1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oral hygiene and more particularly to an appliance, which assures even and efficacious delivery of a tooth whitening preparation to buccal surfaces of target teeth for a prescribed treatment duration.
2. Antecedents of the Invention
Significant advances in the art of tooth whitening have evolved in recent years. Tooth whitening is no longer relegated to the costly and time consuming procedures rendered by the dental practitioner. Various approaches have evolved for practicing tooth whitening procedures without participation of the dental practitioner.
Among the early tooth whitening systems for do-it-yourself usage was a paste or gel containing a hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide constituent. The gel or paste was applied to tooth surfaces by, for example, a toothbrush, a cotton swab, etc.
Unfortunately, such systems failed to provide readily noticeable results, due to a combination of factors including the limited time duration of application as well as the dilution of effective whitening or bleaching constituent within the oral cavity by saliva. Further, gingival surfaces were engaged by the whitening or bleaching constituent, leading to possible gingival initiation or other undesired effects.
Improved tooth whitening procedures included the admixture of conventional toothpaste together with a tooth whitening preparation, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,374 issued Apr. 12, 1994 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,554 issued Jan. 28, 1997 to applicant herein. The employment of such technique resulted in decreased tooth surface wear as well as an increase in the rate of efficacious release of the whitening or bleaching constituent of the tooth whitening preparation.
A further approach at providing an effective delivery system for a tooth whitening preparation on buccal enamel surfaces of target teeth included the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,687 issued Mar. 18, 1997 to applicant herein. Such system comprised and applicator for carrying and applying a liquid preparation solely upon buccal surfaces of target teeth, i.e. teeth which are visible when talking, smiling, etc. The liquid preparation was drawn to an applicator tip by capillary action. To administer a coating of the tooth whitening preparation on selected tooth enamel surfaces, the tip was wiped over the surfaces to be treated.
Other attempts for improving the self administration of tooth whitening preparations included utilizing a fitted dental trough which surrounded buccal, occlusal and lingual tooth surfaces, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,424 issued Nov. 24, 1992. The system disclosed therein did not attain widespread commercial success, perhaps due to the fact that the device was ungainly and impeded speech. It could not, therefore, be worn in any environment wherein social encounters might be anticipated. Further, the device did not assure the administration of tooth whitening preparation on only selected tooth surfaces and only to selected target teeth.
A further approach comprised the utilization of flexible strips preloaded with a tooth whitening preparation, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,453 issued Apr. 6, 1999. The flexible strips disclosed therein were unable to attain a true impression of the user's buccal dentition; it could not intimately enter interdental crevices, for example. Further, the user was not able to control the concentration of tooth whitening preparation or limit the application to selected target teeth or tooth surfaces. A further disadvantage was that the tooth whitening preparation was often in contact with gingival surfaces, which often led to gingival irritation.
A tooth whitening appliance comprises an applicator having the configuration of a partial dentition arch. The applicator includes a thermoplastic outer casing which is generally “L” shaped in transverse cross section, having a ledge configured to extend at least partially between opposed occlusal surfaces. The inner face of the casing carries an impressionable formative liner of thermoplastic material having a softening temperature below that of the casing.
After heating the appliance in hot water to soften the liner, the liner is impressed against buccal surfaces of target teeth by applying pressure against the casing. An impression of buccal surfaces of target teeth to be whitened is thus formed in the liner.
The impressions, or selected impressions, thereafter receive a tooth whitening preparation. Alternatively or conjunctively, a tooth whitening preparation is applied to the buccal surfaces of target teeth. Thereafter, the appliance is reapplied against the buccal surfaces of the target teeth to provide intimate undiluted engagement between the tooth whitening preparation and the buccal surfaces to be whitened.
Separate appliances are fitted for the maxillary dentition and the mandibular dentition for simultaneous tooth whitening treatment of target teeth in both or the maxillary and mandibular dentitions may be treated individually. In an alternate embodiment, a single casing having upper and lower formative liners separated by a ledge may be employed for simultaneous fitting and for simultaneous treatment of target teeth of both dentitions.
From the foregoing compendium, it will be appreciated that it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which is not subject to the disadvantages of the antecedents of the invention aforementioned.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described having a simplified procedure for custom fitting.
A consideration of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which precludes undesirable gingival exposure to tooth whitening preparations.
A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which assures against dilution of a tooth whitening preparation.
To provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which does not impede speech is a further consideration of the present invention.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which is low in cost and suitable for manufacture by economical mass production fabrication.
To provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which permits the user to vary the quantity of tooth whitening preparation applied to selected tooth surfaces is a further aspect of the present invention.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which is compatible with the administration of any of a number of available tooth whitening preparations.
A still further aspect of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which is both safe and efficacious.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a tooth whitening appliance of the general character described which does not socially inhibit a user's movement from place to place during tooth whitening treatment.
Other aspects, features and considerations of the present invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.
With these ends in view, the invention finds embodiment in the various combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and series of steps by which the said aspects, features and considerations aforementioned and certain other aspects, features and considerations are attained, all with reference to the following description and drawings and the scope of which will be more particularly pointed out and indicated in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings in which are shown some of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention,
Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes generally a tooth whitening appliance constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention. The appliance 10 is generally “C” rather than “U” shaped and does not register with a complete dentition. In accordance with the invention, the tooth whitening appliance 10 provides efficacious tooth whitening of only selected surfaces, i.e. the surfaces which are visible when smiling or speaking, for example. Accordingly, the tooth whitening appliance 10 is configured for the whitening of buccal enamel surfaces of only target teeth, as will be exemplified hereinafter.
