Methods for whitening teeth

• US 10,667,893 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Sagel, Paul Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US15/456,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20170239029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 433 6, 433 80, 433215-216, 433229
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/088 Illuminating devices or attachments for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/81 Preparation or application process involves irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/87 Application Devices; Containers; Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0233 Distinct layers, e.g. core/shell sticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/22 Peroxides; Oxygen; Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0606 Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• 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

Abstract

In a tooth whitening method, a whitening composition is applied to at least one tooth. The whitening composition is maintained on the at least one tooth for a first time period. After the first time period, a light radiation is directed toward the at least one tooth for a second time period. The first time period has a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods. The whitening composition is removed from the at least one tooth.

Claims

1. A method of whitening teeth, comprising:

applying a layer of a translucent tooth-whitening composition containing a peroxide dose to at least one tooth, wherein the peroxide dose includes a total amount from about 2 mg to about 40 mg of peroxide active within the layer of the tooth-whitening composition, and the tooth-whitening composition is translucent and is applied to the at least one tooth by a translucent strip or tray;

maintaining the tooth-whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period without an application of light radiation; and

after the first time period, and while the tooth-whitening composition remains on the at least one tooth, directing a light radiation toward the at least one tooth for a second time period, the first time period having a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods, wherein the light radiation is directed toward the tooth through the translucent strip or tray and through the translucent tooth-whitening composition, and the radiation intensity is not greater than about 150 mW/cm²; and

removing the tooth-whitening composition from the at least one tooth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the first time period is at least 80% of the total duration of the first and second time periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light radiation is selected for absorption by a stain on the at least one tooth by selecting a wavelength corresponding to a color substantially opposite to a color of the stain on the 1976 CIE LAB color scale.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light radiation is provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein no photosensitizing agent is applied to the at least one tooth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the total duration of the first and second time periods is up to about 60 minutes, and, the second time period is not greater than 5 minutes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition comprises a layer that is applied to the tooth such that the tooth-whitening composition has a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm².

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition comprises a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 20% of the tooth-whitening composition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.2 mm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition is provided on a strip of material configured to block light waves having a frequency of greater than about 700 nm.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the tooth-whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a third time period after the second time period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth-whitening composition does not include a photosensitizing agent.

14. A method of whitening teeth, the method consisting of:

applying to at least one tooth a layer of a translucent tooth-whitening composition comprising a peroxide dose that includes a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 16%, wherein a peroxide density in the layer is between about 1.3 mg/cm² and about 2.4 mg/cm²;

maintaining the tooth-whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period of about 25 minutes to about 29.5 minutes without an application of light radiation; and

after the first time period, directing a light radiation provided at a wavelength of between about 440 nm and about 490 nm and an intensity of not greater than about 45 mW/cm² toward the at least one tooth for a second time period of from about 0.5 minutes to about 5 minutes while the tooth-whitening composition remains upon the at least one tooth; and

removing the tooth-whitening composition from the at least one tooth.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the translucent tooth-whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth from a translucent strip, and the light radiation is directed onto the tooth through the translucent strip and through the translucent tooth-whitening composition.

16. A method of whitening teeth, comprising:

applying a tooth-whitening composition as a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm to at least one tooth;

wherein a peroxide density in the layer is between about 1.3 mg/cm² and about 2.4 mg/cm²;

maintaining the tooth-whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period without an application of light radiation;

removing the tooth-whitening composition from the at least one tooth after the first time period; and

directing light radiation having intensity of not greater than about 150 MW/cm² toward the at least one tooth for a second time period,

wherein the first time period has a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the duration of the first time period is at least 80% of the total duration of the first and second time periods.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the light radiation is selected for absorption by a stain on the at least one tooth by selecting a wavelength corresponding to a color substantially opposite a color of the stain on the 1976 CIE LAB color scale.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the light radiation is provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein no photosensitizing agent is applied to the at least one tooth.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the tooth-whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth from a strip, and wherein the layer of the tooth-whitening composition has a thickness less than about 0.2 mm.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the total duration of the first and second time periods is up to about 60 minutes, and the second time period is not greater than 5 minutes.

23. A method of whitening teeth, consisting of:

applying a layer of a tooth-whitening composition including a peroxide active having a concentration greater than about 7.5% to at least one tooth, wherein a peroxide density in the layer is between about 1.3 mg/cm² and about 2.4 mg/cm²;

maintaining the tooth-whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period of about 25 minutes to about 29.5 minutes without an application of light radiation; and

after the first time period, removing the tooth-whitening composition and directing a light radiation having a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm and an intensity of not greater than about 45 mW/cm² toward the at least one tooth for a second time period of between about 0.5 minutes and about 5 minutes.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the tooth-whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth from a strip.