After 75 Years at the Bench, Technician Still Going Strong

In 1947, 14-year-old Karl Wagner began working as a technician at a laboratory in Hungary; he’s still at the bench full time, 75 years later.

“In those days it was different, most people didn’t continue on to high school but went to work to help support their families,” says Wagner, who was hired at his neighbor’s lab when he finished eighth grade. “I got lucky; since I was a painter and liked working with my hands, I really enjoyed the work.”

Wagner was trained on the job in all aspects of dental technology and stayed at the lab until 1956 when he emigrated to the U.S. to escape the violence of the Hungarian Revolution. While he didn’t yet speak English, he had nearly a decade of experience under his belt and found a job right away at Brenner Dental Lab, a small full-service lab, in Danbury, CT—and he’s never left.

When the owner retired in 1979, Wagner bought the lab, changed the name...