Pursuant to the invention, the tooth whitening appliance 10 includes an outer casing 12 formed of a thermoplastic which, although yieldable, maintains its shape at oral cavity temperatures and is well suited for oral application. Examples of suitable thermoplastics for implementation as the outer casing 12 include polypropylene, polybutylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, or other similar materials suitable for usage in the oral cavity as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,684 issued to applicant herein as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,909 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,202 all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
As illustrated in
Carried on the inner face of the arcuate panel 14 is a formative liner 18 which preferably comprises a thermoplastic resin having a lower softening temperature than that of the casing and which is employed to take an impression of the buccal surfaces of the target teeth. Suitable thermoplastics having Theological characteristics for implementation as the formative liner include thermoplastics which are deformable at temperatures below those which would cause discomfort or burning within the oral cavity during a fitting procedure, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,684 issued to applicant herein and U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,552.
The formative liner 18 may, but it not required to be adhered to the inner face of the panel 14. Adhesion can be obtained through known fabrication techniques, including molding the liner 18 over the outer casing 12 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,684, as well as the use of adhesives or other bonding agents.
Transparent thermoplastics may be employed for both the casing 12 and the formative liner 18 so that the appliance will not attract attention when used.
As heretofore mentioned, the tooth whitening appliance 10 is constructed to facilitate administration of a tooth whitening preparation only upon desired dentition surfaces, such surfaces being those which are normally exposed to view when one's mouth is opened or when one smiles. With reference to
Generally, the target teeth for tooth whitening comprise the central incisors 20, 22, the lateral incisors, 22, 24 the cuspid 26, 28 and the first bicuspids 32, 34. For some people, tooth whitening may also be desirable on the buccal surfaces of the second bicuspids. The appliance 10 is provided in predetermined sizes and shapes, however, it may be furnished in varying lengths such as to accommodate the second bicuspids or may be universally provided of an extended length, with the user trimming both ends such that the trimmed appliance will accommodate the target teeth. Additionally, the inner face of the liner 18 may include preformed tooth surface indentations for guidance in placement during the fitting procedure.
In accordance with the invention, if the liner is required to be softened by heating, the appliance is immersed in water at or near boiling temperature for a prescribed duration sufficient to heat the formative liner 18 to a softened state, wherein it is readily pliable and capable of taking an impression of tooth surfaces. The appliance is then removed from the hot water, allowed to cool slightly, such that it will not bum tissue or cause extensive discomfort when placed in the mouth, and thereafter impressed against buccal surfaces of the target teeth through the application of pressure against the panel 14 to assume a final position indicated in
With reference now to
After cooling to oral cavity temperature, the appliance 10 is removed from the oral cavity, however, the inner face of the liner 18 bears impressions 42 of the buccal tooth surfaces, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Thereafter, a layer or coating 45 of any of a number of available tooth whitening preparations including pastes, liquids and gels or combinations thereof may be applied to some or all of the impressions 42 and the appliance is applied against the buccal tooth surfaces of the target teeth to administer the tooth whitening preparation.
Alternatively or conjunctively, a layer or coating 45 of tooth whitening preparation may be applied to the buccal enamel surfaces of the target teeth before the appliance is applied during administration.
The appliance is maintained in its applied position, assuring intimate contact between the layer 45 of the tooth whitening preparation and the buccal enamel surfaces of the target teeth for a prescribed treatment duration. The fitted appliance may be reused indefinitely to administer tooth whitening preparation in successive treatments.
It should be noted that employment of the tooth whitening appliance assures that tooth whitening preparation will not inadvertently contact and possibly irritate gingival surfaces 44 and also assures that the tooth whitening preparation itself will not be subject to dilution or diminution in effectiveness resulting from contact with saliva.
In
The curved panel 14a serves to more precisely confine the areas wherein the heated formable liner 18a will flow during the fitting procedure and assures that a seal will be provided to preclude the tooth whitening preparation from contacting gingival surfaces 44a.
In
A tooth whitening appliance 10b includes an outer casing 12b having a panel 14b which is essentially twice the height of the panel 14 of the prior embodiment and includes a central perpendicular ledge 16b having a free distal edge. Adhered to the inner face of the panel 14b above the ledge 16b is a formative liner 18b and adhered to the inner face of the panel 14b below the ledge 16b is a further formative line 19b.
It should be readily appreciated that the tooth whitening appliance 10b is fitted in a procedure substantially identically to that of the prior embodiments and is employed to simultaneously obtain the impressions of the buccal surfaces of target teeth in both the maxillary and mandibular dentitions and also provides simultaneous administration of tooth whitening preparation to the buccal surfaces of target teeth in both dentitions.
Thus it will be sent that there is provided a tooth whitening appliance which achieves the various aspects, features and considerations of the present invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical usage.
Since various possible embodiments might be made of the present invention and since various changes might be made in the exemplary embodiments set forth herein without departing from the spirit of the invention, is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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