Voices from The Bench

Hey Voices from the Bench community! Jessica Love here, sending a shoutout from Utah! If you’re passionate about creating natural, beautiful smiles—but want to simplify your workflow without sacrificing aesthetics—this is for you. I’m honored to be part of Ivoclar’s development team introducing a powerful new stain and glaze system featuring Structure Paste, IPS e.max Ceram Art. Create stunning depth and lifelike color in as little as one firing. Let’s continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change—one smile at a time. When it comes to digital dentures, design is easy—manufacturing is where things get messy. That’s why the Elevate Denture Solution brings it all together. Built by Roland DGSHAPE, Ivoclar, and FOLLOW-ME! Technology Group, it combines machine, materials, and CAM into one fully optimized workflow—so you get consistent, high-quality results without the guesswork. Want to simplify production and scale with confidence? Check it out at rollanddga.com/elevate. This week, Elvis and Barb finally track down the always-on-the-move Katie (now Katherine!) Wilcox to hear her journey from dental assisting to lab tech to helping shape one of the industry’s fastest-growing digital solutions companies. What starts as a conversation about avoiding small talk and loving lab life quickly turns into a deep dive into outsourcing, automation, and how labs are surviving (and thriving) in a post-COVID world. Katherine shares how her early curiosity in the back of a dental office led her into dental technology, why she fell in love with the bench, and what pulled her out of it into sales and software. From cold-calling labs during COVID to helping scale a global design center, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at how outsourcing evolved from “no way” to “no-brainer” for labs trying to manage workload and staffing challenges. The conversation shifts into the evolution from Evident to EviSmart, where the focus is now on automation, workflow optimization, and reducing the chaos of digital file management. Katherine breaks down how connecting systems, eliminating repetitive tasks, and adding AI-driven QC is helping labs do more with less—without sacrificing quality. 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: Katherine Wilcox.