Dental compositions

Abstract

Dental compositions containing adjuvants are provided that have the capability of undergoing an increase in viscosity in response to an increase in temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the compositions also have the ability to reverse their viscosity in response to a decrease in temperature.

1. A method of applying a dental composition in the oral environment  to a tooth structure using an aqueous dental composition comprising about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of a thermally responsive viscosity modifier  one or more polymers, water, and an  one or more adjuvants, wherein the composition is in  one or more polymers is a polyoxyalkylene polymer, which provides the composition with a lower viscosity state at a pre-treatment temperature and a highly viscous  higher viscosity state at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre-treatment temperature, comprising:
 applying the composition through an orifice onto a surface of the tooth structure, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and in the lower viscosity state prior to being applied onto the surface of the tooth structure,  
 allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to the highly viscous  higher viscosity state wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is at least about 10 times the viscosity of the composition at the pre-treatment temperature, and  
 allowing the composition to remain on the surface of the tooth structure.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-treatment temperature is at most about room temperature. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the treatment temperature is about body temperature. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the thermally responsive viscosity modifier is a polyoxyalkylene polymer. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises a solvent. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is about 10 times to about 100 times the viscosity of the composition at the pre-treatment temperature. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition decreases in viscosity upon cooling from the treatment temperature. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  further comprising removing the composition from the surface by cooling the composition from the treatment temperature. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the composition is cooled by application of a cool liquid. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the liquid comprises water. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein applying the composition onto a surface comprises applying the composition onto hard tissue. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein applying the composition through an orifice comprises applying the composition through an orifice of a syringe. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dental composition comprises about 17% by weight to about 40% by weight of a thermally responsive viscosity modifier  the one or more polymers. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of  acids and medicaments. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of  whitening agents and medicaments. 
     
     
       16. A method of applying a dental composition in the oral environment  to a tooth structure using an aqueous dental composition comprising about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of a thermally responsive viscosity modifier  one or more polymers, water, and an  one or more adjuvants selected from the group consisting of  fluoride, anti-microbial agents, anti-fungal agents, and cariostatic agents, wherein the composition is in  one or more polymers is a polyoxyalkylene polymer, which provides the composition with a lower viscosity state at a pre-treatment temperature and a highly viscous  higher viscosity state at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre-treatment temperature, comprising:
 applying the composition through an orifice onto a surface of the tooth structure, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and in the lower viscosity state prior to being applied onto the surface of the tooth structure,  
 allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to the highly viscous  higher viscosity state wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is at least about 10 times the viscosity of the composition at the pre-treatment temperature, and  
 allowing the composition to remain on the surface of the tooth structure.  
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous composition includes a salt. 
     
     
       18. A method of applying a dental composition to a tooth structure using an aqueous dental composition comprising about  10 %  by weight to about  50   %  by weight of one or more polymers, water, and one or more adjuvants, wherein the one or more polymers is a polyoxyalkylene polymer, which provides the composition with a lower viscosity state at a pre - treatment temperature and a higher viscosity state at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre - treatment temperature, comprising:      applying the composition through an orifice onto a surface of the tooth structure, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and in the lower viscosity state prior to being applied to the surface of the tooth structure,        allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to the higher viscosity state wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is at least about  2  times the viscosity of the composition at the pre - treatment temperature, and        allowing the composition to remain on the surface of the tooth structure.     
     
     
       19. A method of applying a dental composition to a tooth structure using an aqueous dental composition comprising about  10 %  by weight to about  50   %  by weight of one or more polymers, water, and one or more adjuvants, wherein the one or more polymers is a polyoxyalkylene polymer, which provides the composition with a viscosity of about  0  to about  7000  poise at a pre - treatment temperature and a viscosity of at least about  10 , 000  poise at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre - treatment temperature, comprising:      applying the composition through an orifice onto a surface of the tooth structure, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and has a viscosity of about  0  to about  7000  poise prior to being applied to the surface of the tooth structure,        allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to at least about  10 , 000  poise, and        allowing the composition to remain on the surface of the tooth structure.     
     
     
       20. A method of applying a dental composition to a tooth structure using an aqueous dental composition comprising about  10 %  by weight to about  50   %  by weight of one or more polymers, water, and one or more adjuvants, wherein the one or more polymers is a polyoxyalkylene polymer, which provides the composition with a liquid and lower viscosity state at a pre - treatment temperature and a higher viscosity state at a treatment temperature that is higher than the pre - treatment temperature, comprising:      applying the composition through an orifice onto a surface of the tooth structure, wherein the composition is at the pretreatment temperature and in the liquid and lower viscosity state prior to being applied to the surface of the tooth structure,        allowing the composition to warm to the treatment temperature and increase in viscosity to the higher viscosity state such that the composition forms an immobile gel, and        allowing the composition to remain on the surface of the tooth structure.     
     
     
       21. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the pre- treatment temperature is at most about room temperature.   
     
     
       22. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the treatment temperature is about body temperature. 
     
     
       23. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the composition further comprises a solvent. 
     
     
       24. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is about  10  times to about  100  times the viscosity of the composition at the pre- treatment temperature.   
     
     
       25. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is about  2  times to about  5  times the viscosity of the composition at the pre- treatment temperature.   
     
     
       26. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the composition decreases in viscosity upon cooling the composition from the treatment temperature. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  further comprising removing the composition from the surface by cooling the composition from the treatment temperature. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27  wherein the composition is cooled by application of a cool liquid. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28  wherein the liquid comprises water. 
     
     
       30. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein applying the composition through an orifice comprises applying the composition through an orifice of a syringe. 
     
     
       31. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20 , wherein the dental composition comprises about  17 % by weight to about  40 % by weight of the one or more polymers. 
     
     
       32. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20 , wherein the adjuvant is selected from acids and medicaments. 
     
     
       33. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the adjuvant is selected from whitening agents and medicaments. 
     
     
       34. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the adjuvant is selected from fluoride, anti- microbial agents, anti - fungal agents, and cariostatic agents.   
     
     
       35. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20 , wherein the aqueous composition includes a salt. 
     
     
       36. The method of claims  18 ,  19 , or  20  wherein the viscosity of the composition at the pre- treatment temperature is at least about  5000  poise.   
     
     
       37. The method of claims  18  or  20  wherein the viscosity of the composition at the treatment temperature is at least about  10 , 000  poise.