A docking and charging station (100) for use in conjunction with a hand-held fluid droplet appliance (10) for dental cleaning, the docking and charging station (100) comprising a charging base (102) for recharging the hand-held fluid droplet appliance, a reservoir (110) for holding a larger amount of liquid (112) than can be held in a chamber of the hand-held fluid droplet appliance, and a docking refilling alignment mechanism for properly aligning and securing the hand-held fluid droplet appliance in the cradle (160) of the docking and charging station when the hand-held fluid droplet appliance is mounted into the docking and charging station to prevent spillage, leaking or non-refilling of the appliance from the reservoir if there is not proper alignment.

A bactericidal insert for introduction into a canal in a tooth during a root canal procedure is provided, along with a method of producing the insert and a method of using the insert in a root canal procedure. The insert is in the form of a carrier having a plurality of pores or interstices. The carrier had been impregnated with a liquid photosensitive dye so that the dye entered the pores or interstices and then the carrier with the liquid photosensitive dye forms a dye-impregnated carrier. The dye-impregnated carrier is configured and adapted for insertion within the canal of the tooth. The carrier, if dried, is adapted to receive a wetting agent to dissolve the dye therein to produce a liquefied dye, which is activatable to produce singlet oxygen within the canal when it is irradiated by light from outside of the tooth.

A bactericidal insert for introduction into a canal in a tooth during a root canal procedure is provided, along with a method of producing the insert and a method of using the insert in a root canal procedure. The insert is in the form of a carrier having a plurality of pores or interstices. The carrier had been impregnated with a liquid photosensitive dye so that the dye entered the pores or interstices and then the carrier with the liquid photosensitive dye forms a dye-impregnated carrier. The dye-impregnated carrier is configured and adapted for insertion within the canal of the tooth. The carrier, if dried, is adapted to receive a wetting agent to dissolve the dye therein to produce a liquefied dye, which is activatable to produce singlet oxygen within the canal when it is irradiated by light from outside of the tooth.

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses suitable or treating conditions such as dry mouth. An example embodiment of the present invention provides a method of treating dry mouth condition in a patient, comprising: (a) producing an appliance that is custom fit to the patient's teeth, with additional spaces configured to retain and deliver a therapeutic agent effective in treating dry mouth condition to teeth where treatment is desired; (b) applying the agent to the appliance such that the therapeutic agent is retained in at least some of the additional spaces; and (c) mounting the appliance with the patient's teeth such that the appliance delivers the therapeutic agent to the teeth where treatment is desired.

A tray appliance of the present disclosure has a first dissolvable sheet and a first substance formed within a second dissolvable sheet. The first dissolvable sheet is laid on the second dissolvable sheet and is formed into a first dissolvable negative impression of a person's teeth, gingival tissue, or other soft tissue, such that when first dissolvable negative impression is worn by a person, the first dissolvable negative impression dissolves and releases the first substance into the person's saliva, teeth, gingival tissue, or other soft tissue.

An electrolysis device may include a housing having a cavity that is configured to receive a precursor solution. The precursor solution may include chloride. An electrolysis circuit may be located in the cavity of the housing. The electrolysis circuit may include a power source, a first electrode and a second electrode electrically coupled to the power source, and a control circuit electrically coupled to the power source and the first and second electrodes. Upon the control circuit being activated while the precursor liquid operably couples the first and second electrodes together, the electrolysis circuit may be configured to generate a hypochlorite solution from the precursor solution.

The present invention relates to a tooth whitening system (10), comprising a light source (30), a light detector (40), and a processing unit (50). The light source is configured such that a wavelength of the light emitted is adjustable over a wavelength range of operation. The detector is configured to detect light emitted from the light source. The processing unit is configured to control the light source to adjust the wavelength of the light emitted by the light source and determine a measure of absorption light detected that was emitted from the light source as the wavelength is adjusted. The processing unit is configured to utilize the determined measure of absorption to operate the light source at a wavelength at a peak in absorption.

A method for making a dental appliance configured to position at least one tooth of a patient includes printing a hardenable liquid resin composition on a major surface of a polymeric material to form a pattern thereon, wherein the hardenable liquid resin composition includes a glass ionomer, a resin modified glass ionomer, and mixtures and combinations thereof. A dental appliance is formed from the polymeric material that includes an arrangement of cavities configured to receive one or more teeth.

The invention provides compositions that include isolated, non-pathogenic, hydrogen peroxide-producing bacterial strains and genetically engineered LDH-deficient bacterial strains, which can be used to whiten teeth and treat periodontal disease.

A method for monitoring the positioning of the teeth including production of a three-dimensional digital initial reference model of the arches of the patient and, for each tooth, definition, from the initial reference model, of a three-dimensional digital reference tooth model; acquisition of updated image of at least one two-dimensional image of the arches in actual acquisition conditions; analysis of each updated image and production, for each updated image, of an updated map; optionally, determination, for each updated image, of rough virtual acquisition conditions approximating the actual acquisition conditions; searching, for each updated image, for a final reference model corresponding to the positioning of the teeth during the acquisition of the updated image, for each tooth model, comparison of the positionings of the tooth model in the initial reference model and in the reference model obtained at the end of the preceding steps to determine the movement of the teeth.