Adhesive dental bleaching compositions containing polyvinylpyrrolidone

Abstract

A dental bleaching composition comprises a dental bleaching agent and a polyvinylpyrrolidone thickening agent. The bleaching composition may include a liquid component, flavoring agents, a basic substance and desensitizing agents, as desired. Polyvinylpyrrolidone avoids acid etching and chelation of teeth that were problematic in bleaches using carbomer as a thickener. A delivery system for delivering the bleaching composition comprises the aforementioned dental bleaching composition in combination with a moisture-resistant barrier layer such as a dental tray or a flexible strip of material.

Claims

1. A dental bleaching composition, comprising: a dental bleaching agent consisting of at least one of hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate; at least 10% of a liquid component comprising at least one of polyethylene glycol or glycerin; and at least 10% by weight polyvinylpyrrolidone, wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone does not substantially interfere with the release of oxygen ions from the bleaching agent, wherein the dental bleaching composition is adhesive to teeth and formulated so as to bleach teeth.

2. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid component consists of glycerin.

3. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, further comprising at least 10% of a basic substance comprising at least one of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide or triethanol amine.

4. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone is a homopolymer.

5. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, further comprising potassium nitrate.

6. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, further comprising a gum.

7. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, wherein the gum comprises pectin.

8. The dental bleaching composition of claim 1, wherein the dental bleaching composition comprises at least 20% by weight polyvinylpyrrolidone.

9. A dental bleaching strip, comprising: a strip of material configured to be placed over a plurality of teeth in a person's mouth; and a dental bleaching composition disposed on the strip and comprising: at least one of hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate; at least 10% of a liquid component consisting essentially of at least one of polyethylene glycol or glycerin such that the dental bleaching composition contains no added water; and at least 10% by weight polyvinylpyrrolidone, wherein the dental bleaching composition is adhesive to teeth and formulated so as to bleach teeth.

10. The dental bleaching strip of claim 9, wherein the liquid component consists of glycerin.

11. The dental bleaching strip of claim 9, wherein the dental bleaching composition comprises at least 20% by weight polyvinylpyrrolidone.

12. The dental bleaching strip of claim 9, wherein the dental bleaching composition is substantially free of water.

13. The dental bleaching strip of claim 9, further comprising a release liner removably attached to the dental bleaching strip by the dental bleaching composition.

14. The dental bleaching strip of claim 9, wherein the strip is formed from a flexible material.

15. A dental bleaching composition, comprising: at least one of hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate; at least about 10% by weight of a liquid component comprising glycerin, water and carbomer; and at least about 10% by weight polyvinylpyrrolidone wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone does not substantially interfere with the release of oxygen ions from the bleaching agent.

16. The dental bleaching composition of claim 15, wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone has a molecular weight of at least 90,000.

17. The dental bleaching composition of claim 15, wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone has a molecular weight of at least 1,000,000.

18. The dental bleaching composition of claim 15, further comprising up to about 5% by weight xylitol.

19. The dental bleaching composition of claim 15, wherein the dental bleaching composition includes from about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of the liquid component.

20. The dental bleaching composition of claim 15, further comprising at least 0.1% by weight potassium nitrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts the chemical structure of polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a series of steps that can be performed to bleach teeth using a one part bleaching system.

(4) FIG. 3 depicts placing a one-part bleach into a bleaching tray for use in bleaching teeth.

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a series of steps that can be performed to bleach teeth using a two-part bleaching system.

(6) FIG. 5 depicts placing a two-part bleach into a bleaching tray for use in bleaching teeth

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a substantially flat strip of material having rounded corners.

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a bleaching system, disclosing the flat strip of FIG. 6 coated with a tooth whitening substance.

(9) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken along section line 8-8 of FIG. 7, disclosing an example of the flat strip having a thickness less than that of the substance coated thereon.

(10) FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another bleaching system, showing shallow pockets in the strip of material, which act as reservoirs for additional substance coated on the strip.

(11) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing adjacent teeth having the strip of material conforming thereto and adhesively attached to the teeth by means of a substance located between the teeth and the strip of material.

(12) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a tooth and adjoining soft tissue, taken along section line 11-11 of FIG. 10, disclosing the strip conforming to and adhesively attached to the tooth by means of the substance located between the tooth and the strip of material.

