Buddy Shafer, CDT: 'It Means Doing the Right Thing and Trusting the Rest Will Follow'

By Maribeth Marsico

Posted Jun 10, 2026 in Labs & Profiles

Owner, Bay View Dental Laboratory,
Chesapeake, VA; 40 technicians


LMT: What has most influenced your approach to creating a strong laboratory culture?


Shafer: My 30-plus years studying alongside Dr. Peter Dawson had the biggest impact. Not only was he one of the greatest teachers of dentistry, he was brilliant in his business philosophy: focus on long-term success in the service of others rather than profits for owners. While he was teaching dentists how to run a successful dental practice, I realized his philosophy could be equally valuable in my laboratory. Really, it means doing the right thing and trusting that the rest will follow.


To me, that means compensating key producers based on a percentage of sales/production, much like an associate in a dental or legal practice; providing technicians the best equipment and materials to do their best work; maintaining a continuous commitment to improvement...

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About The Author

  • Maribeth Marsico

    Senior Editor at LMT Communications, Inc. · Cheshire, CT

    A 30-year veteran of the editorial department, Maribeth loves getting to the heart of the story. She especially enjoys creating and analyzing reader surveys and staying in touch with our readers.

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