Patent ID: 6312666
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: A61K,A61Q

Abstract:
A method of whitening teeth in the oral environment using a dental composition comprising a tooth whitening agent and about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of a thermally responsive viscosity modifier, wherein the composition is in a low viscosity liquid state at a pre-treatment temperature and a highly viscous state at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre-treatment temperature, comprising:applying the composition through an orifice of a syringe onto a tooth surface, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and in the low viscosity liquid state prior to being applied onto the tooth surface,allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to the highly viscous state wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is at least about 10 times the viscosity of the composition at the pre-treatment temperature, andallowing the composition to remain on the tooth surface for a sufficient time to effectuate whitening, whereby said high viscosity dental whitening composition if pre-gelled or pre-thickened being difficult to extrude through a small orifice, said free flowing low viscosity liquid dental whitening composition being readily deliverable through a syringe to target sites on the tooth surface intended to be whitened where it thickens and forms an immobile gel on the target site which is at or near about 30.degree. C. to about 39.degree. C. where it is kept for the desired period of time to effect whitening, said composition being readily removable from the tooth surface by cooling the material below the liquid to semi-solid transition temperature, and thereby reversing the thickening effect.