(13) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 10, showing a strip of material conforming to the teeth and the adjoining soft tissue and adhesively attached to both sides of the teeth by means of the substance located between the teeth and the strip of material.

(14) FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional elevation view, taken along section line 13-13 of FIG. 12, showing the strip of material conforming to both the tooth and the adjoining soft tissue and adhesively attached to both sides of the tooth by means of the substance located between the tooth and the strip of material.

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a bleaching system disclosing the flat strip coated with a tooth whitening substance of FIG. 7 with a release liner.

(16) FIG. 15 is a cross-section view taken along section line 15-15 of FIG. 14, showing a release liner attached to the strip of material by the substance on the strip of material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(17) A. Materials for Use in Dental Bleach

(18) A dental bleach may have several components including a bleaching agent, a basic agent, a thickening agent, a flavoring agent, a desensitizing agent, and others, or a subset thereof.

(19) 1. Bleaching Agent

(20) Suitable bleaching agents will include any material capable of releasing an oxidizing agent such as free radical oxygen ions for contacting teeth and removing stains therefrom via an oxidation process. Most common bleaching agents at this time are peroxides, including but not limited to hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate, and sodium percarbonate. Other peroxides and other oxidizing agents and bleaching agents may be utilized in addition to or in substitution of these materials.

(21) 2. Thickening Agent

(22) Dental bleaches can include a thickening agent in order to avoid runoff of the dental bleach and consequent contact with sensitive soft tissues, and in order to keep the bleach in contact with teeth. A suitable thickening agent will serve to increase viscosity of the dental bleach while avoiding substantial interference with the release of oxygen ions from the bleaching agent or the contact of those oxygen ions with teeth to be bleached. In some embodiments, the thickening agent used will include polyvinylpyrrolidone. FIG. 1 depicts the chemical structure of polyvinylpyrrolidone. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is also referred to as “povidone”.

(23) Polyvinylpyrrolidone has the advantage of serving as a thickening agent or gelling agent while failing to: (i) interfere with release of oxygen ions from the bleaching agent or contact of those oxygen ions to the teeth to bleached, (ii) chemically etch tooth enamel, (iii) remove calcium from tooth enamel by chelation, and (iv) solidify the dental bleach.

(24) Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a tertiary amide based polymer. It contains no organic acid in its structure and therefore cannot acid etch or chelate teeth. Polyvinylpyrrolidone based bleaches are enamel safe and therefore will present a significant improvement over the prior art. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is easily dispersed into water to make highly viscous gels for tray bleaching at around 5-40% by weight. Polyvinylpyrrolidone may also be considered a tackifying agent because the increased viscosity of dental bleach that it produces has a sticky or tacky feel enabling it to adhere to teeth for the time required to carry out the bleaching process.

(25) The most desirable molecular weights for the thickener used in the bleach is from about 90,000-1,500,000. Molecular weight may be determined by light scattering methods, size exclusion chromatography and other methods. Thickeners with a molecular weight outside that range can be used as well, as illustrated by the examples. As a general rule, the lower the molecular weight of the polyvinylpyrrolidone used, the more polyvinylpyrrolidone that is required to achieve the desired thickening.

(26) 3. Liquid Component

(27) In its raw form, polyvinylpyrrolidone is a white powder. In order to form a gel useful in a dental bleach, a liquid component must be added to it. In some embodiments, suitable liquid components of the gel include water, glycerin, propylene glycol, liquid polyethylene glycol, liquid polypropylene glycol, ethanol, and other suitable liquid components. Any of the liquid components can be used singly or in combination.

(28) 4. Basic Substance

(29) In some embodiments, it will be desirable to include a basic substance in the dental bleach. Use of a basic substance can destabilize the bleaching agent such as a peroxide, facilitating release of oxygen ions for dental bleaching. This is particularly desirable if a two-part bleaching system is utilized such as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 and as described in their accompanying text. A list of basic substance which may be used in the bleach includes sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and triethanol amine.

