About

Hello, My name is Cade.

I Bend Wires.

I have developed DesignerRetainer.com as a partner site to the online retainer acrylic designer RetainerDesigner.com as a way to spread the meager knowledge I have of the orthodontic lab industry to other technicians and future technicians.

My Background

I started in the orthodontic world as a Junior in High School. I was hired by my orthodontist to help him draw Cephlametric examinations and clean up the office every night after football practice. During the summer months I helped during the day sanitizing instruments, helping the assistants and the in-house lab tech with their jobs. During that same summer, they asked if I wanted to be an orthodontic assistant. I said “Sure”. Since then I worked every summer as and orthodontic assistant all the way through my college years and even some after! It was in this office that I first dabbled in the lab in the back, playing around making my own retainers and helping with study models (there was/is always help needed with study models!).

I went to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX on a track scholarship and pursued a pre-med/pre-dental degree. Still working every summer as an Orthodontic assistant/in-house lab tech.

After graduating, with a B.S. in Biology and applying a couple of times to the Dental schools here in Texas (with no luck). The doctor I currently worked for suggested I check out the Dental Laboratory School in San Antonio. By that time I was doing a bulk of the laboratory appliances.  I applied for lab school and got accepted.

(Since I have graduated they have split the school, moving the two year Associates Degree school to Alamo Community College but keeping the new four year program were you can get a B.S. in Dental Laboratory Sciences a the UTHSCSA Dental School )

That was 2 years of complete joy and fun! It really clicked for me there that I wanted to do this for a living. I graduated first in class with a specialty in Ortho. A few months later I took the test for, and received my CDT (Certified Dental Technician) designation. A few months after that I opened my own Orthodontic lab back in Stephenville,TX

October 2007 I launched www.RetainerDesigner.com as a fun, and modern, way for patients to design their retainers online.

March 2009 I started working for a lab in Dallas starting up and training a Ortho lab department.

2010 I started The Ortho Wire Podcast  as a way of sharing information in the very lonely profession of dental laboratory. When I started out there wasn’t much in the way of informational videos. Internet has changes everything!

2012 I was honored to be asked to Chair the Secretary/ Treasurer spot on the board of the Dental Laboratory Association of Texas (DLAT.org)

More to come…