CLIENT
Premier Dental
MISSION
Develop a new line of durable dental instruments that takes advantage of lightweight plastic to create ergonomic handles that are both attractive and cost-effective.
CONCEPT DESIGN
ERGONOMIC ANALYSIS
CONCEPT PROTOTYPING
3D CAD DEVELOPMENT
USABILITY STUDIES
PRODUCTION DESIGN
RESEARCH AND DENTAL HYGIENIST INTERVIEWS
We began the project by interviewing dental hygienists to determine their needs and also did our own product research. In the process, we assessed:
Tool handle feature preferences
Tool cleaning and storage
Identification of personal tool set in offices with multiple hygienists
Current dental tools on the market
Other similar tools and grip features
Hand positions and tool manipulation when cleaning teeth
Techniques for tool reversal to use the opposite end
Tool handoff and exchange when assisting dentist during procedures
Duration and frequency of procedures
Hand strain and fatigue issues
PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS
Given the relatively simple overall geometry of the tools, the requirement for symmetry, and the need for precision in the detailing, the design concepts were developed almost completely in CAD. This allowed us to use 3D printing to quickly evaluate multiple iterations and arrive at a well-vetted final selection of options.
FOCUS GROUP EVALUATION
The 3D prints of the designs selected for testing were made for tactile evaluation. These were paired with photorealistic renderings for aesthetic evaluation..
FINAL DESIGN
The design selected by the focus group met all the requirements for comfort, style, and cleanability with grooves that minimized hand fatigue but did not trap contaminants. Brownlie Design then worked with Premier Dental’s engineering team to create the documentation needed to begin production.
Premier is proud to be adding PremierAir products to its line of inspired solutions for daily dentistry,” said Julie Charlestein, president and CEO of Premier Dental. “We worked closely with dental hygienists and other dental professionals to create instruments that feature excellent design and quality construction at a great price point, while providing better function and reducing hand fatigue.”
