Pre-charged prophy angle

A hand-held oral hygiene applicator for conveniently providing a clinician user the ability to express prophy paste while the applicator is in therapeutic use within a patient's mouth, the applicator comprising:

• a prophy angle housing comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the prophy angle housing configured to permit the clinician to conveniently handle the prophy angle housing at the proximal end while the distal end is placed within a patient's mouth during use, the prophy angle housing being further configured to permit the clinician to simultaneously control the expression of paste while providing the desired treatment to the patient;
• a first drive mechanism positioned within the prophy angle housing comprising a drive shaft for delivering mechanical energy to a rotatable head assembly provided at the distal end of the prophy angle housing;
• a chamber substantially enclosed within the prophy angle housing, the chamber configured to store paste in a controlled releasable manner such that the paste is not in contact with the first drive mechanism, the chamber being configured to permit expression of paste by the clinician from the proximal end of the prophy angle housing;
• and
• an independent second drive mechanism provided within the prophy angle housing and positioned substantially coaxially with the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism configured to deliver a controlled amount of paste from the chamber to the distal end of the prophy angle housing for as needed expression thereof to the patient by the clinician, the second drive mechanism comprising an actuator positioned at or proximate the proximal end of the prophy angle housing, an index wheel engaging the actuator so that the wheel may be driven in a stepped rotational manner upon actuation of the actuator by the clinician, the index wheel further engaging a barrel within the chamber, the barrel axially exerting pressure against the paste within the chamber for delivering a controlled quantity of paste toward the distal end of the prophy angle.