Patent ID: 7250452

Claim:
A polymerizable dental composition suitable for use in the oral environment comprising: an ethylenically unsaturated compound; a dental additive; and an initiator system comprising an arylsulfinate salt having an anion of Formula I Ar 1 —SO 2 − I and a cation selected from: 1) a phosphorus-containing cation of Formula III: where each R 2 is independently an unsubstituted alkyl, an alkyl substituted with a hydroxy, an unsubstituted aryl, an aryl substituted with an alkyl, hydroxy, or combinations thereof; or 2) a nitrogen-containing cation having a ring structure comprising a 4 to 12 member heterocyclic group having a positively charged nitrogen atom, said heterocyclic being saturated or unsaturated and having up to 3 heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, or combinations thereof, wherein said ring structure is unsubstituted or substituted with a substituent selected from an alkyl, aryl, acyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, halo, mercapto, amino, hydroxy, azo, cyano, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, halocarbonyl, or combinations thereof, wherein the arylsulfinate salt has an oxidation potential in N,N-dimethylformamide of 0.0 to +0.4 volts versus a silver/silver nitrate reference electrode, and wherein Ar 1 is a C 6-30 aryl or a C 3-30 heteroaryl that is unsubstituted or substituted with an electron withdrawing group or an electron withdrawing group in combination with an electron donating group.