(30) 5. Flavoring Agent

(31) In some embodiments, it may be desired to add flavorings or sweeteners to the dental bleach. Examples of appropriate sweeteners include aspartame, sodium saccharin, mannitol, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol and the like. Flavorings which may be used include mint, wintergreen, spearmint, berry, lemon, lime, and the like.

(32) 6. Desensitizing Agent

(33) Even when they have not been exposed to caustic prior art dental bleaches, some patients experience chronic sensitivity of the teeth and gums. This sensitivity may be alleviated in part by including a desensitizing agent in the dental bleach so that the patient will not experience discomfort or develop apprehension during the bleaching process. Examples of desensitizing agents include fluoride, potassium nitrate, sodium citrate, aloe vera and the like.

(34) 7. Other Components

(35) As desired, other components may be included in the bleach as well, including anticariogenic agents and antimicrobial agents which are already known in dentistry.

(36) 8. Examples of the Inventive Dental Bleach

(37) The following are some sample compositions of the invented dental bleach. Weight percentages provided indicate the presence of a component as its percentage of the total resulting bleach.

Exemplary Dental Bleaches

(38) TABLE-US-00001 Bleaching Liquid Basic Flavoring Desensitizing EX. Agent Thickening Agent Component Substance Agent Agent 1 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone Water about 35% by none aspartame about none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; 0.5% by weight; about 11% by molecular weight glycerin about 29% peppermint oil weight about 25% by weight by weight about 0.5% by weight 2 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone Water about 54% by none None none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight about 16% by molecular weight weight about 30% by weight 3 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone glycerine about 49% none None none peroxide 44,000 to 54,000 by weight about 21% by molecular weight weight about 30% by weight 4 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone Water about 10% by none None none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; about 25% by molecular weight glycerin about 10% weight about 30% by weight by weight 5 hydrogen Polyvinylpyrrolidone Water about 15% by none none none peroxide 28,000 to 34,000 weight; about 3% by molecular weight glycerin about 10%; weight about 40% by weight polyethylene glycol (600 molecular weight) about 42% by weight 6 hydrogen Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 56.39% none none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 by weight; about 5% by molecular weight polyethylene glycol weight about 25% by weight (600 molecular weight) about 10% by weight 7 sodium Polyvinylpyrrolidone propylene glycol none none none perborate 44,000 to 54,000 about 50% by about 25% by molecular weight weight weight about 25% by weight 8 sodium Polyvinylpyrrolidone anhydrous glycerin none none none perborate about 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 about 55% by 25% by weight molecular weight weight about 10% by weight; Polyvinylpyrrolidone 44,000 to 54,000 molecular weight about 10% by weight 9 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 35.69% none aspartame about sodium fluoride peroxide 100,000 to 150,000 by weight; 0.5% by weight; about 0.25% by about 10.5% by molecular weight ethanol about 2% by wintergreen oil weight; weight about 10% by weight weight; about 1% by potassium nitrate polyethylene glycol weight about 0.1% by (300 molecular weight weight) about 10% by weight; polyethylene glycol (8000 molecular weight) about 30% by weight 10 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 20% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 15% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 25% by weight about 39.8% by weight 11 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 15% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 25% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 25% by weight about 34.8% by weight 12 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 10% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 35% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 30% by weight about 24.8% by weight 13 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 15% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 15% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 35% by weight about 34.8% by weight 14 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 10% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 15% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 60% by weight about 14.8% by weight 15 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 3% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 8% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 90% by weight about 4.8% by weight 16 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone water about 2% by sodium none none peroxide 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 weight; hydroxide about about 10% by molecular weight anhydrous glycerin 0.2% by weight weight about 85% by weight about 2.8% by weight 17 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone Purified water about sodium 0.6% peppermint none peroxide about about 23% by weight 30% by weight; hydroxide about oil; 31% by weight anhydrous glycerin 0.18% by weight sodium saccharin, about 14.5% by about 0.7% by weight weight 18 carbamide Polyvinylpyrrolidone Purified water about Sodium 0.6% peppermint none peroxide about about 28% by weight 26.1% by weight; hydroxide about oil; 16% by weight anhydrous glycerin 0.11% by weight sodium saccharin, about 28.59% by about 0.6% by weight weight

(39) In some embodiments, percentages of various components can vary as follows:

