Root canal filling material marker

A root canal filling material marker, comprising:

• a box-shaped housing having a top wall, a bottom, front wall, a back wall, and opposing first and second side walls extending between the front and back walls, the front wall having an aperture defined therein adapted for removable insertion of a gutta percha point formed of root canal filling material into the housing, one of the side walls having a longitudinally extending slot and a clamp release opening defined therein;
• a first shaft having opposed first and second ends, the first shaft extending through the clamp release opening in the side wall so that the first end of the shaft is positioned outside the housing and the second end of the shaft extends inside the housing;
• a second shaft having opposed first and second ends, the second shaft extending through the longitudinally extending slot in the side wall so that the first end of the second shaft is positioned outside the housing and the second end of the second shaft extends inside the housing, the second shaft being slidable in the slot;
• a movable clamp jaw disposed in the housing adjacent the side wall having the slot and the clamp release opening defined therein and a fixed clamp jaw disposed in the housing adjacent the opposing side wall, the second end of the first shaft being attached to the movable clamp jaw, the first shaft having a helical bias spring disposed concentrically about the shaft between the side wall and the movable jaw, the spring biasing the clamp jaws together, the clamp jaws being elongated and adapted for releasably holding the gutta percha point therebetween;
• a marking agent disposed between the fixed clamp jaw and the opposing side wall;
• and
• an applicator mounted on the second end of the second shaft;
• indicia disposed on at least one of the walls of the housing defining a graduated scale extending parallel to the slot corresponding to a length of the gutta percha point inserted in the housing;
• and
• an indicator mounted on the first end of the second shaft;
• whereby the first shaft may be retracted to insert the gutta percha point between the clamp jaws and released to support the gutta percha point between the jaws, the second shaft may be slid along the slot to align the indicator with the graduated indicia at a desired length of the gutta percha point, and the second shaft may draw the applicator across the marking agent and the gutta percha point to mark the gutta percha point at a desired length of root canal filler material.