U.S. patent application number 10/013441 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for flavored tooth conditioning compositions and methods.
Invention is credited to Combe, Edward C., Warford, John H. II, Warford, John H. III.
Application Number | 20020106334 10/013441 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23696936 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020106334 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Combe, Edward C. ; et
al. |
August 8, 2002 |
Flavored tooth conditioning compositions and methods
Abstract
Compositions for conditioning a tooth surface prior to the
application of a dental materials which will desirably form a
substantially permanent bond with the conditioned tooth surface are
provided, wherein the conditioning compositions contains a
flavorant such as a water-based flavorant, an oil-based flavorant,
a solid (e.g., powder) flavorant, or a non-oil-based flavorant, as
well as methods of using the conditioning composition to prepare a
tooth surface, e.g., for the application of a free-radically
polymerizable dental material.
Inventors: |
Combe, Edward C.;
(Maplewood, MN) ; Warford, John H. III; (Bismarck,
ND) ; Warford, John H. II; (Bismarck, ND) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KAGAN BINDER, PLLC
Intellectual Property Attorneys
Maple Island Building, Suite 200
221 Main Street North
Stillwater
MN
55082
US
|
Family ID: |
23696936 |
Appl. No.: |
10/013441 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10013441 |
Dec 7, 2001 |
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09427943 |
Oct 27, 1999 |
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6342204 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
424/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61K 6/69 20200101; A61K
6/40 20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
424/49 |
International
Class: |
A61K 007/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dental conditioning composition comprising an acidic
conditioning composition and added flavorant to improve flavor or
aroma of the conditioning composition.
2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant is selected
from the group consisting of a water-based flavorant, an aliphatic
organic hydroxy compound-based flavorant, and a dry flavorant.
3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant is selected
from the group consisting of an essential oil-based flavorant, a
propylene glycol-based flavorant, a glycerol-based flavorant, and
mixtures thereof.
4. The composition of claim 1 comprising an acid selected from the
group consisting of phosphoric acid, poly(acrylic) acid, citric
acid, maleic acid, and combinations of these.
5. The composition of claim 1 comprising phosphoric acid.
6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant is selected
from the group consisting of a water-based flavorant, an ethyl
alcohol-based flavorant, a dry flavorant, and mixtures thereof.
7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant comprises from
about 70 to about 99.9 parts by weight liquid carrier selected from
the group consisting of an essential oil, water, ethyl alcohol,
glycerin, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof, and from about
0.1 to about 30 parts by weight flavoring agent.
8. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of water, ethyl
alcohol, and mixtures thereof.
9. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of propylene
glycol.
10. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of glycerin.
11. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of water,
glycerol, or a mixture of water and glycerol.
12. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of propylene
glycol, ethanol, a mixture of propylene glycol and ethanol.
13. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of a mixture of
water, alcohol, and glycerin.
14. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier consisting essentially of a mixture of
propylene glycol and ethanol.
15. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
consists essentially of a propylene glycol carrier and flavoring
agent.
16. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier comprising an alcohol.
17. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
includes a liquid carrier comprising an aliphatic organic hydroxy
compound.
18. The conditioning composition of claim 17 wherein the compound
is selected from the group consisting of glycerol and propylene
glycol.
19. The composition of claim 1 comprising dry flavorant.
20. The conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the flavorant
comprises a natural flavoring agent containing less than 5 weight
percent essential oil.
21. A dental conditioning compositions comprising an acid selected
from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, poly(acrylic) acid,
citric acid, maleic acid, or combinations of these, and added
flavoring agent comprising from about 70 to about 99.9 parts by
weight liquid carrier selected from the groups consisting of water,
ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof and from
about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight flavoring agent.
22. The composition of claim 21 wherein the liquid carrier is
selected from the group consisting of water and ethyl alcohol.
23. A conditioning composition for use in dentistry to condition a
tooth surface prior to application of a polymerizable dental
material, wherein the conditioning composition comprises an aqueous
etching acid, and dry flavorant.
24. The composition of claim 23 wherein the dry flavorant comprises
dry soft drink mix comprising acid and artificial flavoring
agent.
