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Ashley Byrne reflects on 20 years of surviving the threats that were supposed to kill dental technology – and why the best is still to come. Twenty years. Two decades of early mornings, late nights, difficult conversations, and genuinely incredible moments. It’s a milestone I’m proud of – but more than anything, it’s made me reflect on…
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Ashley Byrne stresses the importance of normalising change in the dental lab – and how leadership, trust and learning from mistakes can help. Change is the only constant in dental technology right now. New materials, digital workflows, automation, AI-assisted design and the list keeps growing. Yet for many lab owners and technicians, the idea of…
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Ashley Byrne considers the latest existential threat hanging over the heads of the dental technology sector: automation. Every few years, dentistry gets its latest existential threat: CAD was going to kill the technician, milling was going to commoditise us, printing was going to flood the market with poor quality, cheap dentistry. And now, apparently, automation…
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Small interruptions add up in a dental lab – Ashley Byrne explains the impact of admin friction on efficiency, morale and mental load. When people talk about the cost of running a dental laboratory, the conversation is usually predictable. Materials are up. Energy bills are painful. Recruitment is difficult. Wages are rising, and rightly so. All…
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Though 2025 has been a challenging year for dental labs, it may still be the best time to be a dental technician – Ashley Byrne explains why. Spend any time scrolling through professional forums or chatting with other lab owners and you could easily come away thinking the dental technology world is in constant crisis.…
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Ashley Byrne highlights some common issues that crop up in communication between dentists and technicians, and why a ‘call me’ lab ticket can cause more confusion than clarity. We’ve all seen it. The dreaded lab ticket with those two little words: ‘Call me.’ No details, no prescription, no hint of what’s needed, just a vague message…
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Ashley Byrne explains why dental technicians’ mental health is suffering and how they can seek support to improve it. Let’s be honest. Running a dental lab right now is tough. It’s always been a juggling act but lately, in my role as Dental Lab Association (DLA) communications officer, I am seeing an alarming rise in…
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Ashley Byrne explains how closing the skilled worker visa route for dental technicians, hygienists and dental nurses will impact UK dental technology. As a dental lab owner employing a highly skilled team of overseas dental technicians, I’ve spent the last few years watching our profession quietly slide into crisis. But the UK government’s latest immigration…
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‘You are worth charging for’ – Ashley Byrne explains some of the key mistakes dental labs make when pricing services. Busy doesn’t always mean profitable Dental technicians are a proud bunch. We work hard, we solve problems, we get the job done. But somewhere along the way, many labs have backed themselves into a corner…
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The future lab: Ashley Byrne discusses what he believes lies ahead for dental labs in 2030 and how they will need to stay relevant. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the phrase ‘the lab of the future’. It usually pops up alongside a slide showing some glossy 3D printer that claims to…
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This shift to automation in dental labs is inevitable, says Ashley Byrne. But does it threaten the future of dental technicians, or is it an opportunity we should embrace? As the dental technology landscape evolves at breakneck speed, one question I have noticed starting to appear is, ‘is full automation in the dental lab a dream…
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In an effort to bridge the knowledge gap between labs and dentists, Ashley Byrne shares what labs wish every dentist understood. Ask any dental technician and they’ll tell you – digital dentistry is revolutionising the way we work. Yet, despite its widespread adoption, a disconnect remains between dental labs and dentists when it comes to…
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Ashley Byrne shares why investing in a support team is not just beneficial for your lab, but essential for the future of the industry As dental laboratory owners, we are deeply embedded in manufacturing. Our industry, often described as a cottage industry, thrives on the skill and precision of highly trained technicians. However, with the…
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How do we keep up with the changing industry and who can we trust? Ashley Byrne shares his tips for staying ahead. The digitisation of dental technology has rapidly transformed our industry. For many dental technicians, digital workflows are now the norm, and it’s hard to imagine running a lab without them. However, not every…
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Following a challenging year for dental technology, Ashley Byrne discusses why dental technicians have reasons to be hopeful in 2025. This year has been challenging for dental labs. A general election, a new government and a tough budget have left many employers frustrated with the current economic climate. Patient demand has been unpredictable, and many labs…
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‘Quiet times are inevitable, but they don’t have to be your downfall’: Ashley Byrne discusses the dangers of a quiet lab. For many of us, 2024 has been a challenging year. Sales have been flat, the dental industry isn’t seeing the growth it once did, and the latest government budget seems to have done little…
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General Dental Council (GDC) CEO Tom Whiting recently visited Byrnes Dental Lab to learn more about dental technology – Ashley Byrne shares how it went. Earlier this year, at a General Dental Council (GDC) stakeholders’ meeting, I presented on the pressing issues facing dental technology, such as a shrinking workforce, outdated educational offerings and a…
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Ashley Byrne shares how to digitalise your lab as pain-free as possible, and why making the transition is critical to survival. I regularly write about digital workflows, and in my laboratory, crown and bridge and implant workflows now involve at least one digital stage in 100% of cases. From IOS (intraoral scanning) to model printing,…
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Ashley Byrne shares why change in the dental lab is both essential and uncomfortable, and his tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Change is essential. I firmly believe that if your company isn’t changing and evolving, it’s effectively stagnating and ultimately dying. Companies that remain dynamic and continuously evolve are often the…
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