Transcript
Speaker: Dental Fuel, the podcast that focuses on what no one else is talking about. Mistakes. The dental world is full of before and afters and no one is talking about the middle. Dental Fuel brings you the unspoken in -between. Dental Fuel is brought to you by Ignite DDS Coaching, empowering dentists to build self -determined futures.
Speaker: Together, we're shaping the next generation of leaders in dentistry. Working as a team is important in a clinical setting, but also in a dental lab. Elvis shares his humorous and insightful perspective on challenges and joys he has experienced in a lab environment. Let's tune in.
Speaker: I'm curious to know a little bit about teamwork and building a team in a lab and maybe some teams that you have seen be a little bit dysfunctional or functional, both in a lab setting and in a clinical setting.
Speaker: There's no such thing as dysfunction in a lab. Are you kidding me? Yeah, it's just harmonious and everything works fantastic. Rainbows, unicorns, we dance all day. Oh, yeah. Wow. You know, we have as much drama as you have clinically. You know, we all share those exact same problems, you know.
Speaker: drama and issues and people's personal lives getting mixed in we we see it on we work just as much as close as you do in the clinical office, you know, I mean, I would say the the biggest thing is with technicians is we all we all want to touch it. We all want to put our whatever on it. We all want to I don't care if it comes out from the last technician, it comes to me and the thing is beautiful. I'm probably still going to go and just be like, yeah, well, you know, just needed that, you know, and it really helped you. Yeah. I just, I just have to touch it digitally and model less. We're getting a little bit farther away from that, which is probably a good thing. Um,
Speaker: Every technician has an opinion. you know I always used to say you could have three scans from the same patient, go to three different labs, you'll get three different crowns. They'll be similar, but they'll all be slightly different. Because if we all have an opinion on what's right. um I would say that's probably the the the most unique thing with labs compared to you know just any other business and our personnel issues.
Speaker: Clinically, what do I see? Same thing. Yeah, yeah I would say, I mean, we're we're not that different really from what I'm hearing is we have similar problems issues. We have a similar opinions. You get 10 dentists in a room, you're going to get the same things. well Absolutely. The only difference is is we're usually in the basement in the dark and you guys are, and you have to talk to the public. We don't have to talk to the public. We don't put our hands in people's mouths.
Speaker: Yeah. Y 'all are kind of like a radiologist kind of hidden in the dark gargoyles. Yep. I worked 13 years in a basement at a lab. Wow. Yeah. How did, how does, um, like I'm assuming it had fluorescent lighting. Is that, does that impact or effect? We had color correcting lighting and then on the bench, there's special bulbs that you get for proper lighting and the ceramics have their own thing, you know.
Speaker: Okay. Um, are there things that you miss doing working on the bench? Yeah. I miss the people, I honestly do. I mean, drama aside, it was fun to really work with people. um I miss the, this is gonna sound crazy, but every lab is basically putting out fires all day long, right? I mean, every business is, but labs especially. Any lab that tells you they don't, they're lying. and um And that was my job, putting out those fires. And when I stopped doing that, it was hard.
Speaker: for me to like, I have to find work compared to work being thrown at me when I was in the lab. I mean, people were walking up to me all day with the case pans and this problem and this and this, this person needs a call and I need you to handle this. And I didn't even have to plan my day, but now I have to, you know, it's different. different Yeah, just different. Yeah. Sometimes those fires just add a little bit of spice to her life.
Speaker: i I was good at it, I guess. What about you, clinic as a clinician, do you take finances as choosing a lab?
Speaker: That's a great question. And now you're interviewing me. The tables, the bench has turned. It has. So I'm in a different, a little bit different kind of setting. And and so I'm in a public health setting, okay yeah you know, to, you know, I don't have a whole lot of oversight on the actual bill. So, you know, I could probably choose any lab that I'd like, but to help keep costs down. Absolutely. I try and see, um,
Speaker: you know, different labs that are at least close together. And I try and stick to those labs and they're good. and And it's hard because being in a rural area, we don't have anybody close by. Like I would love for somebody to come by, you know, chair side and and help me out and give me their opinion. But it's just, it doesn't happen out here because we're just a little bit too far. I'm really not that far from, from the main city, but no one wants to travel out here, which is kind of challenging, but interesting. Yeah. You'll be surprised how many clinicians don't want my help.
Speaker: Hmm. It's really surprising to me. Like they'll send work. They have an issue and like, let me know, when can I be there? When's the patient? And they're just like, no, it's okay. We got this. I'm like, okay. Why do you think that is? I don't know. I don't know if they're worried of of an ego. If they're worried that they know what they're doing wrong.
Speaker: Or they just don't care. And let me tell you, there's people in the world that are like, you know, of course mean don't get me wrong. There's, there's dental offices out there that need inexpensive lab work. Cause they're dealing with a Medicare, Medicaid, you know, low income population. I get it. You know, um, but I don't think money should be your only choice on choosing a lab. And it's not always quality of work either. Right. Right. Yeah. Like I mentioned, sometimes it's communication.
Speaker: Sometimes it's turnaround time. Sometimes it's, you know, willingness to help someone you can treatment plan with. You know, there's a lot of labs using, I mean, there's a lot of clinicians out there using the big labs like Glidewell and stuff. um You call over there, you never know who you're talking to. Right. Yeah. And that, if that fits your office, more power to you.
Speaker: Yeah, you know, we use Glidewell for a few things, but there are a few things that I absolutely just won't use them for sure ah because the consistency, right? They're just, it's hard to have that consistency. And if I can get ahold of a similar lab tech, man, I just tried to latch onto them.
Speaker: And you know you have periods of consistency and things are great and it's it's seamless and it's nice. ah But there are other periods where it just doesn't doesn't work out that way. um But you know going going back to having somebody come out chair side, in El Paso, we do have somebody who is a registered dental assistant as well. He has his own lab and he'll he'll go into the clinic and he'll help. And from what I and understand, people really welcome that.
Speaker: And I would love to welcome that, you know, I'm always me and I'm here to learn. I feel like just dentistry is just so big. And, uh, you know, you all see a different end of what dentistry is from the other side. And so anything that in in my opinion, anything that you all can impart to make things better, I think is just so huge and so rewarding. And, and, and vice versa, right? I have learned so much in my last year and a half with Derby being chair side. It's unbelievable.
Speaker: what I've been able to pick up. And then I share it. I hope our conversation with Elvis Dahl has allowed you to appreciate your lab technician a little bit more. Tune in next week where Elvis bestows some expert advice. Ready to take the next step in your journey? Book an intro call with Ignite DDS Coaching today and level up your future in dentistry.
