Methods and compositions for mineralizing and fluoridating calcified tissues

• US 6,056,930 A
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ADA Foundation
• Original Assignee: American Dental Association Health Foundation
• Inventors: Tung, Ming S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, C. Melissa
• Application Number:
  US09/335,888
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 106/35, 423/305, 423/311, 423/472, 423/462
• US Class Current: 423/305
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/19 containing inorganic ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/21 Fluorides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/24 Phosphorous; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/02 Stomatological preparations, e.g. drugs for caries, aphtae, periodontitis
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 11/00 Preparations for care of the teeth, of the oral cavity or of dentures; Dentifrices, e.g. toothpastes; Mouth rinses
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 25/455 containing halogen completely halogenated alkali metal phosphates C01D, e.g. lithium hexafluorophosphate C01D15/005

Abstract

This invention involves new compositions and methods of use and delivery of amorphous calcium compounds such as: amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (ACPF), amorphous calcium carbonate phosphate (ACCP), amorphous calcium carbonate phosphate fluoride (ACCPF), and amorphous calcium fluoride (ACF) for use in remineralizing and fluoridating teeth. These amorphous compounds or solutions which form the amorphous compounds or calcium phosphate jelly which forms the amorphous compounds, when applied either onto or into dental tissue to prevent and/or repair dental weaknesses such as dental caries, exposed roots and dentin sensitivity. The compounds have the highest solubilities, fastest formation rates and fastest conversion rates (to apatite) among all the calcium phosphates under physiological conditions. Moreover, in the presence to fluoride the amorphous compound convert rapidly to fluoride containing apatite.

Claims

1. A method for the synthesis of amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride compounds comprising the step of:

mixing a first solution containing calcium ions and a second solution containing phosphate ions and fluoride ions to create a third solution, wherein said third solution has a basic pH and includes a molar fraction of a first alcohol, a first ketone, or a first alcohol/ketone mixture sufficient to precipitate said amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

removing the amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride precipitate from the third solution;

washing the amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride precipitate with a second alcohol, or a ketone; and

drying the amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride precipitate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alcohol is ethanol.