Patent Publication Number: US-2023149730-A1

Title: Oral Treatment Device and Related Methods

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/280,181, filed Nov. 17, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Tooth whitening is an increasingly popular treatment and dentists and patients alike are searching for techniques that are both convenient and comfortable while also being effective. Typically, to whiten a user&#39;s teeth a composition containing hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth and allowed to remain in contact with the teeth to be bleached for a period of time. Current systems are available that allow a user to apply radiation or light to the surfaces of the teeth that are pre-coated with the whitening composition to enhance the effectiveness of the whitening composition. However, users have a difficult time detecting whether the tooth whitening treatment is effective because a user is only able to detect a color difference that exceeds a threshold, known as the just noticeable difference. Furthermore, people generally do not have good color recall, and thus cannot remember what their teeth look like from one day to the next as the color of their teeth changes as a result of a whitening treatment or protocol. Thus, a need exists for an oral treatment device that can detect tooth color for purposes of providing a user with an indication of a color change occurring over time as a result of multiple uses of the oral treatment device. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to an oral treatment device and a method of using the same. The oral treatment device includes an intraoral mouthpiece configured for placement into a mouth of a user. The intraoral mouthpiece includes an arcuate wall having a front surface and a bite platform extending from the front surface. Furthermore, there is an alignment feature located on the bite platform to facilitate consistent positioning of the intraoral mouthpiece within the user&#39;s mouth in a repeatable manner. The alignment feature may have a top surface that is inclined upwardly moving in a direction away from the front surface of the arcuate wall. The intraoral mouthpiece may also include a color measurement sensor for obtaining a color measurement of a tooth of the user. 
     In one aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment device comprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: an arcuate wall comprising a concave front surface; a bite platform extending from the concave front surface of the arcuate wall; an alignment feature; and a color measurement sensor positioned along the arcuate wall, the color measurement sensor comprising a light emitter configured to emit light onto the tooth and a light receiver configured to receive reflected light that has reflected from the tooth to determine a color value for the tooth; and wherein the alignment feature is configured to ensure that each time the intraoral mouthpiece is positioned into a mouth of a user, a tooth of the user is located at a same distance from the color measurement sensor so that the reflected light is reflected from an identical location along the tooth when the color measurement sensor is activated. 
     The invention may be directed to a system for oral treatment which comprises the oral treatment device described in the above paragraph, and an electronic device comprising a software application that is in operable communication with the oral treatment device, wherein the software application is configured to control activation of the color measurement sensor, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements, and the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements. 
     In another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment device comprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: an arcuate wall comprising a front surface; a bite platform extending from the front surface of the arcuate wall; an alignment feature located on or adjacent to the bite platform, the alignment feature comprising a top surface that is inclined upwardly moving in a direction away from the front surface of the arcuate wall; and a color measurement sensor aligned with the alignment feature and configured to obtain a color measurement of a tooth that is located along the alignment feature. 
     In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment device comprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: an arcuate wall comprising a front surface; a bite platform extending from the front surface of the arcuate wall; a lamp positioned adjacent to the arcuate wall and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation onto oral surfaces when the intraoral mouthpiece is positioned within a mouth of a user and activated, the lamp comprising: a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements that emit a violet light when activated; and a plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements that emit a red light when activated; and wherein the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements comprises a first row positioned adjacent to the top edge of the lamp to emit the red light onto the user&#39;s gums when activated, and wherein each of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements is located between the first row of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements and the bottom edge of the lamp to emit the violet light onto the user&#39;s teeth when activated. 
     In still another aspect, the invention may be a method of obtaining a color measurement of a tooth at a consistent location on the tooth, the method comprising: inserting an intraoral mouthpiece into a mouth of a user, the intraoral mouthpiece comprising an alignment feature that ensures that a central incisor of the user is positioned at the same location relative to a color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece each time the intraoral mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth of the user; flashing a light onto the central incisor of the user via a light emitter of the color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece; receiving, by a light receiver of the color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece, reflected light that has reflected from a measurement location of the central incisor of the user; and determining a color measurement value based on the reflected light received by the light receiver. 
     In a further aspect, the invention may be a method of obtaining a color measurement of a tooth at a consistent location on the tooth, the method comprising: inserting an intraoral mouthpiece into a mouth of a user such that a central incisor of the user is positioned at the same location relative to a color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece each time the intraoral mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth of the user; flashing a light onto the central incisor of the user via a light emitter of the color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece; receiving, by a light receiver of the color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece, reflected light that has reflected from a measurement location of the central incisor of the user; determining a color measurement value based on the reflected light received by the light receiver; and wherein the measurement location of the central incisor is consistently the same location of the central incisor each time the intraoral mouthpiece is placed into the mouth of the user. 
     In another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment device comprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: an arcuate wall comprising a front surface; a bite platform extending from the front surface of the arcuate wall; a plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements that emit a first light having a first wavelength from the front surface of the arcuate wall when activated; and a plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements that emit a second light having a second wavelength from the front surface of the arcuate wall when activated; and wherein the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements comprises a first row located adjacent to a top edge of the front surface of the arcuate wall and a second row located adjacent to a bottom edge of the front surface of the arcuate wall to emit the second light onto a user&#39;s gums when activated, and wherein each of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements is located along the arcuate wall at a position between the first and second rows of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements to emit the first light onto the user&#39;s teeth when activated. 
     In yet another aspect, the invention may be a tooth whitening method comprising: inserting an intraoral mouthpiece into a mouth of a user; activating a color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece to obtain a baseline color measurement of a specific tooth of the user; removing the intraoral mouthpiece from the mouth of the user; applying a tooth whitening composition onto a set of teeth of the user; reinserting the intraoral mouthpiece into the mouth of the user; activating a plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements to emit a first light having a first wavelength onto the teeth of the user for a first period of time; after expiration of the first period of time, removing the intraoral mouthpiece from the mouth of the user and leaving the tooth whitening composition onto the teeth for a second period of time; after expiration of the second period of time, removing the tooth whitening composition from the teeth of the user; and after removing the tooth whitening composition from the teeth of the user, reinserting the intraoral mouthpiece into the mouth of the user and activating a plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements to emit a second light having a second wavelength onto gums of the user for a third period of time. 
     In another aspect, the invention may be an oral care kit comprising an intraoral mouthpiece comprising a color measurement sensor and a plurality of first and second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements; a tooth whitening composition; and instructions for performing a tooth whitening method according using the intraoral mouthpiece and the tooth whitening composition. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a front top perspective view of an oral treatment device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  1 A  is a rear view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  2    is a front bottom perspective view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is an exploded view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a front view of a lamp of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  7 A  is a front view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1    with the lamp of  FIG.  6    visible through a front surface thereof; 
         FIG.  7 B  is the front view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  7 A  with a plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements activated; 
         FIG.  7 C  is the front view of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  7 A  with a plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements activated; 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of  FIG.  7 A  illustrating a color measurement sensor activated to determine a color value associated with a user&#39;s tooth; 
         FIG.  9    is a schematic illustration of the oral treatment device of  FIG.  1    in operable communication with an electronic device; and 
         FIG.  10    is a front view of the electronic device of  FIG.  9    running a software application to display a graphical representation indicating a tooth color change over time. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto. 
     Referring first to  FIGS.  1 - 4    concurrently, an oral treatment device  1000  will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The oral treatment device  1000  generally comprises an intraoral mouthpiece  100  and a handle  200 . The intraoral mouthpiece  100  is configured for insertion into a user&#39;s mouth to perform a whitening treatment on the user&#39;s teeth and/or to obtain a color measurement for one or more of the user&#39;s teeth. The handle  200  comprises a housing  201  that is configured to contain certain electronic components of the oral treatment device  1000 . The oral treatment device  1000  is configured so that the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is located within the user&#39;s mouth during use while the handle  200  is located external to the user&#39;s mouth during use. 
