DPS' Lab Foundations: Helping Employees Understand the Big Picture

By LMT Communications, Inc.

Posted Aug 26, 2026 in Management

Like many laboratories today, Dental Prosthetic Services (DPS) in Cedar Rapids, IA, mainly hires employees with little to no dental technology experience.


“Our philosophy is that if we find someone with a strong work ethic and an eagerness to learn, we can teach the technical skills,” says Sarah Van Cleve, who has spent 18 years at the 120-employee laboratory in roles ranging from shipping and receiving to customer care, quality control and training.


To support that philosophy, Van Cleve developed Lab Foundations: Understanding the Systems, Structures and Language of the Dental Laboratory, a comprehensive 12-week program that gives new employees a broad understanding of how a dental laboratory operates before they become immersed in their specific department. The program has been in development, beta tested and refined for about four years with full implementation this year.


Following a day of HR onboarding, Van Cleve meets with new hires...

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About The Author

  • LMT Communications, Inc.

    LMT Communications delivers the business strategies, information, dental laboratory news and education that dental laboratory decision-makers need to succeed. In Print. In Person. Online.

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