Dentistry – Method or material for testing – treating – restoring – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-05
2003-02-11
Lucchesi, Nicholas D. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Method or material for testing, treating, restoring, or...
C433S216000, C424S049000, C424S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06517350
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to systems and methods for treating teeth. More specifically, the invention relates to a system (e.g., a novel delivery system) for delivering a tooth whitener to a tooth is and a method for whitening teeth. The invention likewise relates to a system and method for whitening teeth without the use of a mouth tray or other retaining device of the type which retain the tooth whitener in place against the teeth during use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tooth whiteners are known. Conventional tooth whiteners are laborious, unwieldy, and expensive.
Conventional tooth whitening methods are complicated and expensive, and, hence, are limited to a small portion of the population.
In one typical method, the patient whose teeth are to be whitened must first visit a dentist in order to have a mouth tray made which is molded to fit that patient's teeth from a cast made from an impression.
After the conventional steps of producing the mouth tray have been completed, then the mouth tray is given to the patient, along with the tooth whitening compound(s).
In some tooth whitening methods, the patient then takes the tooth whitening compounds home, and uses them in conjunction with the mouth tray in the privacy of his or her home.
In use, the mouth tray is at least partially filled by the patient with the tooth whitening compound provided by the dental practitioner.
The patient must then take the proper mouth tray for the respective upper or lower jaw and press the mouth tray filled with whitening compound up (or down) against the teeth to be whitened.
The patient then holds the mouth tray filled with the compound in place against the teeth for a specified period of time.
After the specified period of time, the patient removes the mouth tray and the bulk of the compound, and discards the used whitening compound.
Typically, the whitening procedure is a multi-day procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,691 to Sagel et al. discloses a delivery system for a tooth whitener using a strip of material having low flexural stiffness.
Some known conventional whitening methods (e.g., the type of methods that utilize either an traditional tray or an adhesive strip) require that the whitening compound be forced on the gingival tissue in the region adjacent to the teeth to be whitened. That forcing whitening compound on the gingival tissue may result in a burning sensation to that tissue.
Known prior art patents include:
5,693,315
Bevilacqua
5,780,015
Fisher et al.
5,792,446
Ashley
5,139,768
Friedman
3,567,823
Yamaga et al.
5,403,577
Friedman
5,690,912
Campbell et al.
5,849,266
Friedman
4,556,561
Brown et al.
5,395,241
Kandelman
5,797,749
Bertolotti et al.
5,032,178
Cornell
5,279,816
Church et al.
5,290,566
Schow et al.
5,302,375
Viscio
5,409,631
Fischer
5,425,953
Sintov et al.
5,631,000
Pellico et al.
5,698,182
Prencipe et al.
5,718,886
Pellico
5,746,598
Fischer
5,785,527
Jensen et al.
5,858,332
Jensen et al.
5,922,307
Montgomery
5,928,628
Pellico
6,030,222
Tarver
6,036,493
Sharma
4,976,955
Libin
5,000,942
Libin
5,264,205
Kelly
5,310,563
Curtis et al.
5,614,174
Hsu et al.
5,766,574
Christina-Beck et al.
5,785,957
Losee et al.
5,814,304
Wong et al.
5,879,691
Sagel et al.
5,891,453
Sagel et al.
5,902,568
Ryles et al.
5,084,268
Thaler
5,171,564
Nathoo et al.
5,208,010
Thaler
5,376,006
Fischer
5,437,858
Hungerbach et al.
5,846,570
Barrow et al.
5,985,249
Fischer
4,980,152
Frazier et al.
4,983,380
Yarborough
5,820,852
Burgess et al.
5,849,269
Burgess et al.
5,372,802
Barrows et al.
5,403,578
Gordon
4,684,517
Clipper et al.
5,009,885
Yarborough
5,217,710
Williams et al.
5,851,512
Fischer
5,708,052
Fischer et al.
5,824,289
Stoltz
6,183,251
Fischer
Many known whitening compounds have the drawback that they dry out the teeth, in use, owing to the whitening compounds drawing moisture out of the teeth. Such dried out teeth are more sensitive to hot and cold. Accordingly, many prior art whiteners required desensitizers (desensitizing compounds) so that the patients would not be bothered by their temperature-sensitive dried out teeth.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art methods, compounds, and devices.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening method that is easier to use, more cost effective, and available to a greater percentage of the population.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening method that eliminates the need for mouth trays which fit the respective upper and lower sets of teeth in the patient's mouth for retaining the whitening compound against the teeth to be whitened, as in the conventional methods.
Yet another object of the invention is to eliminate entirely the need for a mouth tray to retain the tooth whitening compound.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening method which is easier to use than the known methods.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening system and method which dries out the user's teeth less than conventional whitening methods, so that the use of tooth desensitizing agents in the whitening compound may be reduced or eliminated.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitener system and method that directly applies a whitening agent onto the surfaces of the patient's teeth, thus eliminating the need for any type of tray or other mechanical retention device to retain the whitening agent on the surfaces of the teeth.
Another object of the invention is to provide a whitener delivery system which reduces or eliminates the discomfort or burning sensation of the patient's gingival tissue that may occur when using prior art delivery systems.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening system in which the whitening compounds are applied substantially directly to the facial and labial surfaces of the teeth to be whitened.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening system and method which reduce or eliminate the annoyance and inconvenience of using and wearing pre-made trays or adhesive-type products.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a tooth whitening system and method which are more effective than known over-the-counter whitening methods requiring the use of boil-and-bite type trays that do not fit the teeth properly and, hence, are often ineffective and result in less than desirable tooth whitening.
In summary, the invention provides a tooth whitening method which can be performed without the use of a mouth tray for retaining a tooth whitening compound against the patient's teeth.
It should be understood that relative terms such as up, and down are for convenience only and are not intended to be limiting.
It should likewise be understood that throughout the specification the features and advantages described in connection with the tooth whitening system apply equally to the features and advantages of the method of whitening teeth described herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3278520 (1966-10-01), Klug
patent: 3278521 (1966-10-01), Klug
patent: 3567823 (1971-03-01), Yamaga et al.
patent: 4556561 (1985-12-01), Brown et al.
patent: 4684517 (1987-08-01), Clipper et al.
patent: 4976955 (1990-12-01), Libin
patent: 4980152 (1990-12-01), Frazier et al.
patent: 4983380 (1991-01-01), Yarborough
patent: 5000942 (1991-03-01), Libin
patent: 5009885 (1991-04-01), Yarborough
patent: 5032178 (1991-07-01), Cornell
patent: 5084268 (1992-01-01), Thaler
patent: 5139768 (1992-08-01), Friedman
patent: 5171564 (1992-12-01), Nathoo et al.
patent: 5208010 (1993-05-01), Thaler
patent: 5217710 (1993-06-01), William et al.
patent: 5234342 (1993-08-01), Fischer
patent: 5264205 (1993-11-01), Kelly
patent: 5279816 (1994-01-01), Church et al.
patent: 5290566 (1994-03-01), Schow et al.
patent: 5302375 (1994-04-01), Viscio
patent: 5310563 (1994-05-01), Curtis et al.
patent: 5372802 (1994-12-01), Barrows et al.
patent: 5376006 (1994-12-01), Fischer
patent: 5395241 (1995-03-01), Kandelman
patent: 5403577 (1995-04
Brown Damon J.
Diasti Adam
Philp, Jr. Graham K.
Dentovations Inc.
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
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