     The intraoral mouthpiece  100  comprises an arcuate wall  101  comprising a concave front surface  102  and a convex rear surface  103 . The convex rear surface  103  of the arcuate wall  101  forms the convex rear surface of the intraoral mouthpiece  100 . The handle  200  extends from the convex rear surface  103  of the arcuate wall  101 /intraoral mouthpiece  100  and terminates at a distal end surface  230 . The shape of the arcuate wall  101  generally corresponds to the overall shape of the front surfaces of the user&#39;s teeth. When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is placed into the user&#39;s mouth, the arcuate wall  101  is positioned with the concave front surface  102  facing the outer surfaces of the user&#39;s teeth. Moreover, the user&#39;s lips may wrap over the top edge of the arcuate wall  101  and around a portion of the convex rear surface  103  of the arcuate wall  101  to hold the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in place within the user&#39;s mouth during use. The user may or may not grasp the handle  200  to further assist in holding the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in place within the mouth during use. During use of the intraoral mouthpiece  100 , different types of electromagnetic radiation are emitted from the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  onto teeth of a user that are placed adjacent thereto. However, before discussing the electromagnetic radiation and other functions of the oral treatment device  1000 , the structure of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  will be described in greater detail. 
     The arcuate wall  101  comprises a top end  109  and a bottom end  110 . Furthermore, the arcuate wall  101  of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is symmetric about a dental arch midline plane P-P. The dental arch midline plane P-P is a plane that is located centrally between the two side ends of the mouthpiece  100 , intersects the top and bottom ends  109 ,  110  of the mouthpiece  100 , and is perpendicular to an arcuate axis upon which the arcuate wall  101  extends. The arcuate wall  101  comprises a first notch  111  in the top end  109  and a second notch  112  in the bottom end  110 . The first and second notches  111 ,  112  are aligned with each other along the arcuate axis, and are also aligned with the dental arch midline plane P-P. When a user inserts the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into his or her mouth, the user can shift the intraoral mouthpiece  100  side-to-side until the first and second notches  111 ,  112  are located centrally along the user&#39;s mouth or lips. Thus, the first and second notches  111 ,  112  may be used as a visual alignment feature to facilitate the user properly positioning the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in the mouth in the X-axis direction of a three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system as shown in  FIG.  3   . However, because the first and second notches  111 ,  112  are located within the user&#39;s mouth during use of the oral treatment device  1000 , there may be a desire or need for additional visual alignment features on the handle  200 , as described further below. 
     The intraoral mouthpiece  100  comprises a bite platform  104  that extends from the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . The bite platform  104  extends horizontally outward from the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  and divides the arcuate wall  101  into an upper portion  117  and a lower portion  118 . When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned within the user&#39;s mouth, the bite platform  104  is intended to be located between the biting surfaces (occlusal or incisal surfaces) of the maxillary and mandibular teeth. That is, the bite platform  104  comprises an upper surface  105  and a lower surface  106 . The upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  and the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  collectively define an upper channel  107 . The lower surface  105  of the bite platform  104  and the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  collectively define a lower channel  108 . When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is located within the user&#39;s mouth, the user&#39;s maxillary teeth are located within the upper channel  107  and the user&#39;s mandibular teeth are located within the lower channel  108 , with the bite platform  104  being located between the user&#39;s maxillary and mandibular teeth. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  and the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104  are generally planar and parallel to one another. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the upper and lower surfaces  105 ,  106  of the bite platform  104  may take on other configurations in other embodiments. For example, the upper and/or lower surfaces  105 ,  106  of the bite platform  104  could be wavy or include pockets or recesses designed to receive the teeth of the user. The bite platform  104  extends from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  to a distal edge  113 . That is, the bite platform  104  terminates at a distal edge  113  that extends between the upper and lower surfaces  105 ,  106  of the bite platform  104 . The distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104  comprises a first linear section  114  adjacent to a first side end of the arcuate wall  101 , a second linear section  115  adjacent to a second side end of the arcuate wall  101 , and an arcuate section  116  extending between the first and second linear sections  114 ,  115 . The arcuate section  116  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104  is concave in the exemplified embodiment. When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned within the user&#39;s mouth, the user&#39;s tongue may rest within the pocket formed between the first and second linear sections  114 ,  115  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 . 
     In the exemplified embodiment, there is an alignment feature  120  located on, or along, the bite platform  104 . In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  is located on the bite platform  104 . However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the alignment feature may be located adjacent to or along the bite platform  104  without being located on or otherwise being coupled directly to the bite platform  104 . For example, the alignment feature  120  may extend from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  while being elevated relative to the bite platform  104 , or to portions of the bite platform  104  with which the alignment feature  120  is aligned. 
     The alignment feature  120  is configured to ensure that each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned into the mouth of the user, a particular tooth (e.g., one of the central incisors of the maxillary teeth) is located at the same position within the intraoral mouthpiece  100 , or more specifically relative to a color measurement sensor of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  (the color measurement sensor will be described in greater detail below). In one embodiment, the alignment feature  120  is configured to ensure that the particular tooth is spaced the same distance from the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  (and also from the color measurement sensor) each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is placed into the user&#39;s mouth. Stated another way, the alignment feature  120  is configured to ensure that the mouthpiece  100  is consistently positioned in the user&#39;s mouth in the direction of the Z-axis of the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system as shown in  FIG.  3   . It should be noted that the Z-distance (i.e., the distance between the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  and the front surface of the tooth being measured by the color measurement sensor) should be kept consistent for each particular user. The Z-distance is driven, in part, by the alignment feature  120  and comfort to a particular user, and may therefore differ from user to user. Thus, the Z-distance may be different from user to user, but should be consistent for a particular user each time the user inserts the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into his or her mouth in order to ensure consistent color measurements are taken from the same spot on the same tooth, as described herein in some detail. 
     In accordance with the exemplified embodiment, it is important to ensure that the particular tooth who&#39;s color is to be measured by the color measurement sensor is consistently positioned at the same relative location along the intraoral mouthpiece  100  (and relative to the color measurement sensor). This is because the oral treatment device  1000  is configured to obtain a color measurement for the particular tooth using the color measurement sensor (which will be described below with reference to  FIGS.  6  and  8   ). Thus, by ensuring that the particular tooth is consistently positioned at the same location relative to the color measurement sensor, the color measurement can be taken from the same spot on the particular tooth in each instance. Stated another way, the color measurement can be taken from an identical location along the selected tooth. The term identical location may include a tolerance of up to 1 mm in any direction. If the particular tooth could be located at different positions relative to the color measurement sensor upon each insertion of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the user&#39;s mouth, then the color measurement could be taken at different spots along the particular tooth. This can result in an inadequate indication being provided to the user regarding a change in the color measurement over time. Specifically, the particular tooth being measured may have different colors or different shades of color at different positions therealong. Thus, if the color measurement is taken at a first spot along the tooth on day one and then at a second different spot along the tooth on day two, the indication provided to the user regarding any change in color between days one and two as a result of a whitening treatment being performed may not be accurate. The present invention helps to ensure that the color measurement is taken from the same spot (or identical location, within the tolerance noted) on the same tooth each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned into the mouth of the user and used to take a color measurement. 
     As noted above, in the exemplified embodiment the particular tooth is one of the central incisors of the user&#39;s maxillary teeth. The reason that this particular tooth is chosen is that most people have central incisors, and the central incisors are the teeth that are most frequently visible to others. However, while the central incisors are indicated as the teeth intended to be measured for color using the oral treatment device  1000  in accordance with the exemplified embodiment of the present invention, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. The particular tooth could theoretically be any tooth in the user&#39;s mouth, and the intraoral mouthpiece  100 , and more particularly the alignment feature  120  thereof, is configured to ensure that whatever tooth is being measured, it is consistently located at the same position relative to the color measurement sensor each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is placed into the user&#39;s mouth. 
