The Inventive Technician: the Development of lay:art style brushes from Renfert

Traditionally, dental brushes have been an adaptation of Aquarell brushes used by painters. However, painters and ceramists use their brushes differently: for instance, a painter moves the brush in the direction of the hair when applying paint but a ceramist moves the brush against the direction of the hair when picking up porcelain (see Figures 1-3).

My goal was to create a brush specifically for the ceramist that would fulfill all the requirements of optimal porcelain buildup. To do this, I researched brush preferences among my fellow dental technicians and learned the following:

All ceramists have their own technique for moisture control, tapering the tip, way of holding the brush and buildup method; even the type of mixing palette used can influence how the brush functions. If the brush doesn’t behave as it should, their buildup process falters, their rhythm is lost and...