25. The composition of claim 24 wherein the acid is selected from
the group consisting of citric acid, fumaric acid, ascorbic acid,
and a combination thereof.
26. The composition of claim 24 wherein the artificial flavoring
agent is selected from the group consisting of lemonade, cherry,
grape, tropical punch, kiwi, watermelon, and mixtures thereof.
27. A dental conditioning composition comprising added water-based
flavorant.
28. A dental conditioning composition comprising aliphatic organic
hydroxy compound-based flavorant.
29. A dental conditioning composition comprising phosphoric acid
and flavorant to improve flavor or aroma of the conditioning
composition.
30. A method for treating a tooth by forming a substantially
permanent bond between the tooth and a free radically polymerizable
dental material comprising: conditioning a tooth using a
conditioning composition comprising an acidic conditioning
composition and added flavorant to improve flavor or aroma of the
conditioning composition, applying the free radically polymerizable
dental material to the etched tooth surface; and causing the free
radically polymerizable dental material to harden.
31. A method of preparing a dental conditioning composition, the
method comprising providing a conditioning composition comprising
an acid, and combining the conditioning composition with flavorant
to improve flavor or aroma of the conditioning composition.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of and claims
priority to U.S. Ser. No. 09/427,943, filed Oct. 27, 1999,
"FLAVORED TOOTH CONDITIONING COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR USING THE
COMPOSITIONS TO CONDITION A TOOTH SURFACE."
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to compositions for preparing or
conditioning a tooth surface, i.e., enamel and/or dentin, for one
or more dental procedures intended to repair, adhere to, or alter
the position of, a tooth. In particular, the invention relates to
dental conditioning compositions that contain flavorants. The
flavorant can be an essential oil-based flavorant, a water-based
flavorant, an aliphatic organic hydroxy compound-based flavorant,
e.g., an alcohol-based flavorant (such as ethanol-based flavorant),
a dry flavorant (e.g., a flavorant that can be added to a
conditioning composition as a powder), etc. The invention also
relates to methods of preparing the conditioning compositions and
methods of using the conditioning compositions to prepare a tooth
surface for one or more dental procedures.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Significant advancements have been made in the field of
dentistry in recent years, many in efforts to render dental
procedures more comfortable for the patient. Patient comfort is not
only important to the individual patient being treated, but also to
the dental professional performing the treatment. Particularly in
the instance when the patient is a child, a patient that is
comfortable and relaxed is much less likely to move in a manner to
make treatment more difficult for the dental professional to
perform. Additionally, a comfortable patient is more likely to take
the direction of the dental professional during the treatment, and
to adhere to any prescribed regimen post-treatment. However,
although many new materials and/or procedures have been provided,
or existing materials and procedures improved, that enhance patient
comfort, such as improvements in anesthetic materials and the
development of more comfortable tooth preparation procedures, there
still exist areas within the field of dentistry in which patient
comfort could be further enhanced or optimized.
[0004] Many patients visit dentists to have various materials
adhered to their teeth to repair or replace otherwise damaged tooth
tissue, to alter the position of the teeth, to provide prophylactic
therapy, i.e., to aid in the prevention of decay, or in some
instances, for cosmetic purposes. Such materials include oral
rehabilitative materials such as inlays, crowns and bridges; oral
restoration materials; orthodontic brackets; pit and fissure
sealants; cosmetic materials such as veneers; and the like. In each
of these, and in fact all dental applications in which materials
are desirably permanently bonded to tooth structure, the integrity
of the bond between the tooth and the applied material is crucial
to the success of the treatment.
[0005] To enhance the integrity of such bonds, the surface of a
tooth is typically prepared in a manner that will later enhance the
ability of the desired material to bond to the tooth enamel or
dentin. Generally, such preparation is carried out via the
application of an acidic material referred to as an etchant when
the material is to be applied to enamel and as a conditioner when
the material is to be applied to dentin. The materials will
hereinafter collectively be referred to as "conditioners" or
"conditioning compositions." In the case of enamel, these materials
selectively decalcify tooth substance producing a roughened surface
capable of interacting with the desired material in a mechanical
manner, thereby enhancing the bond strength between the roughened
tooth structure and the material to be adhered. In the case of
dentin, the conditioner can remove the "smear layer" of dentin and
an amount of hydroxyapatite, leaving exposed collagen. The desired
material to be adhered is then capable of forming a "hybrid layer"
with the so-exposed collagen, thereby firmly bonding the desired
material to the tooth.