     Moreover, while the invention is described herein wherein there is only one color measurement sensor, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. Thus, in other embodiments, the oral treatment device  1000  may comprise multiple color measurement sensors, each positioned and configured to take a color measurement for a different specific tooth in the mouth. This can be beneficial for several reasons. First, the oral treatment device  1000  or an electronic device operably coupled thereto (as described herein) may have an algorithm that can determine a whiteness score based on the color measurement taken from multiple teeth. Second, some people may be missing certain teeth or may have veneers that do not whiten or change color. By having multiple color measurement sensors, there is a greater likelihood that at least one of the color measurement sensors will be aligned with one of the user&#39;s original teeth, rather than a spot where a tooth is missing or a veneer or other replacement tooth is located. In some embodiments, a user may be able to select which color measurement sensor to activate so that while the oral treatment device  1000  may include multiple color measurement sensors, only one is activated during a treatment protocol (which occurs over the course of many days or weeks) to ensure results are taken from the same singular tooth during the course of the treatment. This will enable a user to determine a color measurement sensor to use based on ensuring that it is aligned with a real tooth of the user rather than with a missing tooth location or veneer or the like. The color measurement sensors could be aligned only with the top teeth, with the top teeth and the bottom teeth, only with the bottom teeth, or the like. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  is aligned with the dental arch midline plane P-P. More specifically, in the exemplified embodiment the alignment feature  120  is symmetric about the dental arch midline plane P-P. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and in other embodiments the alignment feature  120  may be positioned at other locations along the bite platform  104 . For example, in one embodiment there may be two alignment features located on opposing ends of the bite platform  104  where the user&#39;s molars would be located when the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned in the user&#39;s mouth. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  is a wedge-shaped element that protrudes from both of the upper and lower surfaces  105 ,  106  of the bite platform  104 . Thus, the alignment feature  120  comprises a first portion  121  that protrudes into the upper channel  107  and is aligned with the upper portion  117  of the arcuate wall  101  and a second portion  122  that protrudes into the lower channel  108  and is aligned with the lower portion  118  of the arcuate wall  101 . The first portion  121  of the alignment feature  120  extends upwardly from the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  and the second portion  122  of the alignment feature  120  extends downwardly from the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104 . However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. In some embodiments, the alignment feature  120  may comprise only the first portion  121  and not the second portion  122 , or vice versa. 
     The alignment feature  120  extends from the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  to a top surface  123 . The top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  is sloped or inclined upwardly moving in a direction away from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  towards the distal end  113  of the bite platform  104 . Stated another way, the top surface  123  is inclined upwardly with increasing distance from the arcuate wall  101 . In the exemplified embodiment, the top surface  123  is planar and extends along an axis that is acute to the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104 . However, the top surface  123  need not be planar in all embodiments, and could instead have a wavy or undulating configuration without affecting its function. The top surface  123  is elevated relative to the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  along its entire length, including at its lowest point where the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  intersects or meets the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . In other embodiments, the end of the alignment feature  120  that is adjacent to the arcuate wall  101  may be flush with the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104 . The height of the first portion  121  of the alignment feature  120  measured from the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  to the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  increases continuously moving from the arcuate wall  101  to the distal end  113  of the bite platform  104 . 
     The alignment feature  120  comprises a first upper side surface  125  that extends from the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  to the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104  and a second upper side surface  126  that extends from the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  to the upper surface  105  to the bite platform  104 . In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  comprises a rounded corner where the top surface  123  meets each of the first and second upper side surfaces  125 ,  126 . In other embodiments, the corner could be made sharp. 
     The alignment feature  120  extends from the lower surface  160  of the bite platform  104  to a bottom surface  124 . The bottom surface  124  of the alignment feature  120  is sloped or inclined downwardly moving in the direction away from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  towards the distal end  113  of the bite platform  104 . Stated another way, the bottom surface  124  is inclined downwardly with increasing distance from the arcuate wall  101 . In the exemplified embodiment, the bottom surface  124  is planar and extends along an axis that is acute to the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104 . Of course, the bottom surface  124  could be undulating or wavy or otherwise non-planar in other embodiments without affecting the function. The bottom surface  124  is elevated relative to the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104  along its entire length, including at its lowest point where the bottom surface  124  of the alignment feature  120  intersects or meets the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . In other embodiments, the end of the alignment feature  120  that is adjacent to the arcuate wall  101  may be flush with the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104 . The height of the second portion  122  of the alignment feature  120  measured from the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104  to the bottom surface  124  of the alignment feature  120  increases continuously moving from the arcuate wall  101  to the distal end  113  of the bite platform  104 . 
     The top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  are sloped or inclined so as to diverge as they extend further from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . Thus, due to the angle at which the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  are oriented, the thickness of the alignment feature  120  increases moving in the direction away from the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . 
     It should be appreciated that the terms top and bottom with regard to the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  are not intended to be limiting of the invention in all embodiments. For example, in some embodiments the intraoral mouthpiece  100  may be able to be flipped/rotated 180°, such that the top surface  123  is located at the bottom and the bottom surface  124  is located at the top. Thus, the terms top surface  123  and bottom surface  124  would be interchangeable, and may simply refer to a first surface and a second surface in some embodiments. 
     The alignment feature  120  comprises a first lower side surface  127  that extends from the bottom surface  124  of the alignment feature  120  to the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104  and a second lower side surface  128  that extends from the bottom surface  124  of the alignment feature  120  to the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104 . In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  comprises a rounded corner where the bottom surface  124  meets each of the first and second lower side surfaces  127 ,  128 . In other embodiments the corner could be sharp and not rounded. 
     The alignment feature  120  terminates in a distal surface  129 . In the exemplified embodiment, the distal surface  129  of the alignment feature  120  is flush with the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104  along the arcuate section  116  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 . Moreover, because the distal surface  129  of the alignment feature  120  is located along the arcuate section  116  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 , the distal surface  129  of the alignment feature  120  is also arcuate, and more specifically concave. However, this is not required in all embodiments and the distal surface  129  of the alignment feature  120  may be planar or the like in other embodiments. 
     As stated above, the alignment feature  120  has an overall wedge-like shape. Due to the sloping top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature,  120 , when the user places the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into his or her mouth, the user will be guided to pull the intraoral mouthpiece  100  a particular distance into the mouth to achieve a desired level of comfort. In particular, the user&#39;s central incisors will likely rest in contact with the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  when the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is located in the mouth. If the user&#39;s central incisors are located near the distal surface  129  of the alignment feature  120  this will require the user to maintain the mouth in a slightly open position. Thus, the user will be guided and encouraged to insert the intraoral mouthpiece  100  further into the mouth until the central incisors are located in close proximity to the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . The alignment feature  120  has been found to result in user&#39;s having much greater consistency with the placement of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in the mouth as compared to intraoral mouthpieces that do not include such an alignment feature. As noted above, the distance between the specific tooth that is to be measured and the color measurement sensor will dictate which spot on the tooth that the color measurement is measured at. Thus, maintaining a consistent distance between the specific tooth that is to be measured and the color measurement sensor (and the inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 ) each time that the mouthpiece  100  is inserted into the mouth is an important function of the alignment feature  120  described herein. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment feature  120  is located entirely in alignment with the arcuate section  116  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 . Thus, the alignment feature  120  is centrally located along the bite platform  104 . In the exemplified embodiment, the top and bottom surface  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  are sloped moving in the direction between the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  and the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 . As mentioned above, the alignment feature  120  could be located at other positions along the bite platform  104 . For example, in one embodiment there could be two of the alignment features  120 , one located on either of the opposing ends of the bite platform  104 . In such an embodiment, the slope of the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  104  would be in a direction towards the first and second linear sections  114 ,  115  of the distal edge  113  of the bite platform  104 . Stated another way, the slope or incline of the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  should be in the direction of the translational movement of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  when it is being inserted into the mouth. As such, as the user&#39;s teeth are moving along the bite platform  104  during the insertion, the maxillary and mandibular teeth will be able to come closer together as the intraoral device  100  is inserted deeper into the mouth. In the exemplified embodiment the handle  200  extends from the intraoral mouthpiece  100  along an axis A-A, and the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  are sloped in the direction of (or in a direction parallel to) the axis A-A. The alignment feature  120  could also be located at other positions along the bite platform  104 , such as between the ends and the center positions described above. 
