digital dentistry, guided surgery, and removable workflows, with Helen sharing her early experiences launching digital denture and sleep appliance programs long before the workflows were polished. She discusses digital record capture, stackable surgical guides, implant planning, photogrammetry, and where digital still needs improvement — especially for removable prosthetics. While she embraces technology, she stresses that software is only as good as the technician behind it, and that skipping fundamentals creates bigger problems later. Digital is powerful, but it doesn’t replace understanding. Education is a major theme throughout the episode. Helen regularly teaches doctors and technicians, speaks at courses, supports live implant conversions, and works with dental students. She emphasizes that many clinicians today lack confidence in dentures and removable workflows, often because fundamentals are under-taught, and she sees technicians as essential partners in closing that gap. She and the hosts discuss how removable cases are frequently rushed, underpaid, and misunderstood — even though they replace a critical body function — and why slowing down, capturing correct records, and returning to basics solves many of the “mystery” failures labs see every day. Helen also shares stories from her time with large organizations and clinical teams, including MicroDental, ClearChoice, Arklign, and implant education centers, where she has worked in technical service, management, training, and quality oversight roles. She talks about networking, mentoring, never burning bridges, and investing in people coming up in the industry. Her approach to both dentistry and life centers around curiosity and accountability — always asking why, always backing decisions with data, and always trying to do the right thing even when no one is looking. Throughout the episode, the energy stays fun and honest, with stories about speeding delivery runs, early digital growing pains, chairside save-the-case moments, and the reality of fixing cases that skipped key steps. Helen brings passion, technical depth, and a strong belief that knowledge should be shared, not guarded. It’s a conversation about growth, fundamentals, digital evolution, and why great technicians still matter more than ever. If you want to grow your business, you need clear ...
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • 409: John Wilson: Margins, Meaning, and Knowing When to Say No

    409: John Wilson: Margins, Meaning, and Knowing When to Say No
    Jan 26 2026
    Join Ivoclar (AND US!) this February at LMT Lab Day in Chicago. Ivoclar will be offering 16 different educational lectures over the three-day event, giving dental professionals plenty of opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. Visit labday.com/Ivoclar to view the full schedule and register, and be sure to stop by and see the Ivoclar team in the Windy City. Walking the Lab Day Chicago floor? Make it worth it. Stop by the FOLLOW-ME! hyperDENT booth (E-27, East Hall) and take part in their Milling Roadmap—a quick, scavenger-hunt-style activity that leads you to key milling partners like Axsys, Imagine, DOF, and Roland. Collect stamps at booths you’re likely visiting anyway and get entered to win some great giveaways—including this year’s grand prize: a foldable Honda electric scooter. You’re already walking the floor. Now it might carry you.

    We welcome back longtime friend of the podcast John Wilson of Sunrise Dental Lab, returning for the first time since 2021—and this time as a fellow podcaster himself. What starts as a warm reunion quickly turns into a deep, honest conversation about passion, purpose, integrity, and what it really takes to survive (and stay sane) in today’s dental lab world.

    John reflects on the evolution of his lab, sharing why he made the intentional decision not to chase endless growth, but instead to protect his team, his values, and his love for the craft. He talks candidly about “yesterday thinking,” adapting to digital dentistry without abandoning fundamentals, and why aligning with the right clients—not just more clients—changed everything.

    The discussion dives into what true lab–doctor partnerships look like, why trust is earned (not given), and how saying “no” can sometimes be the most powerful business decision you make. John also explains why single units matter just as much as full-arch cases, how education keeps technicians relevant, and why racing to the bottom on price is a losing game.

    Later, the conversation turns personal as John shares the inspiration behind his new solo podcast, Margins & Meaning—a storytelling-driven project created to document his journey, connect with technicians who feel alone, and leave something meaningful behind for the next generation. He opens up about legacy, creativity, fear, change, and why being heard matters just as much as having something to say.

    Join us at exocad Insights 2026, happening April 30–May 1, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. This two-day event features powerhouse keynotes, hands-on workshops, live software demos, and top-tier industry showcases—all in one unforgettable setting. Barb and Elvis will be on site bringing you exclusive interviews, plus don’t miss the Women in Dentistry Lunch, celebrating career growth, wellbeing, and the real stories shaping our profession. And of course, cap it all off with the legendary exoGlam Night under the stars. Tickets are limited. Visit exocad.com/insights-2026 and use code VFTBPalma15 for 15% off.

    Special Guest: John Wilson.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • 408: Rob Nazzal & Mike Alessio: From the Bench to the (icortica) Dashboard

    408: Rob Nazzal & Mike Alessio: From the Bench to the (icortica) Dashboard
    Jan 19 2026
    Join Ivoclar (AND US!) this February at LMT Lab Day in Chicago. Ivoclar will be offering 16 different educational lectures over the three-day event, giving dental professionals plenty of opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. Visit labday.com/Ivoclar to view the full schedule and register, and be sure to stop by and see the Ivoclar team in the Windy City. Cal-Lab Association Meeting in Chicago Feb 19-20 https://cal-lab.org/ LMT Lab Day Chicago Feb 19-21 https://lmtmag.com/lmtlabday Almost three years after his last appearance, Rob Nazzal returns to Voices From the Bench, this time joined by Mike Alessio of Bonadent Dental Laboratory (https://bonadent.com/). The conversation dives deep into lab leadership, culture, transparency, and how data—when used the right way—can empower teams instead of policing them. Mike shares his 32-year journey with Bonadent, from starting as a pickup-and-delivery driver to leading the Danaren division, and explains how a family-owned lab has grown into a multi-location organization without losing its people-first culture. Rob and Mike unpack the realities of tracking productivity on the lab floor, the challenges of sharing metrics openly, and why transparency builds trust, alignment, and accountability when done with intention. The discussion shifts to quality vs. productivity, the difficulty of truly measuring “quality,” and why labs must lead with craftsmanship before numbers. They also explore how digital workflows, QC processes, and proactive communication with doctors impact remakes, efficiency, and relationships. On the sales side, Rob breaks down how icortica (https://www.icortica.com/voices) helps labs grow by focusing on existing customers, improving retention, and giving sales teams real-time insights into what conversations they should be having—right before they walk into an office. Mike and Elvis share firsthand experiences using icortica (https://www.icortica.com/voices), highlighting how real-time data, centralized notes, and smart alerts change the way sales reps prepare, prioritize, and perform. The episode wraps with a look at Bonadent’s unique culture (including their famous converted Walmart lab), long employee tenure, and why investing in people, transparency, and the right technology is the real key to sustainable growth in today’s dental lab landscape. If you want to grow your business, you need clear insight into what’s happening inside your operation and across your customer journey. That’s where Icortica comes in. At Canadian Dental Labs, Icortica has become a cornerstone of how we operate—giving us at-a-glance visibility into performance, helping us focus our efforts, spot opportunities early, and solve problems before they grow. It takes the guesswork out of decision-making and shows us what to do next. Plus, the Icortica team is incredibly responsive and feels like a true partner in our success. If you’re serious about growing your business and understanding your customers better, Icortica can get you there. Learn more at icortica.com/voices — Icortica, helping dental labs grow. Special Guests: Mike Alessio and Rob Nazzal.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
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