(40) TABLE-US-00002 Component of Dental Broad Typical More Typical Bleach Range Range Range Bleaching Agent 0.1-80% 0.5-60% 1-50% Bleaching Agent if 0.5-80% .sup. 1-50% 3-25% Carbamide Peroxide Bleaching Agent if 0.1-50% 0.5-25%  1-5% Hydrogen Peroxide Liquid Component 0.1-99.8%.sup.  0.2-80% 10-50%  Polyvinylpyrrolidone 0.1-90%  25-60% 25-35%  Basic Substance .sup. 0-10%  0.1-9% 0.2-6%  Flavoring Agent   0-5%  0.5-3%  1-2%

(41) Other ranges of components of dental bleach are possible as well.

(42) The pH ranges of the mixed gel can be as desired, and in many instances may be in the range of 5 to 8, or in the range of 4 to 10. Other pH ranges are possible.

(43) A completed dental bleach of the invention may be a viscous gel that is thick enough that it does not drip out of a syringe of the size typically used in clinical or home dental bleaching where the syringe has a tip aperture that measures from about 2 mm to about 10 mm in diameter. Dental bleaches of other viscosities may be made according to the invention as well.

(44) B. Methods for Performing Dental Bleaching

(45) Referring to FIG. 2, a method for performing dental bleaching of a patient's teeth is depicted. First, a dental bleach containing polyvinylpyrrolidone is obtained or created 201 such as by utilizing one of the formulas above. A patient or dental practitioner of patient would likely obtain a dental bleach in a dispenser ready to use as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 5.

(46) Second, the dental bleach is placed into a dental tray 202. The bleach should be spread evenly in the tray and should be of sufficient quantity to cover the exterior surfaces of all teeth. The dental tray may be of a design that does not exert any or much mechanical pressure on a patient's teeth or gums.

(47) Third, the dental tray containing bleach is placed onto the teeth to be bleached, causing the bleach to contact teeth 203. A combination of suction created by placing the tray onto the teeth plus the viscosity of the dental bleach serves to hold the dental tray in place on the teeth during bleaching.

(48) Next, optionally, the dental bleach can be exposed to light or heat in order to accelerate release of its oxidizing agent such as oxygen ions 204. Heat will accelerate any chemical reaction including the reactions of dental bleaching. Some practitioners may use a light to create heat. Some lights that can be used include halogen bulb lights, xenon bulb lights, plasma arc bulb lights, ion gas lasers, semiconductor lasers and light emitting diodes.

(49) Regardless of whether light or heat is used, next, the dental bleach will release an oxidizing agent 205 such as oxidizing ions. The oxidizing agent, when in contact with teeth, will bleach and lighten, whiten or remove stains from the teeth 206. The time that is required for steps 205 and 206 varies, but 1 to 8 hours is common. Shorter and longer times are possible. By utilizing more basic substance or applying heat or a light to the dental bleach, these steps may be accelerated. Alternatively, by using a stronger concentration of bleaching agent, these steps may be accelerated.

(50) Next, the dental tray is removed 207 and the teeth are rinsed 208. This sequence may be performed once in a dental practitioner's office if a strong bleaching agent is used. Or it may be performed several times by a patient in his or her own home. Patients will typically perform the bleaching steps once per day for a couple of weeks, optionally followed by a maintenance regimen.

(51) Referring to FIG. 3, placement of dental bleach 305 into a dental tray 303, and placing the dental tray 303 onto a patient's teeth 301 is depicted. The dental tray 303 has an arch 304 matching the arch of the patient's teeth for containing the dental bleach 305 and keeping it in close contact with the patient's teeth 301 while not placing it against a significant amount of soft tissue 302. If high concentration peroxides are used for bleaching, then a dental dam, rubber protector or fluid light-cured acrylic barrier may be used to keep the dental bleach from contacting soft tissues. Generally, at a concentration of greater than 15% hydrogen peroxide or greater than 40% carbamide peroxide, some type of additional soft tissue protector is desired. The dental tray may be flexible or rigid, and may be made from a suitable material such as plastic or rubber. The tray can be formed in a dental lab to cause it to precisely conform to a patient's teeth, it can be a universal tray such that one size fits all, or it can be a tray that a patient molds himself such as by heating the tray in hot water and then pressing his teeth into it.

