Lee Ann Brady, DMD's Dental Blog

  • Home
  • About Dr. Lee Ann Brady
  • Dental Practice
  • Categories
    • Dental Materials
    • Esthetic Dentistry
    • Occlusion/TMD
    • Practice of Dentistry
    • Preventive Dentistry
    • Restorative Dentistry
    • Restorative Techniques
    • Treatment Planning
    • Videos
    • A-Z Topic List
  • Speaker’s Packet Request
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Restorative Dentistry / The Magical Brownie Point

The Magical Brownie Point

By Lee Ann Brady on 10.23.12Category: Restorative Dentistry, Restorative Techniques

Direct Composite Procedure kit

I have spent the last two days at the ADA Annual Session teaching on topics from occlusion to provisionals. One conversation kept coming up over and over, so I thought it is a perfect topic for a post. I was amazed at how many times I found myself discussing using a brownie, silicone polishing point, in a high-speed handpiece in my office. So first, as a caveat, you can not run a brownie point at full speed in a high-speed handpiece, it will turn into a silicone grenade. I work with electric handpieces, so I dial them down to half speed. If you are using air driven, simply press lightly on the rheostat so you do not get full power.

The magic of a brownie, is that it will very effectively cut resin and is very ineffective at cutting the tooth structure. In a previous post I discussed that a brownie is one of the most important burs I use when placing a direct composite. I try not to leave a large amount of excess composite beyond the margins, but the brownie allows me to feather the composite right to the margin without damaging the enamel at all. This creates an invisible interface between the two, that is hard to detect even with an explorer. A brownie is also a great bur to have out when fabricating provisional restorations from bisacryl. The shape and efficiency with which it cuts resin, make it perfect for occlusal adjustments prior to the final polish. Lastly, when seating inlays and onlays, and even veneers I use a brownie to remove excess resin cement as it will not damage the porcelain. Do make sure to be careful near the tissue, as a brownie can damage gingival tissues. If you are worried about the challenges of a high-speed, they do make brownie points with a latch for a slow speed handpiece as well.

Related

Share

Leave a Comment Cancel

Search

Recent Posts

  • Retraction Paste Technique Sensitivity
  • The Next Generation of Glass Ionomer Cements
  • A Fantastic New Temporary Cement
  • Tissue Blanching When Seating An Implant Restoration
  • Is It Time To Get An Intra-oral Impression Scanner?
  • Does Your Team Order The Dental Materials You Want?

Recent Comments

  • Joe on Stick Bite: Why and How
  • Joan Johnson on Post & Core’s Coming Loose?
  • Rosemary on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!
  • Sakshi on Removing An e.max Restoration
  • Jeremy Montrose on Ugh, The Margins Are Open!
  • John on Signs & Symptoms of a Restricted Envelope of Function

Policies

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Cancellations and Refunds

Security Seal

© 2020 Lee Ann Brady LLC, All Rights Reserved Site by CSL