Patent ID: 6503084
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
A dental method, comprising:providing a dental cartridge, comprising: a molded plastic cartridge body, a piston and 0.01 to 1.0 ml of a high viscosity dental composition, said piston having a piston sealing wall and a piston outer wall, said cartridge body having a hemispherical front end, a cylindrical portion, and a discharge nozzle, said cartridge body having a chamber wall having at least one groove wall forming a groove channel with a groove inner end, said groove wall having a groove length, said piston being supported along said piston outer wall by said chamber wall, said chamber wall having a reservoir portion, said high viscosity dental composition being sealed within a cartridge chamber enclosed by said reservoir portion and said piston sealing wall, when said piston sealing wall is in sealing position, said reservoir portion having a cylindrical section and a hemispherical end, said hemispherical end being integrally connected to and opening into said discharge nozzle, said cylindrical section having a reservoir axis, said discharge nozzle having a noble axis, said nozzle axis intersects said reservoir axis at an angular offset, said reservoir portion having a reservoir length, said reservoir length being at least two times longer than said groove length, moving said piston sealing wall toward said groove inner end while passing a substantial portion of air through said groove channel, conveying said high viscosity dental composition into said reservoir portion until said piston sealing wall is in sealing position and said cartridge chamber is effectively filled with at least 90 percent by volume of said high viscosity dental composition and at most 10 percent by volume of air, storing said dental cartridge for at least one week, and dispensing said high viscosity dental composition from said reservoir portion onto a dental tooth.