(52) A single chamber syringe 307 is provided having a chamber 307a containing dental bleach. A plunger 307b is used to expel a desired quantity of dental bleach 305 from the syringe tip 307c. In some embodiments, the pH of the dental bleach 305 within the syringe will not exceed pH=7, or the bleaching agent may become destabilized prior to use.

(53) Referring to FIG. 4, another method for performing dental bleaching of a patient's teeth is depicted. This method is intended when a two-part dental bleach is utilized. First, a two-part dental bleach containing polyvinylpyrrolidone is obtained or created 401 such as by utilizing one of the formulas above. A patient or dental practitioner of patient would likely obtain a dental bleach in a dispenser ready to use as depicted in FIG. 5. Note that the syringe has two barrels for the two parts of the dental bleach. The components of the two-part dental bleach must be mixed for use 402. Second, the mixed two-part dental bleach is placed into a dental tray 403. Third, the dental tray containing bleach is place onto teeth to be bleached, causing the bleach to contact teeth 404. Next, optionally, the dental bleach can be exposed to light or heat in order to accelerate release of its oxidizing agent such as oxygen ions 405. Regardless of whether light or heat is used, next, the dental bleach will release an oxidizing agent 406 such as oxygen ions. The oxidizing agent, when in contact with teeth, will bleach and lighten, whiten or remove stains from the teeth 407. Next, the dental tray is removed 408 and the teeth are rinsed 409.

(54) Referring to FIG. 5, use of a dental bleach dispenser 507 such as a double barrel syringe is depicted. The double barrel syringe 507 has a first chamber 507a and a second chamber 507b. Both chambers may be of equal volume for ease of determining the final mixture of the dental bleach, although double barrel syringes with two chambers of unequal volumes can be used as well. Likewise, multi-chamber syringes may be used for multi-component bleaches. The two chambers 507a and 507b may also contain gels of approximately equal viscosities for ease and efficiency of mixing. The first chamber 507a may contain an oxidizing agent such as a peroxide in a concentration such that when the two components of the bleach are mixed from the two chambers, the resulting bleach 505 has the desired concentration of bleaching agent. The chamber 507a containing the bleaching agent 507a may have a pH=7 or less for stability of the bleaching agent. The contents of the second chamber 507b will include a basic substance and will have a pH in the range of about 7 to 12. However, the second chamber 507b will typically not include a bleaching agent. The remainder of the components of the dental bleach may be equally present in both chambers of the syringe, although other pre-dispensing mixes are possible.

(55) As the plunger 507d of the dental bleach dispenser 507 is depressed, the contents of the first chamber 507a and the second chamber 507b are forced through a mixing tip 507c where they are mixed. This mixing contacts the basic substance with the bleaching agent. As the basic substance will tend to destabilize the bleaching agent, the bleaching agent will generate oxygen radicals more rapidly. The pH of the resulting mixed dental bleach 505 may be greater than the pH of the dental bleach dispensed from the syringe of FIG. 3.

(56) The mixed bleach 505 is placed into the arch 504 of a dental tray 503, and the dental tray 503 is placed over teeth 501. The bleach 505 with destabilized bleaching agent will release large quantities of oxidizing agent quickly to perform rapid and thorough bleaching of the teeth 501. The dental tray 503 serves to retain the bleach 505 on the teeth 501 and to keep the bleach 505 away from most soft tissue 502.

(57) Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown a device which is generally indicated as 1010. Embodiment 1010 represents a delivery system for a tooth whitening substance. Delivery system 1010 has a strip of material 1012, which may be initially substantially flat with rounded corners.

(58) Applied or coated onto strip of material 1012, or embedded into the strip of material 1012 if the material is porous, is a tooth whitening substance 1014. Substance 1014 maybe homogeneous, uniformly and continuously coated onto strip of material 1012, as shown in FIG. 8, or embedded into the strip of material if the material is porous. However, substance 1014 may alternatively be a laminate or separated layers of components, an amorphous mixture of components, separate stripes or spots or other patterns of different components, or a combination of these structures, including a continuous coating of oral care substance 1014 along a longitudinal axis of a portion of strip of material 1012.

