Methods for whitening teeth

Abstract

Method for whitening teeth are provided. The methods include the steps of providing a strip of material and applying a thin layer of a tooth whitening substance having a whitening active selected from the group consisting of peroxides, metal chlorites, perborates, percarbonates, peroxyacids, hypochlorites, and combinations thereof to a front surface of a plurality of teeth, wherein the amount of the tooth whitening substance is between about 0.05 grams and about 0.4 grams. The method further includes the steps of conforming the strip of material to the front surface of the plurality of teeth and removing the strip of material, wherein the front surface of the plurality of teeth have between a 1 and a 4 VITA LUMIN shade guide improvement in color.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for whitening teeth, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a strip of material;    b) applying a thin layer of a tooth whitening substance having a whitening active selected from the group consisting of peroxides, metal chlorites, perborates, percarbonates, peroxyacids, hypochlorites, and combinations thereof to a front surface of a plurality of teeth, wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance is between about 0.05 grams and about 0.4 grams;    c) conforming said strip of material to said front surface of said plurality of teeth;    d) removing said strip of material; and    wherein said front surface of said plurality of teeth have between 1 and 4 VITA LUMIN shade guide improvement in color.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps a) to d) between about 7 and about 28 times.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said step of removing said strip of material occurs after between 5 minutes and 120 minutes.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said step of removing said strip of material occurs after between 30 minutes and 60 minutes.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of applying said tooth whitening substance to said strip of material before said step of applying said layer of said tooth whitening substance to said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance applied to said strip of material is between about 0.005 gms/cm 2  and about 0.1 gms/cm 2 .  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of conforming said strip of material to soft tissue adjacent said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of folding said strip of material between said front surface and a back surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness less than about 1 mm.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness less than about 0.05 mm.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness between about 0.001 mm and about 0.03 mm.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness of less an about 5 gms/cm.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness between about 0.1 gm/cm and about 1 gm/cm.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said strip of material is substantially flat prior to said step of conforming said strip of material to said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said tooth whitening substance provides adhesive attachment between said strip of material and said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of removing said strip of material with a peel force between about 1 gm and about 50 gms.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of removing said strip of material with a peel force between about 10 gms and about 40 gms.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said whitening active is a peroxide.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said tooth whitening substance further comprises water.  
     
     
         21 . A method for whitening teeth, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a strip of material;    b) applying a layer of a tooth whitening substance having a whitening active selected from the group consisting of peroxides, metal chlorites, perborates, percarbonates, peroxyacids, hypochlorites, and combinations thereof to a front surface of a plurality of teeth, wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance is between about 0.05 grams and about 0.4 grams;    c) conforming said strip of material to said front surface of said plurality of teeth;    d) removing said strip of material, wherein said removal occurs between 5 minutes and 120 minutes after said step of applying said layer of said tooth whitening substance;    e) repeating steps a) to d) between about 7 and about 28 times; and    wherein said portion of said front surface of said plurality of teeth have between 1 and 4 VITA LUMIN shade guide improvement in color.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said step of removing said strip of material occurs after between 30 minutes and 60 minutes.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance applied to said strip of material is between about 0.005 gms/cm 2  and about 0.1 gms/cm 2 .  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of conforming said strip of material to soft tissue adjacent said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of folding said strip of material between said front surface and a back surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness less than about 1 mm.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness less than about 0.05 mm.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness between about 0.001 mm and about 0.03 mm.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness of less an about 5 gms/cm.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness between about 0.1 gm/cm and about 1 gm/cm.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a step of applying said tooth whitening substance to said strip of material before said step of applying said thin layer of said tooth whitening substance to said portion of said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said tooth whitening substance provides adhesive attachment between said strip of material and said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of removing said strip of material with a peel force between about 1 gm and about 50 gms.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of removing said strip of material with a peel force between about 10 gms and about 40 gms.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said strip of material is substantially flat prior to said step of conforming said strip of material to said front surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said tooth whitening active is a peroxide.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said tooth whitening substance further comprises water.  
     
     
         38 . A method for whitening teeth, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a substantially flat strip of material;    b) applying a layer of a tooth whitening substance having a whitening active selected from the group consisting of peroxides, metal chlorites, perborates, percarbonates, peroxyacids, hypochlorites, and combinations thereof to said strip of material, wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance is between about 0.05 grams and about 0.5 grams;    c) conforming said strip of material to a front surface of a plurality of teeth;    d) removing said strip of material, wherein said removal occurs between 5 minutes and 120 minutes after said step of applying said layer of said tooth whitening substance and wherein said strip of material is removed with a peel force between about 1 gm and about 50 gms;    e) repeating steps a) to d) between about 7 and about 28 times; and    wherein said portion of said front surface of said plurality of teeth have between 1 and 4 VITA LUMIN shade guide improvement in color.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said step of removing said strip of material occurs after between 30 minutes and 60 minutes.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the amount of said tooth whitening substance applied to said strip of material is between about 0.005 gms/cm 2  and about 0.1 gms/cm 2 .  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising the step of conforming said strip of material to soft tissue adjacent said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising the step of folding said strip of material between said front surface and a back surface of said plurality of teeth.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness less than about 0.05 mm.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said strip of material has a thickness between about 0.001 mm and about 0.03 mm.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness of less an about 5 gms/cm.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said strip of material has a flexural stiffness between about 0.1 gm/cm and about 1 gm/cm.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising the step of removing said strip of material with a peel force between about 10 gms and about 40 gms.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said whitening active is a peroxide.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said tooth whitening substance further comprises water.