     As noted above, the handle  200  of the oral treatment device  1000  comprises a housing  201  that houses various electronic components of the oral treatment device  1000 . Thus, the housing  201  defines an interior cavity  202  within which the electronic components may be disposed. Furthermore, the housing  201  of the handle  200  has an outer surface, which may include a visual alignment feature  168 . The visual alignment feature  168  is aligned with the notch  111  and is intended to assist a user in properly positioning the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the mouth in the X direction of the Cartesian coordinate system shown in  FIG.  3   . As mentioned above, the intraoral mouthpiece  100  which includes the notch  111  is located in the mouth during use, and thus the notch  111  may not be overly helpful for purposes of alignment. However, if a user is standing in front of a mirror, the housing  201  and the handle  200  are located outside of the mouth and can help with the alignment in the X direction. The visual alignment feature  168  is located centrally along the oral treatment device  1000  to help a user center the oral treatment device  1000  in the mouth in the X direction. The visual alignment feature  168  may be a line as shown, which may be drawn or painted onto the housing  201 , or the visual alignment feature  168  may be an indentation or the like formed into the housing  201  which may be formed during the manufacturing/molding process. Moreover, as shown in  FIG.  1 A , the housing  201  may terminate at a distal end surface  230 , and there may be an alignment indicium  169  located centrally along the distal end surface  230 . This may be helpful since the distal end surface  230  will be visible to the user, and thus the user can centrally align the alignment indicium  169  along the user&#39;s face in the X direction. In the exemplified embodiment, the alignment indicium is a dot, but it may be an “X” or a star or a dash or any other indicium that may assist a user in properly centering the intraoral mouthpiece  100  within the mouth in the X direction. 
     The housing  201  of the handle  200  houses a control circuit  250  of the oral treatment device  1000 . The housing  201  may also house a power source  240  within the interior cavity  202 . The handle  200  also comprises an actuator  245  (i.e., a power button) for activating the control circuit  250  for operation of the oral treatment device  1000 . The control circuit  250  may also comprise a communication component, such as a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, or the like, to enable electronic/wireless communication between the oral treatment device  1000  and an external electronic device such  900  as a smart phone (see  FIG.  9   ). 
     In the exemplified embodiment, actuation of the actuator  245  will power the oral treatment device  1000  on so that the oral treatment device  1000  may become operably coupled to the external electronic device  900  (see  FIG.  9   ). The oral treatment device  1000  may become automatically wirelessly coupled to the electronic device  900  upon being powered on in some embodiments, although in other embodiments the user may be required to interact with one or both of the oral treatment device  1000  and the electronic device  900  to achieve the operable wireless coupling therebetween. In some embodiments, actuation of the actuator  245  may be used to control transmission of power from the power source  240  to an electromagnetic radiation source (described below) so that the electromagnetic radiation source can emit the electromagnetic radiation onto the user&#39;s teeth. However, in other embodiments the electronic device  900  shown in  FIG.  9    may be used for activating the electromagnetic radiation source, and the power button or actuator  245  may simply power the device on to allow it to operably/wirelessly couple to the electronic device  900  for transmission of signals and/or data therebetween. As will be discussed below, it may be undesirable for a user to be able to activate the color measurement sensor with the actuator  245  because pressing the actuator  245  could change the alignment of the color measurement sensor with the tooth to be measured. Thus, as discussed herein, in preferred embodiments the user will use the electronic device  900  which is separate and distinct from the oral treatment device  1000  for purposes of activating the color measurement sensor, and possibly also for activating the various electromagnetic radiation emitting elements and other features of the oral treatment device  1000 . 
     The oral treatment device  1000  may power off automatically after a predetermined period of time, and/or the oral treatment device  1000  may power off upon a second actuation of the actuator  245  or upon a second type of actuation of the actuator  245  (such as holding in the actuator  245  for five seconds, or pressing the actuator  245  twice in quick succession). In the exemplified embodiment, the actuator  245  is a depressible button, but the invention is not to be so limited and other types of actuators may be used. Specifically, the actuator  245  can be any type of device that upon actuation powers on and/or off one or more of the electrical components stored within the housing  201 . For example, the actuator  245  can be a slide switch, a touch pad, a knob, a capacitive sensor, or any other component that upon actuation causes the oral treatment device  1000  to function as described herein. The actuator  245  may be operably coupled to a processor so that upon depressing or otherwise actuating the actuator  245 , the processor initiates operation of the oral treatment device  1000  or initiates an attempt to wirelessly connect to another device, such as the electronic device  900  of  FIG.  9   . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the oral treatment device  1000  and its constituent parts will be further described. While the oral treatment device  1000  was described above in its assembled state, the oral treatment device  1000  may be formed from several parts or components which are coupled together to form the final assembled product. In the exemplified embodiment, the oral treatment device  1000  comprises a guard component  300 , a lens plate  320 , a lamp  400 , a lamp support structure  340 , the control circuit  250 , the actuator  245 , and the handle  200 . 
     The guard component  300  is the front-most part of the oral treatment device  1000  which abuts against the user&#39;s oral surfaces when the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is placed within the mouth. The guard component  300  comprises the bite platform  104 , the alignment feature  120 , and a frame portion  301 . The guard component  300  may be formed of a resilient material such as a thermoplastic elastomer or other elastomeric material. Suitable elastomeric materials include, without limitation, thermoplastic elastomers, rubbers, silicones, or other biocompatible resilient materials suitable for uses in an oral hygiene apparatus including thermoset elastomers or the like. The reason for forming the guard component  300  out of an elastomeric material is that the guard component  300  is the main component that directly contacts the user&#39;s oral cavity surfaces during use of the oral treatment device  1000 . Thus, forming the guard component  300  out of an elastomeric material enhances comfort to the user. The guard component  300  may be injection molded onto the lamp support structure  340  after the lamp  400  and the lens plate  320  are coupled to the lamp support structure  340  to complete the assembly of the intraoral mouthpiece  100 . Alternatively, the guard component  300  could be formed separately from the lamp support structure  340  and merely coupled thereto using mechanical interfaces/mating between the components. 
     The frame portion  301  defines a window  302  that is divided by the bite platform  104  into an upper window  303  and a lower window  304 . The frame portion  301  forms an enclosed geometric structure having an arcuate shape that appears rectangular when viewed from the front. The upper and lower windows  303 ,  304  are openings through which the lens plate  320  is exposed in the assembled intraoral mouthpiece  100 . Thus, electromagnetic radiation emitted by the lamp  400  can pass through the lens plate  320  and through the upper and lower windows  303 ,  304  to reach a user&#39;s teeth and other oral surfaces as desired. 
     The lens plate  320  is positioned between the lamp  400  and the rear surface of the guard component  300 . The lens plate  320  comprises a front surface (or inner surface)  321  that faces the rear surface of the guard component  300  and a rear surface (or outer surface)  322  opposite the front surface  321 . The front or inner surface  321  is arcuate, and more specifically concave, and forms the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  in the assembled intraoral mouthpiece  100 . Because the lens plate  320  covers the lamp  400 , the lens plate  320  is formed of a light transmissive material so that the light generated by light emitters of the lamp  400  can pass through the lens plate  320 . Thus, in some embodiments the lens plate  320  may be formed of a transparent material. The lens plate  320  may also be formed of a translucent material. In some embodiments, the lens plate  320  may have a colored tint, while still being light transmissive so that light emitted by the lamp  400  can pass therethrough. In one particular embodiment, the lens plate  320  may be formed of a transparent biocompatible material. The lens plate  320  may be formed of a copolyester. In some embodiments the copolyester is Eastar™ BR003, although the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the lens plate  320  may be formed of a number of different materials so long as it enables the light emitted by the lamp  400  to pass therethrough as described herein. One benefit of Eastar™ BR003 is that it contains a mold release additive and is nearly water-clear. 
     The lens plate  320  comprises a ridge  323  extending from the front surface  321  along a midline of the lens plate  320  halfway between top and bottom edges of the lens plate  320 . When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is assembled, the ridge  323  is embedded within the bite platform  104  of the guard component  300 , which helps to facilitate a secure coupling between the lens plate  320  and the guard component  300 . The lens plate  320  also comprises a protuberance  324  that protrudes either from the front surface  321  of the lens plate  320  or from the distal end of the ridge  323 . The protuberance  324  comprises an upper portion  325  that is inclined upwardly in a direction away from the front surface  321  and a lower portion  326  that is inclined downwardly in a direction away from the front surface  321 . When the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is assembled, the protuberance  324  is embedded within the alignment feature  120  of the guard component  300 . Thus, the protuberance  324  provides some structural rigidity to the alignment feature  120  and helps to facilitate a secure coupling between the guard component  300  and the lens plate  320 . However, the protuberance  324 , and also the ridge  323 , may be omitted in some embodiments. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the lamp  400  is a singular structure that, when the oral treatment device  1000  is assembled, is located along the rear surface  322  of the lens plate  320  so as to emit electromagnetic radiation through the lens plate  320 . The lamp  400  comprises a flexible sheet body  401 , which is an elongated sheet that is sufficiently flexible such that it can be bent from a planar state into a contoured shape having a curvature that generally corresponds to the arch of a user&#39;s dentiture. In one embodiment, the flexible sheet body  401  is in a planar state when no bending force is applied thereto. In another embodiment, the flexible sheet body  401  is flat when no bending force is applied thereto, but the flexible sheet body  401  can be bent into the desired curvature such as for example to match the curvature of the lens plate  320 . 
     The lamp  400  may comprise the flexible sheet  401  with a plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  and a color measurement sensor  420  located thereon. The electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  may be any type of device that is capable of generating and/or emitting light when coupled to a power source and activated. In one particular embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  may comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs), including printed LEDs. In other embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  may be any type of light source, particularly solid state light sources, which may include LEDs, OLEDs, HBLEDs, electroluminescent elements, or the like. In certain other embodiments, the plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  can be printed inorganic LEDs, micro conventional LEDs that are surface mounted to a flexible substrate/circuit, organic LEDs (OLEDs), or electroluminescence. In still other embodiments, the plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  can be any of the LEDs noted herein mounted to a rigid rather than a flexible substrate. Additional details regarding the electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  will be provided below with reference to  FIGS.  6 - 7 C . 
     As noted above, in addition to the plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402 , the lamp  400  also comprises the color measurement sensor  420 . The color measurement sensor  420  comprises a light emitter  421  and a light receiver  422 . The color measurement sensor  420  will be described in greater detail below with particular reference to  FIGS.  6  and  8   . Moreover, while one color measurement sensor  420  is shown and described herein, as mentioned above the oral treatment device  1000  may comprise a plurality of color measurement sensors in other embodiments. In such an embodiment, each of the color measurement sensors may comprise a light emitter and a light receiver that receives reflected light from the light emitter. Each of the color measurement sensors may be aligned with a different one of the user&#39;s teeth for purposes of taking color measurements on the tooth with which it is aligned. In some embodiments all of the color measurement sensors may be activated at once. In other embodiments, a user may select which of the color measurement sensors to activate depending on the user&#39;s specific oral cavity, such as locations of missing teeth, veneers, other tooth implants, tooth visibility to others, or the like. 
     The lamp  400  may operate with a driving current that is less than or equal to 130 mA, although in some embodiments it may be between 75 mA and 105 mA. The lamp  400  may have an emittance at 90 mA that is greater than 9.2 mW/cm2. The lamp  400  may be divided into a plurality of distinct regions of equal surface area. Regardless of the breakdown of the regions, the lamp  400  may have a uniformity that is greater than 75% among the distinct regions. The lamp  400  may have a surface operating temperature that is below 48° C. when driven in accordance with the parameters set forth herein for a time period of 10 minutes. 
     The lamp  400  is sandwiched between the lens plate  320  and the lamp support structure  340 . The lamp support structure  340  comprises a first portion  341  of the housing  201  of the handle  200  and a curved support plate  342  that supports the lamp  400 . The handle  200  is formed by attaching a second portion  205  of the housing  201  to the first portion  341  of the housing  201 , which renders the handle  200  attached to the lamp support structure  340 . A gasket  349  may be positioned around the first portion  341  of the housing  201  to prevent liquid ingress into the interior cavity  202  of the housing  201 . The curved support plate  342  comprises a concave front surface  343  and a convex rear surface  344 . The lamp support structure  340  comprises an opening  345  that extends all the way through from the concave front surface  343  to the back end of the first portion  341  of the housing  201 . In the assembled oral treatment device  1000 , portions of the control circuit  250  may extend through the first portion  341  of the housing  201  and into the opening  345 . For example, wires may extend from the power source and/or a processor or the like to the lamp  400  in order to provide an electrical coupling therebetween so that the lamp  400  may be powered when the oral treatment device  1000  is activated. 
     The lamp  400  is attached to the lamp support structure  340  along the concave front surface  343  of the curved support plate  342 . In the exemplified embodiment, the concave front surface  343  comprises a recessed portion  346 , and the lamp  400  nests within the recessed portion  346 . This ensures that there is sufficient space for the lamp  400  and the electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  which protrude therefrom to fit between the curved support plate  342  of the lamp support structure  340  and the rear surface  322  of the lens plate  320 . 
     Additional details about the various components of the oral treatment device  1000 , their relationship to one another, and their functionality may be set forth in one or both of U.S. Pat. No. 11,040,218 and U.S. Pat. No.  10 , 369 , 375 , the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6  and  7 A , the lamp  400  will be further described. While  FIG.  7 A  illustrates the lamp  400  and the light emitters thereon as being visible through the arcuate wall  101  of the intraoral mouthpiece  100 , this is not necessarily the situation with the actual device and is only illustrated this way for clarity of description and understanding. Thus, when not activated, the light emitters may not be able to be seen through the arcuate wall  101  formed by the front surface  321  of the lens plate  320  in all embodiments, although the light emitters may be visible as shown in other embodiments. 
     The lamp  400  comprises the flexible sheet body  401  having a top edge  403 , a bottom edge  404 , a first side edge  405 , and a second side edge  406 . In the exemplified embodiment the flexible sheet body  401  has a rectangular shape, but the invention is not to be so limited and the shape of the flexible sheet body  401  may be modified, keeping in mind that the flexible sheet body  401  should be shaped so as to enable electromagnetic radiation to be emitted onto the outer surfaces of as many of the user&#39;s teeth as may be desired for a whitening treatment. The flexible sheet body  401  comprises a first axis B-B which is at the location where the bite platform  104  extends in the assembled oral treatment device  1000  and a second axis C-C which lies in the dental arch midline plane P-P described above. 
     The plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  comprises a plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  and a plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408 . The plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  are configured to emit violet light and the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  are configured to emit red light. The violet light emitted by the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may have a wavelength between 380 nm and 450 nm, more specifically between 400 nm and 420 nm, and still more specifically approximately 410 nm (with the term approximately equating to a difference of plus or minus 5 nm). In other embodiments, instead of violet light, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may be configured to emit blue light (wavelength between 440 nm and 490 nm) or indigo light (wavelength between 420 nm and 440 nm). Thus, in some embodiments the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may be configured to emit one of violet light, indigo light, and blue light, although violet light may be preferred in some embodiments. The red light emitted by the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  may have a wavelength between 620 nm and 700 nm, more specifically between 620 nm and 650 nm, and more specifically approximately 635 nm (again, with the term approximately equating to a difference of plus or minus 5 nm). Violet light in the wavelengths noted above have been known to be effective to whiten teeth, particularly when used in conjunction with a tooth whitening composition such as one containing hydrogen peroxide or the like. Red light in the wavelengths noted above have been known to have healing capabilities, such as to alleviate gum inflammation and pain. 
     Thus, because the red light is intended to be emitted onto the user&#39;s gums and the violet light is intended to be emitted onto the user&#39;s teeth, the plurality of first and second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 ,  408  are specifically located along the flexible sheet body  401  to achieve that end. That is, the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  are arranged in a first row  409  that is adjacent to the top edge  403  of the flexible sheet body  401  of the lamp  400  and a second row  410  that is adjacent to the bottom edge  404  of the flexible sheet body  401  of the lamp  400 . The plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  are all located between the first and second rows  409 ,  410  of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  moving in a direction of the axis C-C between the top and bottom edges  403 ,  404  of the flexible sheet body  401 . Thus, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  comprises a first set  411  located along the upper portion  117  of the arcuate wall  101  between the first row  409  of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  and the upper surface  105  of the bite platform  104 . Furthermore, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  comprises a second set  412  located along the lower portion  118  of the arcuate wall  101  between the second row  410  of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  and the lower surface  106  of the bite platform  104 . This positioning aligns the second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  with a user&#39;s gums and the first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  with a user&#39;s teeth when the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned in the user&#39;s mouth. It should be appreciated that as used herein the term row is not limited to only a straight row, but can include curved rows or the like. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the first set  411  of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  are arranged in two rows and the second set  412  of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  are arranged in two rows. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. That is, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  could be positioned randomly along the region where they are located (i.e., between the second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  and the bite platform  104 ). In other embodiments, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  could be positioned in a single row or more than two rows along each of the upper and lower portions  117 ,  118  of the arcuate wall  101 . 
