Methods for accelerated desensitization of teeth

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth. The apparatus and methods involve the use of a heating apparatus, such as a dental curing lamp, laser, or dental impression tray that includes a patient dentition impression formed from a dental impression material such as an alginate. The impression tray advantageously includes heating means for heating and maintaining the formed patient dentition impression at a temperature greater than about 105° F. A dental office procedure for treating teeth involves the basic steps of: (1) coating a specially-prepared dentition impression with a desensitizing dental composition; (2) placing the coated patient dentition impression into the person's mouth; (3) heating the dentition impression and dental composition to a temperature of at least about 105° F.; and (4) retaining the patient dentition impression in position for period of time in a range of about 1 minute to about 60 minutes so as to desensitize the person's teeth. The procedure can be adapted to microwave heating, electrical resistance heating, or hot fluid heating of the patient dentition impression.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth comprising: 
 contacting a person's teeth with a dental composition that includes a desensitizing agent; and    heating the dental composition to a temperature of at least about 105° F. for a time period effective for reducing tooth sensitivity.    
     
     
         2 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is heated to a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 150° F.  
     
     
         3 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is heated to a temperature in a range of about 120° F. to about 140° F.  
     
     
         4 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent includes a potassium salt.  
     
     
         5 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 4   , wherein the potassium salt is potassium nitrate.  
     
     
         6 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent is selected from the group consisting of potassium citrate, citric acid, citric acid salts, strontium chloride, fluoride salts, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent is included in a an amount in a range of about 0.01% to about 50% by weight of the dental composition.  
     
     
         8 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent is included in an amount in a range of about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the dental composition.  
     
     
         9 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent is included in a an amount in a range of about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the dental composition.  
     
     
         10 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the desensitizing agent includes a fluoride salt.  
     
     
         11 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is heated by means of a dental impression tray that includes a heated impression material.  
     
     
         12 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 11   , wherein the impression material is heated by means of a resistive heating element associated with the impression tray.  
     
     
         13 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 11   , wherein the impression material includes a formed dentition impression of the person's teeth and wherein the dental composition is first placed within the formed dentition impression and then contacted with the person's teeth by inserting the dental impression tray into the person's mouth.  
     
     
         14 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is heated by means of radiant energy emitted by a curing light.  
     
     
         15 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is heated by means of radiant energy emitted by laser.  
     
     
         16 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is maintained in contact with the person's teeth for a time period in a range of about 1 minute to about 60 minutes.  
     
     
         17 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the dental composition is maintained in contact with the person's teeth for a time period a range of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.  
     
     
         18 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth comprising: providing a dental impression tray that includes a formed impression at least approximately corresponding to a person's teeth and means for heating the formed impression; 
 introducing a dental composition that includes a desensitizing agent into the formed impression;    inserting the impression tray into the person's mouth in order to contact at least a portion of the person's teeth with the dental composition; and    maintaining the dental composition in contact with the person's teeth at a temperature of at least about 105° F. for a time period effective for reducing tooth sensitivity.    
     
     
         19 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 18   , wherein the dental composition is maintained in contact with the person's teeth at temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 150° F. for a time period in a range of about 1 minute to about 60 minutes.  
     
     
         20 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 18   , wherein the dental composition is maintained in contact with the person's teeth at temperature in a range of about 120° F. to about 140° F. for a time period in a range of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.  
     
     
         21 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth comprising: 
 contacting a person's teeth with a dental composition that includes potassium nitrate in an amount effect for desensitizing teeth; and    heating the dental composition to a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 150° F. for a time period in a range of about 1 minute to about 60 minutes.    
     
     
         22 . A method for accelerated desensitization of a person's teeth as defined in    claim 21   , wherein the dental composition is maintained at a temperature in a range of about 120° F. to about 140° F. for a time period of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.