[0006] Although extremely effective at preparing a tooth surface to
firmly and permanently bond with a dental material, many, if not
most, of the conditioners used for these purposes have the
undesirable quality of an unpleasant taste, generally due to their
acidic nature. This unpleasant taste can result in patient
discomfort that can manifest itself in the patient's noncompliance
with requests or instructions, movement that can make the treatment
difficult to perform, and other behavior belying emotional distress
on the part of the patient.
[0007] To enhance a patient's experience, and in keeping with the
general trend of making dentistry more acceptable for patients, it
would be desirable to at least reduce or eliminate the unpleasant
flavor associated with conventional conditioning materials, and
would be even more desirable to provide such materials with a
pleasant flavor, while also beneficially imparting such materials
with a pleasing aroma. Where the use of conventionally unpleasant
tasting conditioners could potentially result in a patient having a
negative experience, the use of such materials with a pleasant
flavor and odor could greatly enhance the patient's experience.
Particularly in the instance of children, the ability to choose a
flavored material that the child finds pleasing can be a positive
psychological experience that may result in better behavior during
the treatment as well as enhanced future compliance with
instructions. Additionally, it is a well-known concept in dentistry
to increase patient compliance and interest by involving the
patient in treatment decisions.
[0008] Unfortunately, little if anything has been provided in the
field of dental conditioning materials with a pleasant flavor and
pleasing aroma. Most probably this is because conditioning
materials desirably leave the treated tooth surface substantially
free of contaminants so that effective adhesion with the desired
dental material may be achieved. Conventional dental knowledge
teaches that a clean tooth surface is required for a relatively
permanent bond to be formed between a conditioned tooth surface and
an adhered dental material. Most known flavoring materials are
thought to leave residue behind on a tooth, potentially interfering
with the ability of the tooth surface to bond to the dental
material with the integrity required. Flavoring materials have
therefore conventionally not been added to tooth conditioning
materials, and in fact, their addition to these materials has been
avoided.
[0009] A single instance of using a composition that naturally may
have some flavor, to prepare a tooth, is discussed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,036,494 to Cohen, at Example 6. The patent describes the use of a
citric acid solution, lemon juice, to etch a tooth. The lemon juice
may have its own natural flavor, but a flavorant is not described
as being added to the lemon juice to enhance flavor. Moreover,
citric acid is not as well preferred as phosphoric acid for use in
conditioning compositions, and more generally, lemon juice is not
generally used by dentists as a conventional conditioning
material.
[0010] It would be desirable to provide tooth conditioning
materials with a pleasant flavor and odor. Such materials would
desirably substantially retain their effectiveness as tooth
conditioning materials and also would preferably not result in the
deposition of a contaminant on the conditioned tooth surface that
would substantially interfere with the ability of the conditioned
tooth surface to form a bond with a subsequently applied dental
material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Many flavorants are known outside of the dental materials
arts to improve flavor or aroma of materials placed in an
individual's mouth, i.e., "flavorants." These flavorants are
largely used in the food sciences. As noted, the dental arts have
avoided adding flavoring ingredients to certain types of dental
compositions because of the importance that such dental composition
exhibit substantial integrity; the general understanding within the
dental arts is to avoid unnecessary addition of ingredients to a
dental composition involved in bond formation, which would inhibit
bond strength or even which do not contribute to bond strength.
Many varieties of flavoring ingredients have been available for a
significant time, but not included in dental conditioning
compositions.
