Adjustable brush delivery tip with secondary flow path

An apparatus for controlling delivery of a dental agent to a tooth surface comprising:

• a reservoir for holding a quantity of dental agent;
• a generally tubular member for delivering the dental agent to a tooth surface, a proximal end of said tubular member being removably secured to and in communication with the reservoir such that the dental agent flows through the tubular member from the proximal end of the tubular member to a distal end of the tubular member, said tubular member being curved to facilitate application of the dental agent to the tooth surface and said tubular member comprising a means providing a tapered spiral passageway through at least a portion of the tubular member;
• brush means slidably secured within the spiral passageway of the tubular member so as to substantially fill but not occlude the distal end of the tubular member and so as to contact said dental agent within said distal end of the tubular member, said brush means thereby permitting flow of the dental agent around said brush means, and the length of said brush means extending beyond the distal end of the tubular member being slidably adjustable in order to provide for application of the dental agent to the tooth surface using either a pin-point type application to the tooth surface or a fanned out, broad-brush type application to the tooth surface as desired;
• and
• means for controlling dispensing of the dental agent, said dispensing means being capable of controlling the flow rate of the dental agent from the reservoir onto the tooth surface.

An apparatus for controlling delivery of a dental agent to a tooth surface comprising:

• a reservoir for holding a quantity of dental agent, said reservoir being constructed of a chemically insert material with respect to the dental agent;
• a generally tubular member for applying the dental agent to a tooth surface, a proximal end of said tubular member being in communication with the reservoir such that the dental agent flows through the tubular member from the proximal end of the tubular member to a distal end of the tubular member, said tubular member being curved to facilitate application of the dental agent to the tooth surface and said tubular member comprising a means providing a tapered spiral passageway through at least a portion of the tubular member;
• a brush, comprising a plurality of bristles slidably secured within but not totally occluding the spiral passageway of the tubular member, said brush being dimensioned so as to substantially fill but not occlude the distal end of the tubular member, said brush thereby permitting flow of the dental agent around the bristles and through the spiral passageway and out of the distal end of the tubular member, at least a portion of said brush extending sufficiently beyond the distal end of the tubular member in order to provide for application of the dental agent to the tooth surface and wherein the length of the brush extending beyond the distal end of the tubular member is slidably adjustable in order to provide for application of the dental agent to the tooth surface using either a pin-point type application to the tooth surface or a fanned out, broad-brush type application to the tooth surface as desired;
• and
• means for controlling dispensing of the dental agent, said dispensing means being capable of controlling the flow rate of the dental agent from the reservoir onto the predetermined tooth surface.

An apparatus for controlled delivery of a dental bonding agent to a tooth surface, comprising:

• a hollow barrel comprising a reservoir for holding a quantity of dental bonding agent, said barrel being constructed of a chemically inert material with respect to the dental bonding agent, and said reservoir being sufficiently opaque to prevent light-initiated activation of the bonding agent;
• a generally tubular member for delivering dental bonding agent to a tooth surface, a proximal end of said tubular member being removably secured to and in communication with the reservoir such that the dental bonding agent flows through the tubular member from the proximal end of the tubular member to a distal end of the tubular member, said tubular member being curved to facilitate precise application of the bonding agent to the predetermined tooth surface, and said tubular member comprising a means providing a tapered spiral passageway through at least a portion of the tubular member;
• a brush, comprising a plurality of bristles slidably secured within but not occluding the spiral passageway of the tubular member, said brush permitting flow of the dental bonding agent through the spiral passageway and around said bristles, at least a portion of said brush extending sufficiently beyond the distal end of the tubular member in order to provide for application of the dental bonding agent to the tooth surface and wherein the length of the brush extending beyond the distal end of the tubular member is slidably adjustable in order to provide for application of the dental bonding agent to the tooth surface using either a pin-point type application to the tooth surface or a fanned out, broad-brush type application to the tooth surface as desired;
• and
• a plunger having a plunger head longitudinally moveable within the barrel, said plunger controlling the flow rate of the bonding agent from the barrel and onto the tooth surface.

An apparatus for controlled delivery of a coating material to a surface, comprising:

• reservoir means for holding a quantity of the coating material;
• tip means for delivering the coating material to a desired location on the surface, a proximal end of the tip means being in communication with the reservoir means, said tip means comprising means providing a first passageway from the proximal end of the tip means to a distal end of the tip means;
• brush means secured within the tip means and comprising a first portion which extends sufficiently beyond the distal end of the tip means in order to provide for delivery of the coating material to the surface and a second portion situated within the first passageway;
• means situated within at least a portion of said first passageway and providing a secondary passageway that is continuously open and unobstructed throughout substantially the entire length of the second portion of the brush means, for delivery of the coating material around but not through the second portion of the brush means as the coating material is delivered through said tip means to the first portion of the brush means;
• and
• means for controlled dispensing of the coating material from the reservoir means to the distal end of the tip means in order to control the flow of the coating material onto the surface.