Dental compositions having anti-stokes up converters and methods of use

Abstract

A dental composition can include at least one polymerizable resin and at least one anti-stokes up converter. Alternatively, a two-part composition can include at least one dental composition configured for placement onto a person's tooth, and at least one anti-stokes up converter to be combined with the at least one dental composition. The dental composition can be formulated to blend with a person's tooth, and also be capable of changing color to be distinguishable from the tooth when exposed to long wavelength light. The dental composition can be used in a method for performing a dental procedure by applying the dental composition to a tooth, and exposing the dental composition to long wavelength light. Accordingly, the dental composition can aid a dental professional in distinguishing between the location of the dental composition and the tooth.

1 . A color changing dental composition for use in dental diagnostics that absorbs and converts long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light so as to initiate a temporary color change when irradiated with IR-light, the dental composition being configured for placement on a tooth and comprising: 
 at least one of a polymerizable acrylate- or methacrylate-based resin formulated so as to bond to a tooth; and    an effective amount of at least one anti-stokes up converter admixed with the at least one polymerizable resin, 
 the anti-stokes up converter being adapted so as to convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light,  
 the anti-stokes up converter being comprised of at least one up converter host and at least one of an activator or activator couple,  
   the dental composition being formulated so as to have a color that normally visually blends with a tooth on which it is placed in the absence of being irradiated with IR-light and also convert absorbed IR-light into emitted visible light so that the dental composition is temporarily distinguishable from the tooth when irradiated with IR-light.    
     
     
         2 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , further comprising a free radical polymerization initiator selected from the group consisting of a photo-initiator, heat-initiator, chemical-initiator, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the dental composition is a composite filling composition further comprising a particulate filling material admixed with the at least one polymerizable resin.  
     
     
         4 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one up converter host is selected from the group consisting of sodium yttrium fluorides, lanthanum fluorides, lanthanum oxysulfides, yttrium oxysulfides, yttrium fluorides, yttrium gallates, yttrium aluminum garnets, gadolinium fluorides, barium yttrium fluorides, and gadolinium oxysulfides, and the at least one activator is selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium, and thulium.  
     
     
         5 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium and thulium.  
     
     
         6 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator couple selected from the group consisting of ytterbium:erbium, ytterbium:thulium, ytterbium:terbium, and ytterbium:holmium.  
     
     
         7 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the dental composition further comprises a second color changing material that does not convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light, the second color changing material being selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent material, phosphorescent material, photochromic material, and thermochromic material.  
     
     
         8 . A dental composition as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one anti-stokes up converter is encapsulated in a glass or a microbead.  
     
     
         9 . A two-part dental composition for use in making a color changing dental composition that absorbs and converts long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light so as to initiate a temporary color change when irradiated with IR-light, the two-part dental composition comprising: 
 a curable composition configured for placement onto a person's tooth and being comprised of at least one of a polymerizable acrylate- or methacrylate-based resin formulated so as to bond to a tooth; and    an anti-stokes up converter encapsulated within a glass bead for combining with the at least one curable composition, 
 the anti-stokes up converter being adapted so as to convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light,  
 the anti-stokes up converter being comprised of at least one up converter host and at least one of an activator or activator couple,  
   the curable composition, when combined with the anti-stokes up converter so as to form a the dental composition, being formulated so as to have a color that normally visually blends with a tooth on which it is placed in the absence of being irradiated with IR-light and also convert absorbed IR-light into emitted visible light so that the dental composition is temporarily distinguishable from the tooth when irradiated with IR-light.    
     
     
         10 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , wherein the curable composition further comprises a free radical polymerization initiator selected from the group consisting of a photo-initiator, heat-initiator, chemical-initiator, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , wherein the curable composition is a composite filling composition further comprising a particulate filling material admixed with the at least one polymerizable resin.  
     
     
         12 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , further comprising at least one other color changing material that does not convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light, the at least one other color changing material being selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent material, phosphorescent material, photochromic material, and thermochromic material.  
     
     
         13 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one up converter host is selected from the group consisting of sodium yttrium fluorides, lanthanum fluorides, lanthanum oxysulfides, yttrium oxysulfides, yttrium fluorides, yttrium gallates, yttrium aluminum garnets, gadolinium fluorides, barium yttrium fluorides, and gadolinium oxysulfides, and the at least one activator is selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium, and thulium.  
     
     
         14 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium and thulium.  
     
     
         15 . A two-part dental composition as in  claim 9 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator couple selected from the group consisting of ytterbium:erbium, ytterbium:thulium, ytterbium:terbium, and ytterbium:holmium.  
     
     
         16 . A method of performing a dental diagnostic procedure relative to a dental composition applied to a tooth, the method comprising: 
 applying a polyermizable dental composition to a tooth, the polyermizable dental composition being comprised of at least one polymerizable resin and at least one anti-stokes up converter, 
 the anti-stokes up converter being adapted so as to convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light,  
 the anti-stokes up converter being comprised of at least one up converter host and at least one of an activator or activator couple,  
 the dental composition having a color that normally visually blends with the tooth in the absence of being irradiated with IR-light from a light source; and  
   exposing the dental composition to IR-light from a light source to effect a reversible change in the color of the dental composition in order for the dental composition to emit visible light having a color that temporarily visually contrasts with the tooth.    
     
     
         17 . A method as in  claim 16 , further comprising removing a superfluous portion from the dental composition.  
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 16 , further comprising using the dental composition to affix a dental prosthesis or orthodontic bracket to the tooth.  
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 16 , further comprising shaping the dental composition into a dental restoration.  
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 16 , further comprising removing the dental composition from the tooth.  
     
     
         21 . A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the dental composition further comprises at least one other color changing material that does not convert long wavelength IR-light into shorter wavelength visible light, the at least one other color changing material selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent material, phosphorescent material, photochromic material, and thermochromic material, and the method further comprises exposing the dental composition to at least one other color changing stimulus which is not IR-light so that the at least one other color changing material alters the color of the dental composition in a manner that differs from a color change caused by the anti-stokes up converter.  
     
     
         22 . A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the at least one up converter host is selected from the group consisting of sodium yttrium fluorides, lanthanum fluorides, lanthanum oxysulfides, yttrium oxysulfides, yttrium fluorides, yttrium gallates, yttrium aluminum garnets, gadolinium fluorides, barium yttrium fluorides, and gadolinium oxysulfides, and the at least one activator is selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium, and thulium.  
     
     
         23 . A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator selected from the group consisting of ytterbium, erbium, holmium, terbium and thulium.  
     
     
         24 . A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the anti-stokes up converter includes at least one activator couple is selected from the group consisting of ytterbium:erbium, ytterbium:thulium, ytterbium:terbium, and ytterbium:holmium.  
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the polyermizable dental composition is a composite filling composition further comprising a particulate filling material admixed with the at least one polymerizable resin.