Duane Baluke, RDT: He Sincerely Cares

By the Baluke Dental Studios team

Duane Baluke is a second-generation* dental technologist whose father co-founded Shaw Dental Laboratory, at one time the largest laboratory in Canada. After his father passed and the laboratory changed hands, Duane and his brother Walter (aka “Skip”) opened Baltor Dental Laboratory, which eventually evolved into Baluke Dental Studios. 

Now 71, Duane still has no plans of slowing down or retiring; he loves his job that much. He vacations in Florida for a couple of months each year but we always hear from him a few days after his departure, telling us he’s ready to come back.

In fact, he’s actively involved in everything at the lab. For example, if there’s a case that involves more than three departments, we’ll meet for a roundtable discussion. These meetings sometimes go on for hours, but Duane is always there,...