(59) As shown in FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment, a strip of material 1012 may have shallow pockets 1018 formed therein. When substance 1014 is coated on a substance-coated side of strip of material 1012, additional substance 1014 fills shallow pockets 1018 to provide reservoirs of additional substance 1014.

(60) FIGS. 10 and 11 show a delivery system 1024 applied to a plurality of adjacent teeth and the surface of a tooth. Embedded in adjacent soft tissue 1020 is a plurality of adjacent teeth 1022. Adjacent soft tissue is herein defined as soft tissue surfaces surrounding the tooth structure including: papilla, marginal gingiva, gingival sulculus, inter dental gingiva, gingival gum structure on lingual and buccal surfaces up to and including muco-gingival junction and the pallet.

(61) In both FIGS. 10 and 11, delivery system 1024 represents strip of material 1012 and substance 1014, with substance 1014 on the side of strip of material 1012 facing adjacent teeth 1022. Substance 1014 may be pre-applied to strip of material 1012 or applied to strip of material 1012 by the delivery system user. In either case, strip of material 1012 has a thickness and flexural stiffness which enable it to conform to the contoured surfaces of adjacent teeth 1022 and to adjacent soft tissue 1020. The strip of flexible material has sufficient flexibility to form a curved shape around a plurality of adjacent teeth. The strip of material is also readily conformable to tooth surfaces and to the interstitial tooth spaces without permanent deformation when the delivery system is applied. The delivery system is applied without significant pressure.

(62) FIGS. 12 and 13 show delivery system 1024 applied to both front and rear surfaces of a plurality of adjacent teeth 1022 as well as to adjacent soft tissue 1020 located by the front surfaces of the teeth. Delivery system 1024 represents strip of material 1012 and substance 1014, with substance 1014 on the side of strip of material 1012 facing adjacent teeth.

(63) FIGS. 14 and 15 shows an optional release liner 1027. Release liner 1027 is attached to strip of material 1012 by substance 1014. Substance 1014 is on the side of strip of material 1012 facing release liner 1027. This side is applied to the tooth surface once release liner 1027 is removed.

(64) The strip of material serves as a protective barrier to substantially prevent saliva contacting the tooth whitening substance and leaching and/or erosion of the tooth whitening substance from the surface of the teeth by the wearer's lips, tongue, and other soft tissue. In order for an active in tooth whitening substance to act upon the surface of tooth over an extended period of time, from several minutes to several hours, it is important to minimize such leaching and/or erosion. The term “act upon” is herein defined as bringing about a desired change. For example, if the substance is a tooth whitener, it bleaches color bodies to bring about whitening.

(65) The strip of material may comprise materials such as polymers, natural and synthetic wovens, non-wovens, foil, paper, rubber, and combinations thereof. The strip of material may be a single layer of material or a laminate of more than one layer. Generally, the strip of material is substantially water impermeable. The material may be any type of polymer that meets the required flexural rigidity and is compatible with tooth whitening actives, such as peroxide. The material may comprise a single polymer or a mixture of polymers. Suitable polymers include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, ethylvinylacetate, ethylvinyl alcohol, polyesters such as Mylar® manufactured by DuPont, fluoroplastics such as Teflon® manufactured by DuPont, and combinations thereof. The material may be polyethylene. The strip of material is generally less than about 1 mm thick, or less than about 0.05 mm thick, or from about 0.001 to about 0.03 mm thick. A polyethylene strip of material may be less than about 0.1 mm thick or from about 0.005 to about 0.02 mm thick.

(66) The shape of the strip of material may be any shape that has rounded corners. “Rounded corners” is defined as not having any sharp angles or points. The conformable strip of material may be of a size that individually fits the row of teeth desired to be bleached. Generally, this is the front 6-8 teeth of the upper or lower rows of teeth that are visible when the wearer is smiling. Optionally, the strip of material may fit the entire upper or lower rows of teeth when positioned against the teeth. The size of the strip of material depends upon many factors, including the number of teeth to be bleached, the size of the teeth, and personal preference of the wearer. In general, the length of the strip of material is from about 2 cm to about 12 cm, or from about 4 cm to about 9 cm. The width of the strip of material will also depend upon many factors, including whether or not the strip of material wraps around the teeth and covers both surfaces of the tooth. In a general application, the width of the strip of material is from about 0.5 cm to about 4 cm, or from about 1 to about 2 cm.

