Oral care system and method

A product dispenser comprising:

• a housing having an internal chamber and a longitudinal axis;
• a collapsible bladder disposed in the chamber, the collapsible bladder containing a fluidic material and including a distal end for dispensing the fluidic material and a sealed proximal end;
• the housing including a clamping member lockingly engaged with the proximal end of the collapsible bladder and holding the collapsible bladder in position during dispensing the fluidic material;
• an actuator mounted to the housing;
• and
• a compression device movably mounted within the chamber and operably coupled to the actuator, the compression device comprising a feed slot through which the collapsible bladder extends, the feed slot comprising an upper wall and a lower wall that engage opposite sides of the collapsible bladder to compress a portion of the collapsible bladder located in the feed slot;
• and
• wherein actuation of the actuator translates the compression device in a first longitudinal direction in the internal chamber to dispense the fluidic material from the product dispenser, translation of the compression device causing the upper wall and lower wall to move in sliding contact with the collapsible bladder;
• and
• wherein the dispenser further comprises an elongated operating slot and a pair of racks located on opposite sides of the operating slot, each of the pair of racks comprising a plurality of teeth, the teeth protruding toward a center of the operating slot.

A method for dispensing a material, the method comprising:

• providing a dispenser including a longitudinal axis, an internal chamber, a collapsible bladder disposed in the chamber and containing a material, and a compression device movably mounted within the chamber, the collapsible bladder including a distal end for dispensing the material and a sealed proximal end, the compression device comprising a feed slot comprising an upper wall and a lower wall, the dispenser further comprising an elongated operating slot and a pair of racks located on opposite sides of the operating slot, each of the pair of racks comprising a plurality of teeth, the teeth protruding toward a center of the operating slot;
• engaging a clamping member of the housing with the proximal end of the collapsible bladder to hold the collapsible bladder in position within the internal chamber;
• actuating an actuator operably coupled to the compression device;
• translating the compression device in a first longitudinal direction;
• engaging opposite sides of the collapsible bladder with the upper and lower walls of the compression device;
• and
• extruding the material from the dispenser.