Claims
- 1. A method for bleaching teeth comprising the following steps:
(a) protecting the soft tissue surrounding the teeth with a covering; (b) applying an aqueous dental bleaching gel to the teeth that comprises:
(i) water; (ii) a polyacrylic acid thickening agent; (iii) at least one bleaching agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and compounds that release hydrogen peroxide in water; and (iv) a stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of EDTA, CDTA, and a salt thereof, wherein said bleaching agent is present in an amount ranging from about 20% to about 50% by weight, and wherein said polyacrylic acid thickening agent and said stabilizing agent are added in a weight ration within the range of about 3.3:1 to about 3.5:1 that maintains said aqueous gel in a suitable gel form for 4 to 12 weeks oat room temperature in a syringe plunger without self-expelling; and (c) removing the dental bleaching gel.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dental bleaching gel remains in contact with the teeth for a period of 5 to 60 minutes.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the dental bleaching gel is applied to the teeth and then treated with a laser light or heat lamp prior to removal.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/428,910, filed Oct. 28, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/106,076 filed Oct. 29, 1998.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60106076 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09428910 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
10386656 |
Mar 2003 |
US |