     Looking just at the flexible sheet body  401  shown in  FIG.  6   , there is a space in the direction of the axis C-C between the first and second sets  411 ,  412  of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 . This space has a height (measured in the direction of the axis C-C) which is greater than the thickness of the bite guard  104 . Thus, when the oral treatment device  1000  is assembled, the bite guard  104  does not block or cover any of the electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  402  and the light emitted from each is therefore capable of being emitted onto the user&#39;s teeth and gums. 
     As noted above, the lamp  400  also comprises the color measurement sensor  420 , which comprises the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422 . The light emitter  421  may be an LED, such as a white LED, in some embodiments. However, the light emitter  421  may be any of the different types of light sources described above. The light receiver  422  may be a device that can capture three primary colors of RGB using an organic semiconductor. The light receiver  422  may be configured to express the tooth color as three values: L* for perceptual lightness, and a* and b* for the four unique colors of human vision: red, green, violet, and yellow. The light receiver  422  and or a processer operably coupled thereto can utilize the received reflected light information and determine a tooth color value therefrom. Thus, changes in color may be calculated using the CIE L*a*b* color difference equation, or using other color detection equations and/or techniques. 
     When the color measurement sensor  420  is activated, the light emitter  421  flashes a white light towards the user&#39;s teeth that are positioned adjacent to the arcuate wall  101 . A portion of the light that reflects from the user&#39;s teeth is then received by the light receiver  422 . The light receiver  422  uses the reflected light to generate tooth color data (a tooth color value) or information. As discussed below, the light receiver  422  may transmit the tooth color data or information to an external electronic device for processing and providing the user with information related to the tooth color in a easily understandable way. Alternatively, the oral treatment device  1000  may comprise processor(s) and a display for processing the color data and presenting it to the user. As discussed above, it is important to ensure that the light receiver  422  is receiving light reflected from the same spot on the same tooth of the user each time that the color measurement is taken to increase accuracy in the results provided to the user. The alignment feature  120  of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  helps to facilitate this consistency and accuracy by positioning the measured tooth at the same location relative to the color measurement sensor  420  each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is inserted into the user&#39;s mouth. 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  of the color measurement sensor  420  are located along or among the first set  411  of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 . That is, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are located along the upper portion  117  of the arcuate wall  101  between the first row  409  of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  and the bite platform  104 . To be more specific, the first set  411  of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  comprises an upper row  413  and a lower row  414 . The light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are located generally along the lower row  414  to one side of the second axis C-C. In fact, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are located between the first two of the second electromagnetic radiation elements  408  that are above the bite platform  104  and immediately to the right of the second axis C-C. This positioning places the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  into alignment with the user&#39;s central incisor, which is the tooth that is preferred for the color measurement as described herein. However, it should be noted that the oral treatment device  1000  may be rotated 180° about the longitudinal axis A-A so that the color measurement sensor  420  is aligned with the user&#39;s lower teeth. Thus, if the user&#39;s top incisor is a tooth implant or missing, the user can flip the oral treatment device  1000  so that the color measurement is taken from the user&#39;s bottom incisor. Thus, with just a single color measurement sensor, there is flexibility in the particular tooth being measured for color. Of course, multiple color measurement sensors may be included as has been described herein. 
     The light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are positioned in vertical alignment with one another, with the light receiver  422  being positioned immediately above the light emitter  421 . This positioning has been found to be reliable based on the manner in which light reflects off of a tooth due to the tooth surface contours and shape. However, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  could be positioned with the light emitter  421  above the light receiver  422 , or in a side-by-side adjacent manner in other embodiments. Moreover, in the exemplified embodiment at least a portion of the light emitter  421  is located between the first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  in the lower row  414  and the bite platform  104 . Thus, the light emitter  421  is positioned near the bite platform  104 , and is configured to emit light onto a lower portion of the tooth, and specifically the central incisor. The lower part of the tooth, and specifically the central incisors, is the part that is most often visible to others when people speak, breath, or simply sit or stand in a relaxed manner. Thus, the color measurement sensor  420  is designed to take color measurements from a lower portion, more specifically a lower one-half or a lower one-fourth portion of the central incisor, to provide the user with an accurate understanding of the color of the part of the tooth that is most often seen by others. As best seen in  FIG.  8   , the light emitter  421  is positioned quite close to the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120 , with the light emitter  421  being between 0.5 mm and 3 mm away from the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120  where the alignment feature  120  meets the concave inner surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . 
     As seen in  FIG.  7 A , the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  of the color measurement sensor  420  are positioned along the arcuate wall  101 . That is, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are positioned behind the arcuate wall  101 , but in alignment therewith. The light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  of the color measurement sensor  420  are located behind the alignment feature  120  in the assembled oral treatment device  1000 . Thus, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are depicted using dashed lines or ghost lines to indicate their positioning behind the alignment feature  120 . The light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are in alignment with the alignment feature  120  such that the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  both lie in a plane that is perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces  105 ,  106  of the bite platform  104  and that intersects the alignment feature  120 . However, the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are offset from the dental arch midline plane P-P to place the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  into alignment with the user&#39;s central incisor rather than with the space between the user&#39;s central incisors when the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned in the user&#39;s mouth. Again, the color measurement sensor  420  is positioned above the bite platform  104  to take color measurements from the central incisor of the maxillary teeth since the maxillary teeth are more often visible to others than the mandibular teeth. The oral treatment device  1000  could be rotated 180° so that the color measurement sensor  420  is positioned below the bite platform  104  (relative positioning) to take the color measurement from one of the central incisors of the mandibular teeth. 
     While the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are located behind the alignment feature  120 , due to the sloped nature of the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120 , the alignment feature  120  does not actually block the light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  relative to the user&#39;s central incisor. Specifically,  FIG.  8    illustrates a cross-sectional view through line VIII-VIII of  FIG.  7 A  with the intraoral mouthpiece  100  positioned in a user&#39;s mouth so that the user&#39;s central incisor  500  is resting atop of the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120 . The light emitter  421  and the light receiver  422  are exposed to the surface of the tooth (e.g., central incisor)  500 , meaning that no structure is blocking light from being emitted from the light emitter  421  onto the tooth  500  and being reflected from the tooth  500  to the light receiver  422 . When activated, the light emitter  421  flashes a light that is emitted onto the tooth  500 . Some of the light reflects off of the tooth  500  and off of the top surface  123  of the alignment feature  120 , but is not received by the light receiver  422 . That is, the light receiver  422  only has a small opening for receiving reflected light. 
     In one embodiment, the light receiver  422  may be positioned behind a baffle  423  with an opening  424  therethrough. The opening  424  may be approximately 1.25 mm or less in diameter. The light emitter  421  may be located approximately 4 mm below the opening  424 . The reflected light can only reach the light receiver  422  if it is angled and oriented to pass through the opening  424  in the baffle. This further helps to ensure that the reflected light being received by the light receiver  422  is reflecting from the same spot on the tooth  500  each time the color measurement sensor  420  is activated. This also avoids the situation where the light being reflected from the alignment feature  120  is received by the light receiver  422 , which could create improper measurement values. While  FIG.  8    illustrates the baffle  423  extending through the lens plate  320 , this is not required in all embodiments and the baffle  423  may be positioned behind the lens plate  320  in other embodiments. 
     Still referring to  FIG.  8   , it should be appreciated that when the user inserts the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into his or her mouth, the alignment feature  120  will encourage the user to position the intraoral mouthpiece  100  at the same location with each insertion. Specifically, the alignment feature  120  will encourage the user to insert the intraoral mouthpiece  100  the same distance into the mouth so that the distance between the tooth  500  and the color measurement sensor  420  (in the Z direction of the Cartesian coordinate system described previously) is the same each time that the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned in the mouth. The sensor measurement result is dependent upon the reflection angle of the presented tooth surface. Thus, it should be appreciated that it is important to make sure that the tooth is at the same position relative to the color measurement sensor  420  so that the color measurement is taken from the same spot on the tooth  500  each time the color measurement sensor  420  is activated. If the distance between the tooth  500  and the color measurement sensor  420  is different for different insertions and different color measurement activations, then the color measurement may be taken from different spots on the tooth which could have different color values due to differences in reflection angle of the tooth  500 . The alignment feature  120  has been found to encourage users to consistently position the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in the mouth at the same location in the Z direction. 
