Granted Patent B2

US 8,308,479 · App. 12/379,051 · Granted Nov 13, 2012

Assignee: Dentovations Inc.

Abstract

Claims (116)

1. A tooth whitening system, comprising:

a) a portable, self-contained, hand-held light source;

b) the hand-held light source including:

i) a housing;

ii) the housing including a handle configured for being manipulated by a user;

iii) a head;

iv) a blue lens having a perimeter and provided on the head of the housing at a distance from the handle, the blue lens filters out undesirable wavelengths of light, the blue lens causing a blue wavelength to be emitted to penetrate a user's tooth;

v) a self-contained xenon light provided in the housing and located for emitting light through the blue lens, the xenon light, in use, emitting light of a wavelength suitable for activating a light-activated tooth whitener, and the xenon light transmitting heat sufficient for heating a user's tooth, in use, when a tooth whitener is provided on a user's teeth;

vi) a power source provided in the housing, the power source being electrically connected with the xenon light;

vii) a switch being provided, the switch being electrically connected with the power source for switching the xenon light on and off when actuated;

viii) a timer being provided for controlling the length of time the xenon light may be used within a given period of time, regardless of the number of times a user actuates the switch;

ix) the head of the housing being disposed relative to the handle at a predetermined angle of about 45°-135° relative to a direction of extension of the handle of the housing, so that, in use, a user may direct light emitted by the xenon light, and direct heat transmitted by the xenon light, at the user's own teeth;

x) an attachment being provided on the head of the housing and being configured to accommodate a width and arch size of the user's mouth; and

xi) the attachment extending around the perimeter of the blue lens and including a predetermined curvature, a height, and a width to contact the lips and mouth tissue of the user in a contact region to establish a predetermined distance between the attachment and the user's teeth, and to establish a desired offset between the blue lens and the xenon light and the user's teeth to govern and predetermine the temperature increase within the outer 2 mm of the tooth surface of the user's teeth and to produce a uniform increase in the temperature of the outer 2 mm of the user's anterior teeth from about 1° C. to a maximum of 5° C. within 2 mm of the tooth surface.

2. A tooth whitening system as in claim 1 , wherein:

a) the xenon light includes two xenon light bulbs.

3. A tooth whitening system as in claim 1 , wherein:

a) the xenon light includes a xenon short arc light bulb.

4. A tooth whitening method, comprising:

a) providing a portable, self-contained, hand-held light source including:

b) the hand-held light source including:

i) a housing;

ii) the housing including a handle configured for being manipulated by a user;

iii) a head;

iv) a blue lens having a perimeter and provided on the head of the housing at a distance from the handle, the blue lens filters out undesirable wavelengths of light, the blue lens causing a blue wavelength to be emitted to penetrate a user's tooth;

v) a self-contained xenon light provided in the housing and located for emitting light through the blue lens, the xenon light, in use, emitting light of a wavelength suitable for activating a light-activated tooth whitener, and the xenon light transmitting heat sufficient for heating a user's tooth, in use, when a tooth whitener is provided on a user's teeth;

vi) a power source provided in the housing, the power source being electrically connected with the xenon light;

vii) a switch being provided, the switch being electrically connected with the power source for switching the xenon light on and off when actuated;

viii) a timer being provided for controlling the length of time the xenon light may be used within a given period of time, regardless of the number of times a user actuates the switch;

ix) the head of the housing being disposed relative to the handle at a predetermined angle of about 45°-135° relative to a direction of extension of the handle of the housing, so that, in use, a user may direct light emitted by the xenon light, and direct heat transmitted by the xenon light, at the user's own teeth;

x) an attachment being provided on the head of the housing and being configured to accommodate a width and arch size of the user's mouth; and

xi) the attachment extending around the perimeter of the blue lens and including a predetermined curvature, a height, and a width to contact the lips and mouth tissue of the user in a contact region to establish a predetermined distance between the attachment and the user's teeth, and to establish a desired offset between the blue lens and the xenon light and the user's teeth to govern and predetermine the temperature increase within the outer 2 mm of the tooth surface of the user's teeth and to produce a uniform increase in the temperature of the outer 2 mm of the user's anterior teeth from about 1° C. to a maximum of 5° C. within 2 mm of the tooth surface; and

b) providing a tooth whitener on a user's teeth.

5. A tooth whitening method as in claim 4 , wherein:

a) a mouth rinse is provided, the mouth rinse being selected for preconditioning a user's teeth for receiving a whitening compound.

6. A tooth whitening method as in claim 5 , wherein:

a) the mouth rinse includes a mouth rinse having a formula:

Ingredient

Concentration

NP-9, ethoxylated

0.65

mls

nonylphenol, 9 molar

EO.

Peppermint Oil

1.4

mls

Nutrasweet ® Granular

0.75

grams

100

Glycerin 99.5% Kosher

30

mls

food grade

Sodium Bicarbonate

2

grams

food grade

Sodium Carbonate food

0.1

grams

grade

Benzethonium Chloride

0.15

grams

Purified Water

Balance to 1

gallon

(i.e., 3.785

liter)

Ethanol 75% or greater

~10

mls.

7. A tooth whitening method as in claim 4 , wherein:

a) the tooth whitener includes a light-activated tooth whitener provided on a user's teeth.

8. A tooth whitening method as in claim 4 , wherein:

a) the tooth whitener includes a heat-activated tooth whitener provided on a user's teeth.

9. A tooth whitening method as in claim 4 , wherein:

a) a preconditioning rinse is provided, the preconditioning rinse being formulated to pretreat the environment of the user's teeth to be in a pH range of about 7.9-9.0.

10. A tooth whitening method as in claim 9 , wherein:

a) the preconditioning rinse is formulated to kill bacteria which produce peroxidase enzymes.

11. A tooth whitening method as in claim 4 , wherein:

a) the tooth whitener includes a tooth whitener having a formula:

% by

COMPOUND

Weight

RANGE %

Ethyl Alcohol

73.75

Hydrogenated Ester of

13.87

0.001-35.00

Rosin

Urea (Carbamide)

11.10

0.001-25.00

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydroxypropylcellulose

0.55

0.001-10.00

1500 cps

Flavoring - Menthol

0.22

0.001-15.00

Flavoring - Peppermint

0.20

0.001-15.00

Oil

Zinc Oxide (micro

0.15

0.001-5.00 

particles)

Flavoring - Aspartame

0.15

0.001-5.00.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (4)