Heretofore, high viscosity dental materials have been applied with the use of a dental capsule utilizing a displaceable piston or plug to force or express a high viscosity material out from the capsule through a discharge orifice. A syringe having a plunger is often used in combination with such capsule to displace the piston. In many dental applications, when a relatively low viscosity or very fluent material is to be applied, brushes have been used to apply the same. However, using a brush type applicator requires constant reapplication of the dental material to the brush. This is inconvenient and time consuming, and at times results in dripping or the placement of such low viscosity or fluent dental material in an inappropriate or even dangerous locations within the mouth. For example, various low viscosity dental materials, such as acid etch materials, are intended to be applied only to the tooth and may cause injury to the gum or other soft tissues if applied thereto.
Efforts have been made to overcome the problems encountered in the placement of low viscosity or fluent materials. One example of a dental dispenser or syringe for use in applying dental materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,804 entitled “Fiber Ended Open Orifice Delivery Tip” issuing to Fischer on Oct. 6, 1998. Therein disclosed is a delivery syringe having a plurality of small fibrous bristles disposed around an outer periphery of the nozzle adjacent the discharge orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,570 entitled “Dental Container Type Applicator” granted to Dragan et al on May 9, 2000, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a dental container, capsule or nozzle that has minute fibers or flocking adhered about the external surface of a discharge nozzle in the vicinity of the discharge orifice, which permits the user to spread, burnish, or distribute dental material on a tooth as the material is being expressed from the capsule, nozzle or container.
While these prior applicator devices are suitable for applying certain dental materials, some difficulty has been encountered in achieving the desired control or consistent flow requirements often required in effecting proper tooth restoration and/or in performing other dental procedures requiring the use of low viscosity materials. Additionally, the difficulty in the placement of the minute or small fibers or bristles onto a nozzle has often resulted in irregular covering of such fibers onto the nozzle or discharge end of a cartridge to result in the possibility of scratching or damaging the surface on which the material is to be applied. Therefore, there is a need for an improved, more easily manufactured and more reliable dental applicator for use in applying materials of relatively low viscosity by which such materials can be spread, burnished or distributed directly onto a tooth or other surface as the material is being dispensed from a capsule or syringe.