Patent ID: 8303939

Claim:
A method of whitening a tooth surface, the method comprising contacting a surface of a tooth with an efficacious amount of a bleaching composition, wherein the bleaching composition is one of composition a) a bleaching composition comprising a substantially non-cytotoxic first component comprising a first bleaching agent and oxy-chlorine anions, a second component comprising at least a second bleaching agent, a thickener component, and an aqueous medium, wherein the first bleaching agent is chlorine dioxide, and the composition comprises an efficacious amount of bleaching agents and a pH of at least about 3.5; or composition b) a bleaching composition comprising a substantially non-cytotoxic first component comprising chlorine dioxide and oxy-chlorine anions; a second component comprising at least a second bleaching agent; and a sweetener, a flavorant, a fragrance, or a combination thereof; and further wherein the bleaching composition comprises at least about 20 ppm chlorine dioxide; no more than about 0.25 milligrams oxy-chlorine anion per gram composition; and the second bleaching agent is a peroxide-based agent; wherein: i) the cytotoxicity of the bleaching composition is about equal to or less than the cytotoxicity of a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy; ii) the bleaching composition is associated with soft oral tissue irritation about equal to or less irritation than associated with a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy; or iii) the bleaching composition is associated with hard tooth tissue damage about equal to or less than the damage associated with a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy.