Tooth whitening compositions and methods

Abstract

A dental bleaching composition comprises a dental bleaching agent and a polyvinylpyrrolidone thickening agent. The bleaching composition may include a liquid component, flavoring agents, a basic substance and desensitizing agents, as desired. Polyvinylpyrrolidone avoids acid etching and chelation of teeth that were problematic in bleaches using carbomer as a thickener. A delivery system for delivering the bleaching composition comprises the aforementioned dental bleaching composition in combination with a moisture-resistant barrier layer such as a dental tray or a flexible strip of material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tooth whitening composition, comprising:
 a bleaching agent consisting of at least one of hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate, or sodium percarbonate;   at least 10% of a liquid component comprising at least one of polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, ethanol, or glycerin; and   a tertiary amide based polymer,   wherein the bleaching agent and the tertiary amide based polymer are combined with the liquid component to form a mixture capable of adhering to teeth in order to keep the bleaching agent in contact with the teeth.   
     
     
         2 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid component consists of water and polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         3 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, or triethanol amine. 
     
     
         4 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , wherein the tertiary amide based polymer comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone. 
     
     
         5 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of potassium nitrate or a fluoride. 
     
     
         6 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , further comprising carbomer. 
     
     
         7 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises a gel. 
     
     
         8 . The tooth whitening composition of  claim 1 , wherein the tooth whitening composition comprises at least 10% by weight of the tertiary amide based polymer. 
     
     
         9 . A tooth whitening strip, comprising:
 a strip of material configured to be placed over a plurality of teeth in a person's mouth; and   a tooth whitening composition disposed on the strip and comprising:
 a peroxide; 
 a liquid component comprising water and polyethylene glycol; and 
 a tertiary amide based polymer, 
 wherein the peroxide and the tertiary amide based polymer are combined with the liquid component to form a mixture that provides sufficient adhesive attachment to hold the strip of material in place over the plurality of teeth. 
   
     
     
         10 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , wherein the liquid component comprises at least 10% by weight of the tooth whitening composition. 
     
     
         11 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , wherein the liquid component further comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         12 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , wherein the peroxide comprises at least one of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. 
     
     
         13 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , further comprising a release liner removably attached to the tooth whitening strip by the tooth whitening composition. 
     
     
         14 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , further comprising potassium nitrate, potassium hydroxide, and at least one sweetener. 
     
     
         15 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 9 , wherein the strip of material is formed from a substantially flat, flexible, polymer material having rounded corners. 
     
     
         16 . The tooth whitening strip of  claim 15 , wherein the tooth whitening strip has a thickness of less than 1 mm. 
     
     
         17 . A method of whitening a person's teeth comprising:
 applying a tooth whitening composition onto the person's teeth, the tooth whitening composition comprising:
 a bleaching agent consisting of at least one of hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate, or sodium percarbonate; 
 a liquid component comprising at least one of polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, ethanol, or glycerin; and 
 polyvinylpyrrolidone; 
   applying light or heat to the tooth whitening composition in order to accelerate tooth whitening; and   removing the tooth whitening composition from the person's teeth.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tooth whitening composition further comprises at least one of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or calcium hydroxide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tooth whitening composition further comprises at least one of phenyl alanine, sodium saccharin, mannitol, fructose, sorbitol, or xylitol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tooth whitening composition is disposed on a strip of material including shallow pockets.