[0012] Examples of different varieties of flavorants include
flavorants that use an essential oil as a predominant ingredient to
carry a flavoring agent, flavorants that are predominated by an
alcohol (e.g., ethanol) to carry a flavoring agent, flavorants that
are predominated by water to carry a flavoring agent, flavorants
that are predominated by another type of aliphatic organic hydroxy
compound such as a high molecular weight polyol (e.g., glycerol,
propylene glycol, etc.) to carry a flavoring agent, dry flavorants,
and flavorants that include combinations of any of these.
[0013] The ingredients of the flavorant, e.g., liquid carrier such
as alcohol, glycerin, propylene glycol, essential oil, or water, or
dry ingredients, as well as the flavoring agent itself, do not
generally contribute to bond strength of a bonding agent, and can
potentially have a negative affect on the performance of a
conditioning composition, including its ability to etch, and its
ability to promote bond strength. Each ingredient could, for
example, potentially frustrate the ability of a conditioning
composition to effectively prepare (e.g., etch) a tooth surface for
adhesion. Following preparation, each ingredient has the potential
ability to remain behind on a tooth surface in a residual amount of
material, which, subsequent to conditioning, might inhibit a bond
formed between a conditioned tooth surface and another
material.
[0014] The invention is drawn to tooth conditioning compositions
that include flavorants, and their preparation and use. The
flavorants useful according to the invention may include but do not
require an essential oil as a carrier for a flavoring agent. The
flavorant may include a carrier for the flavoring agent that is an
essential oil; that is an aliphatic organic hydroxy compound such
as ethyl alcohol, glycerol, or propylene glycol; water; other
non-aqueous organic liquids; any combination of these mixtures; or
may be a dry composition that does not include a liquid carrier but
that is made up of ingredients including a dry flavoring agent,
optionally one or more acid, optionally one or more sugar (sugars
are preferably avoided), and that is incorporated into a
conditioning composition directly from its dry form.
[0015] Flavorant can be included in a tooth conditioning
composition in an amount effective to alter the sensory properties,
i.e., flavor and/or odor, of the tooth conditioning composition. It
has been surprisingly discovered that by including flavorant in
conventional tooth conditioning compositions, the flavor and/or
odor of the conditioning composition can be altered to a degree to
be rendered pleasant, or at least not unpleasant, but yet the
inclusion of such a flavorant does not substantially interfere with
the ability of the conditioning composition to prepare a tooth for
bonding, or with the ability of the conditioned tooth surface to
bond with a dental material with sufficient integrity so as to be
substantially permanent.
[0016] Thus, in one aspect, the invention provides a conditioning
composition for use in dentistry comprising added flavorant,
preferably in an amount effective to alter one or more of the
sensory properties of the conditioning composition such as taste or
smell. While not wishing to be bound by any theory, it is believed
that not only do the flavorants further defined and identified
below as being suitable for use in the present invention not
substantially interfere with bonding, e.g., polymerization (e.g.,
free-radical polymerization), a method of action by which many
dental materials harden, or cure, but that these flavorants are
also actually compatible with these types of dental materials.
Thus, the presence of some residual amount of flavorant on a
conditioned tooth surface will not substantially interfere with the
ability of the conditioned tooth surface to form a substantially
permanent bond with polymerizable dental materials. This is a
surprising and unexpected result in view of the common
understanding that residues on a tooth surface after tooth
conditioning are undesirable and to be avoided to prevent potential
interference with the ability of the dental material to effectively
bond to the conditioned tooth. Furthermore, it has been observed
that the flavorants do not substantially interfere with the
conditioning action of the conditioning composition itself, to
effectively prepare a tooth surface for bonding.
[0017] In another aspect, the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition that includes an acid selected from the
group consisting of phosphoric acid, poly(acrylic) acid, citric
acid, maleic acid, or combinations of these, and flavoring agent,
wherein the flavoring agent includes from about 70 to about 99.9
parts by weight liquid carrier selected from the group consisting
of water, ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, and mixtures
thereof, and from about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight flavoring
agent.
[0018] In yet another aspect, the invention relates to conditioning
compositions for use in dentistry to condition a tooth surface
prior to application of a polymerizable dental material, wherein
the conditioning composition comprises an aqueous etching acid and
dry flavorant.
[0019] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition comprising added water-based
flavorant.
