Powder for powder blasting, powder mixture and method of use for the treatment of tooth surfaces

Abstract

A powder and a powder mixture, respectively, preferably for powder blasting with a powder-jet device, said device mixing the powder or the powder mixture with air to a powder/air mixture, wherein said powder and powder mixture is an alditol or contains such alditol. Preferably, mannitol and/or erythritol are used; because of the anti-cariogenic effect, xylitol is also well suitable for the cleaning of tooth surfaces, especially of less strongly mineralized tooth surfaces like dentine.

1 . A powder for powder blasting with a powder-jet device mixing the powder with air to form a powder/air mixture, wherein said powder contains an alditol. 
     
     
         2 . A powder according to  claim 1 , wherein the mean grain size of the powder is no larger than 45 μm, preferably no larger than 35 μm, much preferred between 10 μm and 30 μm. 
     
     
         3 . A powder according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the powder has a density of no more than 2.0 g/cm 3 , preferably no more than 1.8 g/cm 3 , much preferred no more than 1.55 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         4 . A powder according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the powder has Mohs hardness of no more than 4, preferably no more than 3.5, much preferred no more than 2.5. 
     
     
         5 . A powder according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the powder has a molar mass of no less than 90 g/mol, preferably no less than 110 g/mol, much preferred no less than 120 g/mol. 
     
     
         6 . A powder according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the powder contains a mannitol or erythritol. 
     
     
         7 . A powder mixture for powder blasting with a powder-jet device mixing the powder mixture with air to a powder/air mixture, wherein the powder mixture has at least two powders according  claim 1 , and wherein each of said at least two powders is present in a mass fraction (percentage) of no less than 2%, preferably no less than 10%, much preferred no less than 20%, based on the overall mass (total volume) of said at least two powders. 
     
     
         8 . A powder mixture according to  claim 7 , characterized in that each of the powders is present with a particle fraction of no less than 5%, preferably no less than 10%, much preferred no less than 20%, based on the total number of particles of said at least two powders. 
     
     
         9 . A powder mixture according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the powder mixture has mannitol with a mass fraction of 30% and erythritol with a mass fraction of 70%. 
     
     
         10 . A tooth treatment method, comprising the steps of:
 preparing a powder or a powder mixture containing at least one alditol;   mixing said powder or powder mixture together with at least one finely particled component selected from the group consisting of silica gel, bleaching agents, analgetics, bacteriocides and/or flavour additives, for the preparation of an agent; and   powder blasting a tooth surface, preferably dentine, with said agent for a powder-jet treatment, preferably cleaning.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the agent additionally contains air and water and is applied onto the tooth surface to be treated by a powder-jet device that mixes the powder or powder mixture with air to form a powder/air mixture and blasts said powder/air mixture together with said water onto said tooth surface. 
     
     
         12 . Powder-jet device with a swirl chamber in which is present a powder according to  claim 1 , wherein said device acts upon said powder by an airstream such that the powder is swirled and, together with the airstream, is fed toward a nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . A powder mixture according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the powder mixture has mannitol with a mass fraction of 30% and erythritol with a mass fraction of 70%. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said powder is a powder according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said powder mixture is a powder mixture according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
         16 . Powder-jet device with a swirl chamber in which is present a powder mixture according to  claim 7 , wherein said device acts upon said powder mixture by an airstream such that the powder mixture is swirled and, together with the airstream, is fed toward a nozzle.