Gary Blevins: U.S. Navy

As a young Navy sailor, I got my start as a dental assistant which, back in 1984, was a prerequisite to attend the Navy’s dental laboratory program in San Diego. This experience was quite valuable in preparing me for a career in our industry. For instance, witnessing the doctor deliver a restoration to a patient gave me insight into how a talented technician could contribute to the overall success of a case.

My Navy training was well rounded, covering all areas of C&B and full and partial dentures, and prepared me to succeed in a full service lab environment. This was extremely helpful as the majority of my duty stations were in small labs with only a few technicians fabricating all types of restorations.

For example, from 1984-1987, I was assigned to the USS Saratoga CV-60, an aircraft carrier homeported in Mayport, FL. I was one of two technicians fabricating a variety of restorations for some 5,000 crew members. We honed our craft as technicians...