Between our flagship facility in Seneca Falls, New York and our sister lab in Melbourne, Florida, we’re running multiple shifts to keep up with an ever-increasing demand for our products. The sheer volume of cases coming through the door requires close collaboration and a great deal of well-coordinated teamwork. Lab teams are structured around a lead or department manager who works directly with the dentist to design the case, which is then produced by the technical team and, in turn, QC’ed by the lead manager.
Through good and bad economic times — even now through this recent economic downturn — we’ve managed to continue on our charted course of measured, steady growth for decades. Because we are a full-service lab in a state of continual expansion, we are regularly pursuing candidates and experienced lab personnel for both our New York and Florida labs in nearly every department.
Read what technician, Denise Hand, has to say about her experience at BonaDent in an unsolicited letter to the President.Hard to believe sometimes — it’s all gone by so fast — but I’ve been at BonaDent for 15 years. This place is so much a part of who I am. What initially attracted me to BonaDent was the opportunity to work in an environment where family life and professional development are dually supported, not mutually exclusive.
Following the birth of my daughter Caroline, I had some health problems during maternity leave which left me with limited mobility in my hands. Imagine that, an established dental lab technician with bad hands... Luckily, I was given extra time to rehabilitate and was eventually welcomed back with open arms from my team, who I missed dearly. Now, my 4-year-old daughter goes to pre-school just down the hall in The Learning Tree, which makes coming to work every day that much easier knowing she’s actively learning and having fun so close by.
BonaDent has given me the opportunity me to travel the country to attend CE events and workshops to further my career ambitions — not to mention the countless CE events that take place in-house here at the Finger Lakes Center for Advanced Dentistry. The most rewarding part of my job is sharing this knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over the years with up-and-coming techs here in the lab. I love being a team leader and really enjoy being a manager, helping to nourish careers toward something as rewarding as my own.I’m John Ackley, Implants and Precision Manager at BonaDent. I’ve been lucky to have had a varied and fulfilling career, from a prestigious dental office in Manhattan as the in-house lab tech, to AirForce service in Texas and Washington, DC. Through the years I’ve acquired extensive knowledge in everything from precision milling and porcelain veneers to sleep apnea appliances. As a big proponent of education, I hold presentations to study clubs on subjects ranging from implant treatment planning to CAD/CAM clinical integration. I head up the advanced technology research team here at BonaDent; we look into emerging technologies in the dental industry and parallel applications from industrial manufacturing. And we get better at it every day.
Some of the projects I’m currently working on include digital impressioning and open architecture CAD/CAM communication between systems and CBCT/CBVT technology for implant treatment planning. Those that work with me know quite well that I love technology, and love to talk about it at any opportunity. I spend equal time helping docs build treatment plans as I do hammering away with my team to find workable solutions to technological challenges.
BonaDent helped make the move from Long Island to Seneca Falls an easy transition for me and my family. My wife and five children love it here, and will never forget the way we were welcomed into this close-knit community. As a New Yorker, I had reservations about moving far Upstate to Seneca Falls, but with Syracuse and Rochester nearby, there are big-city attractions and conveniences just a half-hour drive away. But life in the Finger Lakes is something very special on its own; it’s an amazing place to live.I moved to Seneca Falls in 2003, relocating after thirteen years under my belt as a dental lab technician in Michigan. Moving to New York State to work at BonaDent was much easier than anticipated, and I still remember well how the folks in the lab made me feel at ease and completely welcome upon arrival.
As Manager of the Cast Partials Department, my team is especially excited about our continual transformation into somewhat of a technology center here at BonaDent. We work with some pretty incredible machinery, with systems by Nobel Biocare, Bego, Ivoclar Vivadent, SensAble and Great Lakes Orthodontics. We work with teams across all departments at BonaDent, most often working hand-in-hand with our fixed and denture teams. Because we’re a well-resourced lab, we have technology in place that most other labs simply can’t afford to invest in.
Within our department—not to mention the company as a whole—I’ve seen techs make great strides in their careers, sometimes even moving between departments to find their particular strengths. Dental technicians can grow, excel and be promoted here. As one who’s worked in other labs, take it from me when I tell you, there’s no dental lab that’s anything like BonaDent. Period.