Chemically activated dental bleaching trays

Abstract

Dental treatment trays and strips used to deliver a dental bleaching composition to a person's teeth are formed from a moisture resistant barrier material and include a bleaching agent destabilizer disposed on an inner treatment surface of the barrier layer that is positioned against the person's teeth during use. The bleaching agent destabilizer may be compounded with the moisture resistant material or otherwise disposed relative to the barrier layer so that at least some destabilizer is positioned on the inner treatment surface of the tray or strip so as to contact the dental bleaching composition during use.

1 . A thin-walled, non-custom disposable dental bleaching tray or strip for use in applying a dental bleaching composition to a person's teeth, comprising:
 a barrier layer formed from a moisture resistant material, the barrier layer having a wall thickness less than about 1 mm and being in the shape of a tray or a strip, the barrier layer having an inner treatment surface that is oriented toward a person's teeth during use; and   a bleaching agent destabilizer compounded with and/or disposed on the inner treatment surface of the barrier layer such that at least some of the bleaching agent destabilizer is disposed on the inner treatment surface of the barrier layer.   
   
   
       2 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises a transition and/or alkaline earth metal source. 
   
   
       3 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises a transition and/or alkaline earth metal source selected from the group consisting of titanium, cobalt, nickel, copper, platinum, tin, zinc, manganese, aluminum, silver, and chromium. 
   
   
       4 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises at least one of magnesium or iron. 
   
   
       5 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises iodine. 
   
   
       6 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises an organo-metallic enzyme. 
   
   
       7 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the organo-metallic enzyme comprises catalase and/or peroxidase. 
   
   
       8 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises between about 0.1 percent and about 5 percent by weight of the barrier layer. 
   
   
       9 . A dental bleaching tray as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness between about 0.03 mm and about 1 mm. 
   
   
       10 . A dental bleaching tray as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness between about 0.1 mm and about 0.5 mm. 
   
   
       11 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture resistant material comprises a polymeric material and the bleaching agent destabilizer is compounded within the polymeric material of the barrier layer such that the destabilizer is substantially evenly distributed throughout the polymeric material of the barrier layer. 
   
   
       12 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an anhydrous dental bleaching composition comprising a peroxide bleaching agent, the anhydrous dental bleaching composition being disposed adjacent to the inner treatment surface of the barrier layer. 
   
   
       13 . A dental bleaching tray or strip comprising:
 a tray shaped or strip shaped barrier layer formed from a moisture resistant material and having an inner treatment surface that is oriented toward a person's teeth during use; and   a transition and/or alkaline metal bleaching agent destabilizer selected from the group consisting of magnesium and iron, the bleaching agent destabilizer being compounded with the moisture resistant material such that at least some of the magnesium and/or iron is disposed on the inner treatment surface of the tray shaped or strip shaped barrier layer.   
   
   
       14 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the metal ions comprise between about 0.1 percent and about 5 percent by weight of the barrier layer. 
   
   
       15 . A pre-filled dental bleaching tray or strip comprising:
 a tray shaped or strip shaped barrier layer comprising a moisture resistant material and a bleaching agent destabilizer compounded with and/or on an inner treatment surface of the barrier layer such that at least some of the bleaching agent destabilizer is disposed on the inner treatment surface of the barrier layer;   a dental bleaching composition comprising a peroxide bleaching agent; and   a protective rupturable membrane disposed between the inner treatment surface of the barrier layer and the dental bleaching composition so as to prevent premature contact between the bleaching agent destabilizer and the peroxide bleaching agent.   
   
   
       16 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises a transition and/or alkaline earth metal source. 
   
   
       17 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises a transition and/or alkaline earth metal source selected from the group consisting of titanium, cobalt, nickel, copper, platinum, tin, zinc, manganese, aluminum, silver, and chromium. 
   
   
       18 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises at least one of magnesium or iron. 
   
   
       19 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises an organo-metallic enzyme. 
   
   
       20 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the organo-metallic enzyme comprises catalase and/or peroxidase. 
   
   
       21 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the bleaching agent destabilizer comprises between about 0.1 percent and about 5 percent by weight of the barrier layer. 
   
   
       22 . A dental bleaching tray or strip as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the bite ruptureable membrane comprises at least one of a high molecular weight polyethylene glycol, parylene, or wax.