Dental wire dispenser and mounting tool

Claim 2

In combination with an elongated continuous strip of threaded straight dental pins of predetermined diameter notched at periodic intervals, a dental pin dispenser for dispensing and mounting said threaded pins, said dispenser comprising an elongated substantially tubular handle having a hollow interior portion for receiving the continuous strip of threaded pins and at one handle end a nozzle having an exiting orifice leading to the interior, said exiting orifice being sized and adapted to provide a snug fit with the continuous strip of pins and yet allow passage of the strip from the handle interior to the outside, said nozzle being adapted to allow a dentist holding the dispenser handle to manipulate a pin at the strip end and which pin end protrudes from the nozzle for inserting the pin end into a predrilled hole in tooth dentin and for breaking off the pin from the strip at a notch after cementing the pin in the tooth hole, said elongated length of continuous strip of threaded pins extending lengthwise within the handle interior and aligned with the nozzle orifice, and means on the handle and connected to said strip for gripping and sliding said strip from the interior through the nozzle orifice to the outside under control of the dentist.

Claim 3

The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle is contructed to be removably mounted at said one handle end.

Claim 4

The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the strip gripping and sliding means comprises a slide member constructed to be removably mounted within the handle and to frictionally engage the strip.

Claim 5

The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spool is provided rotatably mounted at the opposite end of the handle, the strip being coiled on the spool and extending from the spool into said handle interior.

Claim 6

The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip-advancing means comprises a slide member, said handle interior being sized to frictionally receive a portion of the slide member and being configured to enable sliding axial movement of the slide member by the user, and means at a forward end of the slide member for detachable coupling to the strip whereby movement of the slide member advances the strip through the handle.

Claim 7

The combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein the slide member has a rear portion means enabling the slide to be snugly fitted within the handle interior to provide resisted movement of the slide.

Claim 8

The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein both ends of the slide are provided with slits to enable friction fitting with the housing interior and with the strip, respectively.

Claim 9

The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip-advancing means comprises a wheel mounted for rotation on the handle, said wheel frictionally engaging the strip.

Claim 10

The combination as claimed in claim 8, wherein an idler wheel with a resilient rim is rotatably mounted on the handle for engaging the opposite side of the strip with the resilient rim.

Claim 11

The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip comprises at least 15 pins.

Claim 12

The restorative dental procedure for mounting a succession of threaded dental pins into plural predrilled holes in tooth dentin comprising: a. providing a dispensing tool having an elongated substantially tubular handle with a hollow interior portion and at one handle end a nozzle having an exiting orifice leading to the interior, said exiting orifice being sized and adapted to provide a snug fit and yet allow passage of a strip from the handle interior to the outside, said nozzle being adapted to allow a dentist holding the handle to manipulate a pin end protruding from the nozzle, an elongated strip of threaded straight dental pins notched at periodic intervals extending lengthwise within the handle interior and aligned with the nozzle orifice, and means on the handle and connected to said strip for gripping and sliding same from the interior through the nozzle orifice to the outside under control of the dentist; b. sliding the strip through the tool until the end pin of the strip protrudes from the nozzle; c. coating a tooth hole or the pin end with adhesive; d. manipulating the tool to insert the protruding end of the pin end into the tooth hole to anchor the pin therein by the adhesive; e. sliding the strip through the tool until the notch adjacent the end pin exits from and is located adjacent the tool end; f. following steps d. and e., manipulating the tool to break off the anchored end pin from the remainder of the strip; g. and repeating steps b-f until an individual dental pin has been cemented into each of the plural holes in the tooth dentin.

Claim 13

The restorative dental procedure for mounting a succession of threaded dental pins into plural predrilled holes in tooth dentin comprising: a. providing a dispensing tool having an elongated substantially tubular handle with a hollow interior portion and at one handle end a nozzle having an exiting orifice leading to the interior, said exiting orifice being sized and adapted to provide a snug fit and yet allow passage of a strip from the handle interior to the outside, said nozzle being adapted to allow a dentist holding the handle to manipulate a pin end protruding from the nozzle, an elongated strip of threaded straight dental pins notched at periodic intervals extending lengthwise within the handle interior and aligned with the nozzle orifice, and means on the handle and connected to said strip for gripping and sliding same from the interior through the nozzle orifice to the outside under control of the dentist; b. sliding the strip through the tool until the end pin of the strip protrudes from the nozzle; c. coating a tooth hole or the pin end with adhesive; d. manipulating the tool to insert the protruding end of the pin end into the tooth hole to anchor the pin therein by the adhesive; e. sliding the strip through the tool until the notch adjacent the end pin exits from and is located adjacent the tool end; f. following steps d. and e., manipulating the tool to break off the anchored end pin from the remainder of the strip; g. and repeating steps b-f until an individual dental pin has been cemented into each of the plural holes in the tooth dentin.

Claim 14

The procedure of claim 11 wherein before step c., the strip is slid until the end pin only partially protrudes from the nozzle, and next the tool is manipulated to bend the partially protruding end pin to a desired configuration.

Claim 15

The procedure of claim 12 wherein the end pin is bent by pressing the protruding end by means of the tool against a hard surface.