     The exemplified embodiment is described herein whereby the alignment feature  120  is configured to ensure that each time the intraoral mouthpiece is positioned into a mouth of a user, a tooth of the user is located at the same distance from the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 , and hence also from the color measurement sensor  420 . Of course, there is some fluctuation that may occur because there remains a dependence on the user to consistently position the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the mouth each time. Thus, while the term “the same distance” has been used, it should be appreciated that this may include a small tolerance of, for example, 1 mm in the Z direction. When a user has multiple colors or shades of color on a single tooth, the color tends to change gradually moving across the surface. Thus, a small tolerance in the positioning of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  in the mouth in the Z direction should not have a significant impact on the color value obtained by the color measurement sensor  420  over multiple successive measurements. 
     Referring briefly to  FIG.  9   , the oral treatment device  1000  is illustrated in operable communication with an electronic device  900 . In the exemplified embodiment, the electronic device  900  is a smart phone, but the electronic device  900  could take on other forms such as being a tablet, a computer, a smart watch, or the like in different embodiments. The electronic device  900  may be connected to the oral treatment device  1000  using a hard wire connection. However, in the exemplified embodiment the electronic device  900  is wirelessly connected to the oral treatment device  1000 . Such a wireless connection may be achieved using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or the like. As noted above, the control circuit  250  or the oral treatment device  1000  may comprise a Bluetooth module or a Wi-Fi module which may communicate with the same component of the electronic device  900 . The electronic device  900  comprises a display screen  901  on which the electronic device  900  may display information to the user, including information about tooth color and tooth color changes over time. 
     As noted above, the oral treatment device  1000  may be powered on via the actuator  245  in some embodiments. However, electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 ,  408  and the color measurement sensor  420  of the oral treatment device  1000  may be activated using the electronic device  900 . Thus, the electronic device  900  may be configured with a software application (app) downloaded thereon. When the software application is launched on the electronic device  900  and the electronic device  900  is in operable communication with the oral treatment device  1000 , the electronic device  900  may be capable of controlling the activation of the electronic components of the oral treatment device  1000 . Thus, a user can interact with and/or touch the touch screen of the electronic device  900  to activate the color measurement sensor  420  and/or to activate the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  and/or the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408 . The user may be able to activate each of the aforementioned electronic components with distinct activation protocols, or a single activation may cause the electronic components to be activated in a desired sequence (for example, the color measurement sensor  420  being activated first, followed by the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408 , followed by the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 ). 
     In some embodiments, it is advantageous to facilitate activation of the color measurement sensor  420  with the electronic device  900  and not via the actuator  245  on the housing  201  of the oral treatment device  1000 . This is because if the actuator  245  were used to activate the color measurement sensor  420 , the action of the user applying a force onto the actuator  245  (i.e., power button) may cause the oral treatment device  1000  to move/tilt in the Y-axis direction. This will result in the color measurement sensor  420  taking color measurements from inconsistent positions on the tooth depending on how hard the actuator  245  is depressed and/or how much the oral treatment device  1000  moves during the activation. By having the user activate the color measurement sensor  420  with the external electronic device  900  which is a separate and distinct device from the oral treatment device  1000 , the oral treatment device  1000  can me maintained in a stable and consistent position while the color measurement is being taken. 
     The electronic device  900  may remain in communication with the oral treatment device  1000  so that the oral treatment device  1000 , and specifically the color measurement sensor  420  thereof, may transmit data to the electronic device  900  related to the color value of the tooth as measured by the color measurement sensor  420 . The electronic device  900  may then be configured to convert the color value into information that is valuable to the user, as described in some detail below. In some embodiments, the oral treatment device  1000  may comprise a memory for storing measured tooth color values, and may transmit all such stored tooth color values to the electronic device  900  once communication is established between the oral treatment device  1000  and the electronic device  900 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  7 B,  7 C,  8 , and  9    concurrently, a brief description of the operation of the oral treatment device  1000  will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. First, the intraoral mouthpiece  100  of the oral treatment device  1000  is inserted into the user&#39;s mouth to obtain a baseline color measurement from the user, and specifically from the user&#39;s central incisor. During this first insertion of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the user&#39;s mouth, the user&#39;s teeth are not coated with any composition, nor is there any composition on the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 . As discussed in detail herein, the alignment feature  120  of the intraoral mouthpiece  100  encourages the user to insert the intraoral mouthpiece  100  the same distance in the Z-direction each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is positioned in the mouth. This ensures that the tooth being measured by the color measurement sensor  420  is located at the same position relative to the color measurement sensor  420  (and/or relative to the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101 ) each time the color measurement is taken from the tooth. 
     Next, the color measurement sensor  420  may be activated to take a color measurement from the tooth  500 . Alternatively, the color measurement sensor  420  may be activated wirelessly using the electronic device  900 . Specifically, the software application launched on the electronic device  900  may have an icon or button or location on the display thereof for the user to press to activate the color measurement sensor  420  to take a color measurement. Upon activation of the color measurement sensor  420 , the light emitter  421  emits a flash of light towards the tooth  500 . The light reflects off of the tooth  500  and some of the reflected light is received by the light receiver  422 . As noted above, because the alignment feature  120  ensures that the tooth  500  is located the same distance from the color measurement sensor  420  each time the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is inserted into the user&#39;s mouth, the color measurement is taken from the same spot (possibly within a tolerance as noted above) on the tooth each time a color measurement is taken. The color measurement data may then be stored in a memory of the oral treatment device  1000  and/or transmitted to the electronic device  900  and displayed to the user in a visual representative format. The color measurement data may also be stored in the memory of the electronic device  900 . The first color measurement taken by the user during a particular treatment protocol is used as a baseline measurement against which all later color measurements is compared for purposes of illustrating to the user the color change over time. If a user completes a treatment protocol and at a later date wants to start a new treatment protocol, the user can take another initial baseline measurement for each treatment protocol by properly interacting with the software application on the electronic device  900 . By taking a baseline measurement and then continuing to take daily measurements during the treatment protocol, the user can obtain a quantitative reference of the change in color relative to the baseline over time. 
     Once the color measurement has been obtained, the user may use the oral treatment device  1000  to perform a gum inflammation treatment and/or to perform a whitening treatment. The invention will be described in a situation whereby the user intends to perform both the gum inflammation treatment and the whitening treatment. However, it should be appreciated that the user could omit one or both of these steps as desired. 
     After taking the color measurement from the tooth, the user may remove the intraoral mouthpiece  100  from the mouth. This will enable the user to apply a whitening composition onto his or her teeth. Thus, while the emission of violet light onto the teeth may facilitate whitening thereof, this whitening is enhanced when a tooth whitening composition is first applied onto the teeth. The tooth whitening composition may be applied directly onto the teeth using any of various applicators, such as by painting the composition onto the teeth, placing a tray with the composition thereon into the mouth, or the like. The whitening composition may be any composition currently known for tooth whitening purpose, including those that comprise varying weight percentages of hydrogen peroxide (from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, or the like). 
     After applying the tooth whitening composition to the teeth, the intraoral mouthpiece  100  is inserted back into the user&#39;s mouth. The user may be directed to wait for a certain amount of time (i.e., 5 minutes or 10 minutes or the like) after application of the tooth whitening composition onto the teeth before inserting the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the mouth in some embodiments, although this may not be required or necessary in all embodiments. Next, as shown in  FIG.  7 B , the user may activate the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 , which are configured to emit violet light onto the teeth of the user. As noted above, this activation of the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may be achieved via user interaction on the electronic device  900 . Having violet light emitted onto the teeth that are pre-coated with the tooth whitening composition increases and enhances the whitening benefit achieved. The plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may be activated for a first predetermined period of time, which may be between 5 and 20 minutes, more specifically between 10 and 20 minutes, more specifically between 15 and 20 minutes, or the like. The length of time may be longer than 20 minutes in some embodiments as well. 
