Length
6"
6"$9.34
3"$8.05
3" Non-Sterile Cotton Tip Applicators, 1000/Box. Designed for precise application, cleaning, and absorption, making them an essential tool in clinical settings.
RMH3 Dental Cotton Applicator Tips is a cotton-tipped applicator from RMH3 Dental.
This page carries 2 length options: 6", 3".
Find it on our Disposables shelf, under Applicators & Microbrushes.
Orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day when the item is on our shelf (otherwise within 3 business days), and ground shipping is free over $10.
Product
- Manufacturer
- RMH3 Dental
- Manufacturer #
- CAT6
- Item code
- 042-0411
Catalog path
- Marketplace
- Clinical
- Category
- Disposables
- Subcategory
- Applicators & Microbrushes
Ordering
- Status
- Ships in 3 business days
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Questions
What is RMH3 Dental Cotton Applicator Tips used for?
3" Non-Sterile Cotton Tip Applicators, 1000/Box.
Which length options are on this page?
This page carries 2 length options: 6", 3". Pick one to see its price, part number and stock.
When does it ship?
In-stock orders placed before 3 PM ET ship the same day; anything not on our shelf ships within 3 business days.Ground shipping is free over $10.
About cotton-tipped applicators
A cotton-tipped applicator is an absorbent swab on a wooden, paper or plastic stick, used to apply medications to a patient or to take specimens. The FDA lists it as a Class I device (21 CFR 880.6025), and the classification applies whether or not the device is labelled as sterile. A related classification covers cotton or synthetic fiber shaped as a ball or a pad, used to apply medication to or absorb small amounts of body fluid from a body surface (21 CFR 880.5300).
This shelf holds the small chairside items that carry material to the tooth or hold it while it is mixed: brush applicators, cotton-tipped applicators, and disposable wells, dishes and sticks. The FDA describes a resin applicator as a brushlike device for spreading dental resin on a tooth during application of tooth shade material, and lists it as Class I (21 CFR 872.3140). An absorbent tipped applicator is a separate classification: an absorbent swab on a wooden, paper or plastic stick, used to apply medications to or take specimens from a patient, Class I (21 CFR 880.6025).
The CDC defines a single-use or disposable device as one designed to be used on one patient and then discarded, not reprocessed for use on another patient. It adds that single-use devices in dentistry are usually not heat-tolerant and cannot be reliably cleaned. Reusable containers of dental materials are on the CDC list of clinical contact surfaces, which can be contaminated by direct spray or spatter or by contact with gloved hands.
How microbrushes, cotton-tipped applicators and mixing accessories differ
- Microbrushes — Non-absorbent nylon microfibers on the end of a handle: they spread liquid rather than soak it up. One in-vitro study found residual fibers in every specimen, mostly on the outer cavity surfaces, the cavosurface margins and the axial walls.
- Cotton-Tipped Applicators — An absorbent swab on a wooden, paper or plastic stick. It soaks liquid up, where a microbrush tip is made of non-absorbent nylon microfibers.
- Mixing Sticks & Dispensing Accessories — These hold and mix the material that the applicators then carry.
What to look at when choosing applicators
Single use: the CDC says most single-use devices are labelled by the maker for one use only and have no reprocessing instructions, so they are used for one patient and disposed of.
Reach: the articulating joint on the handle is what lets the tip get to the part of the tooth being treated.
Shedding: one in-vitro study found that applicators of both brands tested released microscopic fibers that ended up in the adhesive layer, which the authors call an unrecognised source of contamination. A second study found microbrush bristle remnants on the bonded surface with both a self-etch and a total-etch adhesive, with no statistically significant difference between them. That study notes the adhesive seal may be compromised by the presence of any kind of residue.
Sterile or not: the CDC says single-use devices and items for use during oral surgical procedures should be sterile at the time of use.
Sources: FDA 21 CFR 872.3140, Resin applicator · FDA 21 CFR 880.6025, Absorbent tipped applicator · CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003 (MMWR 2003;52(RR-17)) · Miguel-Calvo et al., Comparative In Vitro Evaluation of Residual Fiber Contamination from Applicators in the Adhesive Interface (J Adhes Dent) · FDA 21 CFR 880.5300, Medical absorbent fiber · CDC, Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Sterilization and Disinfection · Padwal et al. 2025, Microbrush bristle remnants on the bonding surface using different adhesive systems (Dent Res J)