[0020] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition comprising aliphatic organic hydroxy
compound-based flavorant.
[0021] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition comprising alcohol-based flavorant, e.g.,
ethanol-based flavorant.
[0022] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition comprising glycerin-based flavorant.
[0023] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
composition comprising propylene glycol-based flavorant.
[0024] Another aspect of the invention relates to a dental
conditioning composition comprising phosphoric acid and flavorant
to improve flavor or aroma of the conditioning composition.
[0025] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for
treating a tooth by forming a substantially permanent bond between
the tooth and a polymerizable dental material. The method includes
conditioning a tooth using a conditioning composition comprising
added flavorant, applying the polymerizable dental material to the
etched tooth surface, and causing the polymerizable dental material
to harden.
[0026] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of
preparing a dental conditioning composition. The method includes
providing a conditioning composition comprising an acid, and
combining the conditioning composition with flavorant. The
flavorant may be, for example, a dry flavorant or a flavorant based
on a liquid carrier that is an essential oil, water, ethanol or
another alcohol, glycerol, propylene glycol, another aliphatic
organic hydroxy compound, or a mixture of two or more of these.
[0027] As used herein, the phrase "conditioning composition" means
a composition that is used to prepare a tooth surface for a
subsequent treatment in which a dental material is adhered to the
tooth, and in particular to indicate compositions that prepare a
tooth surface by the removal of some amount of tooth material,
i.e., either enamel or dentin. Also, as used herein, the phrase
"substantially permanent" as it is used pertaining to the bond
between the tooth (either enamel or dentin) and a dental material
is meant to indicate a bond that is sufficiently strong and secure
so that the applied dental material will be a substantially
permanent structure within the mouth, e.g., that at least at the
time that the dental material is applied, the material is intended
to remain adhered to the tooth structure indefinitely or for at
least a period of months or years. Thus, the phrase "substantially
permanent" does not exclude dental materials that, due to
extenuating circumstances unrelated to the initial integrity of the
bond, fail prematurely, or that are intended to provide a secure
bond for a limited time period such as with orthodontic
cementation. Generally speaking, a shear bond strength of at least
about 13 MPa, and preferably from about 15 MPa to about 35 MPa, is
sufficiently strong so as to render dental materials adhered to
tooth structure with this bond strength "substantially permanent."
Bond strength method may be measured, for example, as described
below in connection with Example 1. See also, e.g., William J.
O'Brien, PhD, "Dental Materials and Their Selection," 2.sup.nd ed.,
p. 332 (1997). It should be noted that higher bond strengths can be
obtained using micro-testing methods such as those disclosed in
Sano et al., "Relationship between surface area for adhesion and
tensile bond strength-Evaluation of a micro-tensile bond test."
Dent Mater 10:236, July, 1994.
[0028] Conditioning composition used according to the invention can
include an amount of flavorant effective to alter one or more of
the sensory properties, i.e., taste or smell, of the conditioning
compositions. That is, the flavorant may act to ameliorate an
otherwise unpleasant taste or odor, or desirably, may impart a more
pleasing flavor and/or odor to the composition.
[0029] Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, all references
to percentages are percentages by weight of the conditioning
composition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] The embodiments of the invention described below are not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the
embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the
art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of
the present invention.
[0031] The invention provides conditioning compositions for use in
dentistry that contain flavorant. The flavorant can be based on an
essential oil, can be based on another liquid carrier such as water
or another non-aqueous organic liquid carrier such as ethanol,
propylene glycol, glycerol, and the like, or can be dry, e.g., in
the form of a powder. The flavorant can desirably be included in
the conditioning composition in an amount effective to alter one or
more of the sensory properties, i.e., the taste or smell, of the
conditioning composition.
[0032] Conventional dental conditioning compositions generally have
an unpleasant flavor that renders their use in the mouth a
potentially unpleasant experience for many patients. The inclusion
of a flavorant that can alter the flavor or aroma of these
compositions has not previously been considered a viable solution
to this problem, due to the fact that flavoring agents and carriers
used in flavorants have the potential undesirable effect of leaving
residue on a conditioned tooth in the form of particulate matter
such as powder, oil, or other undesired materials. Such residue is
conventionally considered undesirable because it is thought to
interfere with the ability of the conditioned tooth surface to bond
with a subsequently applied dental material. Further, flavorants
could potentially detrimentally affect the ability of a
conditioning composition to effectively prepare a tooth for
bonding, especially if used in substantial amounts.
