5 things I cannot work without! By David North - Metrodent

5 THINGS

I CANNOT LIVE OR WORK WITHOUT!

By Dave North I Metrodent

ABOUT DAVID A. NORTH (RDT)

I started in the plaster room, as we all did then, at Riley Dental Laboratory. I worked for 30 years as a ceramist. Remember PJC, VMK, Captek, allceram - you name it! The first scanner I used was a piccolo! I am now Digital Manager at Metrodent, who would have thought that! Dental born and bred and still in dental! And still learning! I love to get out on my bike and chill with a glass of red - SIMPLES! Dental has changed a lot, is still changing and will carry on changing!

lWell after being a Dental tech/ ceramist for 30 years and now moving on into the dark side of being a rep for Metrodent! Covering technical digital installations, training well almost anything really, as like mucking in!

These are the things I could not live or work without...

1 TEAM VIEWER I would say or start by saying the first thing I cannot live with out now especially after all this covid malarky would be Team Viewer. This fantastic piece of software has saved me hundreds of miles and also gives the opportunity to help customers when they need most being a dental technician as most work long hours! Then boom something goes wrong, probably when you have that rush job to finish, and I probably make a rod for my own back by answering the phone and jumping on Teamviewer late into a Friday evening or even a weekend but when you have a glass of red in your hand! It doesn’t seem so bad, and always good to lend a helping hand when needed the most.

Easy to connect via laptop/pc or even phone to give support when required even stopping at Mcdonalds to pick up wifi to connect to that customer in need!

2 EXOCAD SOFTWARE So after covering Teamviewer, you need some software to support? So exocad software would be my next thing as without this I may not have a position as a digital/ technical Manager at Metrodent, and have no customers to support!

But have to say love exocad software - user friendly, stable and as easy or complex as you want it to be, a bit like learning and playing a video game really, and easy to configure to your lab requirements.

Not just exocad the software is now seamless with exoplan and chairside for all your planning designing then straight to print or mill! Who as a tech would want to live without it now? Suppose this sums up exocad in a few words - Seamless digital workflow.

3 RED WINE Well suppose we all have a vice so next thing is going to be a nice bottle of red! One needs to chill and this certainly helps after a days driving or sat at a screen, so a couple I would recommend would be Jam Shed or Jammy Red Roo, both help with a session of team viewer or exocad! Let´s be right, it can´t be all work no play!! 4 MOBILE PHONE If we are all being honest next thing which most of us utilise would be a mobile phone! Could be classed as being anti social to some but we all use them everyday in some way shape or form. Come on we all use one for communication social media even to the point of emails, booking restaurants ordering drinks and food! Well anything you want you can order through this anti social device!

But how would you cope with out it? How do you feel when you think you may have lost it? All those contacts and personal details! These things are not just a phone, they are a mobile computer, and we all rely on them more than we care to admit!

FAMILY So what’s the most important thing we can not live without, forget money, cars, gadgets, we all need that love and support of our family and friends to get us through those long hours and hard stressful times. We all need that person to turn to, to drink with to rant and rage at! Yep you have all done it!

Memories, good times! Not all good, but that makes you realise what and why, and why you put in those long hours, many miles and stress of dental software! I’ll say no more, I think you all know! Sometimes we take the simple things for granted! Life is too short, enjoy it while you can!

David North (RDT Digital Manager at Metrodent) and nearly 40 years in Dental but you have to love it!

If you would like to participate in our ‘5 Things I Cannot Work Without’ feature please email: editor@dentaltechnician.org.uk