(67) The strip of material may contain shallow pockets. When the substance is coated on a substance-coated side of strip of material, additional substance fills shallow pockets to provide reservoirs of additional substance. Additionally, the shallow pockets help to provide a texture to the delivery system. The film may have an array of shallow pockets. Generally, the shallow pockets are approximately 0.4 mm across and 0.1 mm deep. When shallow pockets are included in the strip of material and substances are applied to it in various thicknesses, the overall thickness of the delivery system is generally less than about 1 mm. The overall thickness may be less than about 0.5 mm.

(68) Flexural stiffness is a material property that is a function of a combination of strip thickness, width, and material modulus of elasticity. This test is a method for measuring the rigidity of polyolefin film and sheeting. It determines the resistance to flexure of a sample by using a strain gauge affixed to the end of a horizontal beam. The opposite end of the beam presses across a strip of the sample to force a portion of the strip into a vertical groove in a horizontal platform upon which the sample rests. A micrometer, wired to the strain gauge, is calibrated in grams of deflection force. The rigidity of the sample is read directly from the microammeter and expressed as grams per centimeter of sample strip width. In some embodiments, the strip of material has a flexural stiffness of less than about 5 grams/cm as measured on a Handle-O-Meter, model #211-300, available from Thwing-Albert Instrument Co. of Philadelphia, Pa., as per test method ASTM D2923-95. The strip of material may have a flexural stiffness less than about 4 grams/cm, or less than about 3 grams/cm, or from about 0.1 grams/cm to about 1 grams/cm. The flexural stiffness of the strip of material may be substantially constant and not significantly change during normal use. For example, the strip of material does not need to be hydrated for the strip to achieve the low flexural stiffness in the above-specified ranges.

(69) This relatively low stiffness enables the strip of material to drape over the contoured surfaces of teeth with very little force being exerted; that is, conformity to the curvature of the wearer's mouth and gaps between adjacent teeth is maintained because there is little residual force within strip of material to cause it to return to its substantially flat shape. The flexibility of the strip enables the strip of material to contact adjoining soft tissue over an extended period of time without physical irritation. The strip of material does not require pressure forming it against the teeth.

(70) The strip of material is held in place on a plurality of adjacent teeth by adhesive attachment provided by the substance. The viscosity and general tackiness of the substance cause the strip of material to be adhesively attached to a plurality of adjacent teeth without substantial slippage under the potential friction from the lips, tongue, and other soft tissue rubbing against the strip of material during mouth movements associated with talking, drinking, etc. However, this adhesion to the teeth is low enough to allow the delivery system to be easily removed by the wearer by peeling off the strip of material using one's finger or fingernail. The delivery system is easily removable from the surfaces of the teeth without the use of an instrument, a chemical solvent, or undue friction. Chemical solvents include any organic solvents commonly used in oral care products such as alcohol and other safe solvents such as water, which could be used to dilute the gelling agent. Undue friction is described as any type of rubbing with one's finger or a soft implement, such as cotton balls, swabs, or gauze pads.

(71) A peel force of from about 1 gram to about 50 grams for a 1.5 cm strip width (approximately 17 grams/cm) is all that is required. The peel force may be from about 5 grams to about 40 grams, or from about 10 grams to about 30 grams. The low peel force is desired for consumer handling purposes. The low peel force is possible because of the non-aggressive nature of a gel substance. Only when the flexural stiffness of the strip is low can the adhesion of the substance also be low. The adhesion of a stiffer strip would have to be greater in proportion to the strip stiffness in order to prevent the strip from returning to its flat condition and pulling away from the contoured surface of a plurality of teeth.

(72) The strip of material may be formed by several of the film making processes known in the art. A strip of material made of polyethylene may be made by a blowing process or a cast process. Processes, such as extrusion and other processes that do not affect the flexural rigidity of the strip of material, are also feasible. Additionally, the substance may be incorporated onto the strip during the processing of the strip. The substance may be a laminate on the strip.

(73) While the present embodiments have been described and illustrated in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles as herein illustrated, described and claimed. The devices may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from their spirit or characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.