Polyelectrolyte dental adhesives for whitening teeth and teeth components

Abstract

This document relates to methods and materials involved in providing a tooth, tooth component, or inorganic dental material (e.g., a human tooth, a human tooth component, or an inorganic dental material within a human's mouth) with a white appearance. For example, a whitening adhesive containing a conjugate of at least a polyamine, a polyphosphate, and one or more whitening agents (e.g., titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and/or hydroxyapetite) can be used to provide a tooth, tooth component, or inorganic dental material with a whiter appearance.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for altering an appearance of teeth, wherein said method comprises applying polyallylamine, a polyphosphate, and a whitening agent to teeth, wherein said applying step alters said appearance of said teeth, and wherein said polyallylamine comprises: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said polyphosphate is selected from the group consisting of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium trimetaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, and sodium pyrophosphate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said polyphosphate is a cyclic polyphosphate, a linear polyphosphate, a potassium salt of a polyphosphate, or a sodium phosphate salt of a polyphosphate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said polyphosphate is a potassium salt of a polyphosphate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said polyphosphate is a sodium phosphate salt of a polyphosphate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said whitening agent comprises at least one of titanium dioxide, hydroxyapatite, silicon dioxide, zinc oxide, bioactive glass, and blue fluorescent protein. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said whitening agent is titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said whitening agent is silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said whitening agent is zinc oxide.