     After expiration of the first predetermined period of time, the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  may be automatically deactivated. Alternatively, a user may press a button on the oral treatment device  1000  or interact with the electronic device  900  to deactivate the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 . Once the plurality of first electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407  have been deactivated, the user can remove the intraoral mouthpiece  100  from his or her mouth. 
     Next, the user may leave the tooth whitening composition on the teeth for a period of time. For example, the tooth whitening composition may be one that is intended to be left on the teeth overnight, or for a certain timeframe (one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, or more). Thus, the user may go to sleep without removing the tooth whitening composition from the teeth so that the tooth whitening composition can continue to whiten the teeth during the overnight hours. In such a situation, the user will remove the tooth whitening composition from the teeth the next morning, by brushing the teeth in the conventional manner. In other embodiments, the user may desire to remove the tooth whitening composition immediately after removing the oral treatment device  1000  from the mouth, although this may depend on the particular type of tooth whitening composition used. 
     In any case, after the tooth whitening composition has been removed from the teeth, the user may want to complete a gum treatment. Thus, the user may insert the oral treatment device  1000  back into the user&#39;s mouth, and activate the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408 , as shown in  FIG.  7 C . The user may activate the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  by interacting with the electronic device  900  or pressing a button directly on the oral treatment device  1000 . 
     As noted above, the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  are configured to emit red light, which can be used for healing or to alleviate pain. Upon activation, the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  may be configured to remain activated for a second predetermined period of time. The second predetermined period of time may be between 3 and 10 minutes, more specifically between 3 and 8 minutes, and more specifically between 3 and 5 minutes. The second predetermined period of time may be longer than 10 minutes in some embodiments as well. The plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  may deactivate automatically after expiration of the second predetermined period of time. In other embodiments, once the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  are activated, they may remain activated until the user deactivates them (such as by pressing a button or interacting with the software application on the electronic device  900 ). 
     In some embodiments, prior to the activation of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408 , the user may apply a healing or treatment composition or ointment onto the gums, which may work together with the red light of the plurality of second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  408  for gum healing purposes. Moreover, in some embodiments the plurality of first and second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 ,  408  may be configured for simultaneous activation, so that the red light is applied to the gums and the violet light is applied to the teeth at the same time. This may be an alternative or additional treatment cycle option that can be selected by the user, or it may be the preferred treatment cycle. 
     Finally, after the gum treatment with the red light, the user may take another color measurement of the teeth with the color measurement sensor  420 . Thus, the user may place the intraoral mouthpiece  100  back into the mouth and activate the color measurement sensor  420 . The oral treatment device  1000  will send data indicative of the color measurement to the software application on the electronic device  900 . The electronic device  900  may then display the color measurement obtained during this second measurement with a comparison to the baseline measurement taken from the initial color measurement prior to starting the treatment protocol and any intervening color measurements taken so that the user can track his or her whitening progress. It should be noted that the user may omit the red light treatment in some embodiments if there is no desire to heal or treat the gums. 
     The next time that the user performs a treatment (such as the next night), the user will perform all of these steps again. That is, the user will take a first color measurement, then apply the whitening composition to the teeth, then emit the violet light onto the teeth, then the user will sleep. The next morning, the user will remove the tooth whitening composition from the teeth and emit the red light onto the gums for healing. Finally, the user will take another color measurement. For this second treatment, the first and second color measurements will still be compared to the initial baseline measurement taken the prior day (or on the initial treatment day). The user will be able to see changes over time and changes relative to the baseline measurement taken on the first day of the treatment protocol. While day to day color changes may be minimal and not noticeable to the naked eye, the color change over the course of several days of treatment will be significant, and this will encourage the user to continue the treatment protocol. 
     While a particular order of operations has been described herein, and the described order is preferred, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. The software application on the electronic device  900  may provide the user with the opportunity to determine the order of operations (or the user may be able to actuate different buttons associated with activation of the different electronic components in a preferred order). The oral treatment device  1000  may be configured so that the plurality of first and second electromagnetic radiation emitting elements  407 ,  408  may be activated simultaneously in some embodiments. One benefit in taking the color measurement before the tooth whitening is that the color measurement can be taken before coating the teeth with the whitening composition. If the user takes the color measurement after tooth whitening, the user will need to clean the whitening composition from the teeth prior to taking the color measurement. 
     Referring to  FIG.  10   , an example of a visual representation of information that may be displayed on the display screen  901  of the electronic device  900  when the teeth whitening software application is launched is illustrated. When the user launches the software application on the electronic device  900 , the user will have the ability to view a chart or a graph or the like which contains information indicative of the change in tooth color over time. In  FIG.  10   , the user has selected the “whitening” icon at the bottom, which results in the display shown in  FIG.  10   . The user can select the “Home” icon the “Activities” icon, the “Rewards” icon, or the “Calendar” icon to see other representations on the display screen  901 . As described above, the color measurement sensor  420  of the oral treatment device  1000  takes color measurements from one of the user&#39;s teeth each time that the user inserts the intraoral mouthpiece  100  into the mouth and activates the color measurement sensor  420 . Furthermore, the color measurement sensor  420  transmits data indicative of the measured color to the software application on the electronic device  900 . The software application then sorts the color measurement data and arranges it into a chart or graph that is user friendly so that the user can have a visual representation of the color changes occurring over time. A chart or graph is not required in all embodiments, and a listing of dates and measurement values could be provided in other ways. 
       FIG.  10    illustrates a bar graph which illustrates color measurements taken on the tooth for seven consecutive days. The chart illustrates the tooth color by the length of the bars in the bar graph (smaller bar is darker color and taller bar is lighter color). The chart also provides a numerical value associated with the change from one day to the next day. For example, on top of the bar for September 16, it indicates “+0.4” to indicate a change of 0.4 on the whitening scale. Such a small change would likely not be noticeable to the user simply from viewing his or her teeth in the mirror due to the concept of the just noticeable different. If a user cannot see the change in color over time, the user may become frustrated and stop using the product. By providing the user with the graphical indication containing tooth color information, the user can readily see that the treatment is working and the user&#39;s tooth color is changing. 
     Furthermore, due to the intraoral mouthpiece  100  including the alignment feature  120 , the user can be confident that the tooth color measurements each day are being taken from the same spot on the same tooth. Thus, the graphical representation of the change in tooth color is representative of an actual change in color, not a change in the location or spot at which the measurement is being taken from one day to the next. Again, this should provide the user with confidence that the whitening treatment is working, which will encourage the user to maintain compliance with the treatment regimen. 
     The description of the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  being inclined upwardly and downwardly is relevant when the oral treatment device  1000  is positioned with the axis A-A along which the handle  200  extends is horizontal. When so oriented, the top surface  123  is inclined or sloped in an upward directly (i.e., towards the sky and away from the ground or floor) and the bottom surface  124  is inclined or sloped in a downward direction (i.e., towards the ground or floor and away from the sky). Furthermore, each of the top and bottom surfaces  123 ,  124  of the alignment feature  120  intersect the concave front surface  102  of the arcuate wall  101  at an acute angle. 
     The invention may be directed to an oral care kit which comprises the intraoral mouthpiece  100  and a tooth whitening composition. Such a tooth whitening composition may be placed within a tube or container or bottle with an applicator for applying the tooth whitening composition to the user&#39;s teeth. The intraoral mouthpiece  100  and the tooth whitening composition may be contained and sold in the same package. Furthermore, the oral care kit may also include instructions for performing tooth whitening using the intraoral mouthpiece  100  and the tooth whitening composition, such as the methods and processes and steps described herein above. Such instructions may be written on paper held within the package, may be written on the package itself, or may be accessed electronically. For example, the package or the like may contain a machine readable code, such as a QR code or other type of barcode that may be readable by an electronic device such a smartphone. A user may scan the machine readable code to open up a webpage or the like which contain instructions for use. In other embodiments, such instructions may be found on a software app that is sold with or separately from the intraoral mouthpiece  100  and/or the tooth whitening composition. Thus, instructions may be included with the kit or electronically accessible to the user. 
     As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls. 
     While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.