Experience, Work Ethic, and Trust-- All what differentiates Gergen's Orthodontic Lab

When I was invited for a personal tour of Gergen's Orthodontic Lab in Phoenix Arizona in December, 2024, I had no clue how impactful and incredible my experience would be seeing the amazing work and processes of this lab. First, the size of this lab is substantially impressive- with well over 50 employees ! David Gergen, the owner, set aside time with each of his leading technicians to spend time with me on every detail of the craftsmanship and the talented work they do. They all answered my series of questions with knowledge and experience. To me, that  is unparalleled to all other labs I’ve  visited in my life.

I begin my journey with Dave giving me a tour of each room and designated work area-- from the model room to the finishing room to the design and even the laser welding room. I was blown away at the flow and organization of the lab. The most important aspect of the work that was being shown to me is the consistency with all the quality checks, and the fact that Dave oversees all the finalization of the appliances being made. I honestly had to sit down and absorb it all in !!--- this is a man who worked tirelessly for over 4 decades and was working side by side with some of the greatest in orthodontics and sleep, such as Dr. Ricketts, Dr. Sugg, Dr. Speigel, Dr. Gelb, Dr. Serrano, and so many more (not enough room to list all). Furthermore, in my opinion, Dave's speed and the whole lab for that matter, falls nothing short of setting new world records, literally completing hundreds of quality appliances in one work day. With that said, the most heart warming thing about Dave is his humbleness and he often telling me, "I am just a normal guy."  After seeing him go to the lab on weekends, dedicating his life and career to making a difference in healthcare and advancing quality care, I was very touched by this opportunity to visit the lab.

The first couple of talented and experienced lab technicians were Will and Troy. To me, they are the "wire kings". They know and explained all the intricate details to  "roll" and not "bend" wires when necessary.  They know how to avoid contamination of wires when soldering/ welding, and they understand forces, retention and comfort of all the appliances that they make. The precision and detail that their amazing fingers are able to do when laser welding is beyond noteworthy. When I looked at the Cricket, Fixed Herbst, Crozat, Hyrax, OC's appliances, etc. as they're fabricating them, I can only describe it as ART. Yes, this is artistic talent.  Being able to see them use their hands to adjust with great detail how the wires and overall appliance sits on the model is fascinating. No wonder they make so many orthodontists, sleep dentists, or any doctors marvel at the quality of their work. Not only do they focus on considerations of undercut, fit, draw, finding exact location of hubs, tensile strength of the different types of wires,  etc., but also their communication with the doctor on all the specific preferences they wanted was executed with precision and quality. They have to consider how bad the bruxism and attrition is in the patient, where the parafunctional movements and location of teeth are, telescoping design, slop, lateral border movements, etc.  Anyone seeing this live in action would be floored by their talent and work ethic.

Next, I was with Josh and Seth in the finishing room and also model room seeing more amazing skills and work. Dave's KFC secret recipe of "salt and pepper" for the models simply made sense. If one is lucky enough to visit, perhaps Dave will explain his secret! Anyway, the trimming, finishing and level of care with each appliance, orthosis, retainer, etc. again was spectacular. These guys are the "Arbor Band and Cone Bur Kings". Well, it was apparent that Seth needed to keep up with the lab and decrease his level of chatter, but the end product of all that came out was simply remarkable and such excellent quality and fit. Josh had his headphones on, and I can definitely see his concentration and talent. He must go to the gym like me, and have the drive to produce and get things done. After the polishing and completion, I picked up several models and checked the fit and end product myself, and again, I must say "Wow!".

Next, I had a visit with the lab manager Chris. Chris, without out a doubt, is a key person in the lab. He cares DEEPLY for Dave and for the quality, success and image of the lab. This man can fill in any position of the lab and he does some amazing customizations for mouthguards and other appliances/splints. Again, his work is nothing short of art or magic. I bet he puts on so many smiles on the kids and sports patients, and he also does them at an incredible speed with proficiency. Chris also shows his dedication and loyalty to Dave, and nowadays, finding quality employees, especially managers like him is so difficult and rare.

Then, I went upstairs to visit Ian and also Jared and Johnny.  I briefly spoke to Teddy and he shared some of his experiences, but I spent most of my time upstairs with Ian, Jared and Johnny. Jared is the "digital king."  He definitely can be a full time computer IT guy if he wants to be. He is able to design the digital cases and have precision in the detail and craftsmanship of the work he does. He understands the important principles of draw, retention, fit, comfort, etc. for the appliances he designs. Not only that, Jared is remarkable at helping with the lab's online presence, website, and he even does amazing work for the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) online matters. And the apple didn't fall far from the tree with the Gergen boys. Johnny, all I can say is "Wow!" again with Johnny. He handles all the NFL clients and does research and development. He is able to show me detailed precision appliances made from Medical grade 5, 6, and other materials such as PMMA and it seems that the sky is the limit with what Johnny is capable of doing. Johnny, like everyone else in the lab, care deeply about the quality and image of the lab. He is so talented and he is also a great dad to his kid and a loving husband.

I will finish with Ian, but before I discuss Ian, I want to say that even though I didn't see the "twins- Nahrain and Nora" on this trip, I do work with them routinely as they make my wonderful and I repeat, wonderful Herbst appliances. I did meet them in person at the last ASBA study club meeting when I lectured, but I already know the quality of their work. They are both amazing, and yes, as identical twins, it was a "laugh out loud" experience trying to figure out who is who. (Hu is Hu, haha). Now, Ian, what a remarkable, young, talented and kind man he is. Ian does all the VIVOS, OC's, expansion appliances and boy, is he knowledgeable and so skilled. He also understands wires, forces and what is real and what is not. Certain gurus like to say wires do certain things, and Ian with Dave have both proven to me what is real and what is just done for hype. Furthermore, Ian is also capable and qualified to do more research and development on advancing and improving the intricacies of the expansion appliances without a doubt.

So, as anyone can see, this lab visit was nothing short of an unforgettable and eye-opening experience. Gergen's Orthodontic lab has proven to America, it has shaped, developed, led, and propelled the fields of orthodontics and sleep medicine. Their leader, Dave, comes with dedication, drive, relentless level of work ethic, and humility and humbleness. Other great people I know of who are like that are the same people he looks up to, such as Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  And, finally, it is with profound gratitude I have for this opportunity to visit the lab.

So I end with, a most heartfelt thank you.

Jerry Hu, DDS, DASBA, DABDSM, DACSDD