[0033] It has now been surprisingly discovered that flavorants as
described herein can be incorporated into conventional dental
conditioning compositions in amounts useful to reduce unpleasant
taste, and in some instances to provide conditioning materials with
a pleasant taste and/or odor, without substantially detrimentally
affecting the ability of the tooth surface conditioned with these
materials to adhere to later-applied dental materials. In
particular, it has now been found that flavorants that use certain
liquid carriers, and also certain dry flavorants, do not interfere
with polymerization, e.g., free-radical polymerization. As a
result, these flavorants can be used in combination with
conventional conditioning compositions, because the presence of a
residual amount of ingredients of such flavorants on a conditioned
tooth surface generally will not interfere with the ability of the
conditioned tooth surface to bond to other dental materials that
harden or cure via polymerization, and in fact, such flavorants
have been found to be substantially compatible with these types of
dental materials.
[0034] The conditioning compositions of the invention can contain
an essential oil-based flavorant.
[0035] The conditioning compositions of the invention can contain a
flavorant that is not based on an essential oil. The flavorant can
be a solid (e.g., "dry," or "powdered") flavorant, or can be a
liquid flavorant that has a carrier other than an essential oil.
Such a liquid carrier can be any one or a mixture of water, an
aliphatic organic hydroxy compound such as an alcohol (e.g.,
ethanol), or a high molecular weight polyol such as a diol or
triol, e.g., propylene glycol, glycerin, and the like. A vast
variety of flavorants are well known and readily commercially
available as either syrups, solutions, dispersions, suspensions,
other types of liquids, and solids, and may be incorporated into a
conditioning composition by mixing the desired flavorant with the
conditioning composition.
[0036] The flavorant, whether solid or liquid, contains a flavoring
agent that provides a particular flavor or aroma to a flavorant.
Materials that generally function as "flavoring agents" are well
known in the food sciences and flavoring and aroma arts, and are
typically available as either liquid or solid materials that can be
added in small amounts to improve flavor or aroma to another
material. A variety of flavoring agents are known and commercially
available. Flavoring agents may be natural or synthetic.
[0037] Natural flavoring agents can be extracted from natural
materials, especially plants, and can include a concentrated
flavoring agent and optionally a liquid such as water, an essential
oil, sugars or salts, or other natural organic compounds normally
in minor amounts. For purposes of this description, these other
components are considered to be part of the natural "flavoring
agent," and may become part of the "flavorant" or the conditioning
composition by combining the natural flavoring agent with other
materials, e.g., a liquid carrier, to form a flavorant or a
conditioning composition. Examples of natural flavoring agents may
include natural fruit or plant extracts including those derived
from cherry, strawberry, blueberry, watermelon, orange, lemon,
lime, raspberry, apple, grape, cranberry, coconut, banana,
chocolate, peanut butter, tangerine, pineapple, almond, hazelnut,
peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, caramel (or other sugars), or
others. Flavoring agents derived from such natural sources can
include small amounts of essential oils. But, the essential oil is
present in such a small amount that it is actually part of the
flavoring agent and not the liquid carrier used to dispense the
flavoring agent into the conditioning composition. These natural
flavoring agents, typically water-based liquids, can be used
according to the invention by directly adding them to a
conditioning composition. They may alternatively be dried and used
as a dry flavorant, or may be combined with other carrier materials
useful as a liquid carrier to produce a liquid flavorant that is
then incorporated into a conditioning composition.
[0038] Artificial analogs of natural flavoring agents, i.e.,
artificial flavoring agents, are also known and commercially
available. These artificial analogs can have substantially the same
chemical structure, taste, and smell, as the natural flavoring
agent, and can be produced and used in a liquid or solid form.
Examples of artificial flavoring agents include those having any of
the natural flavors listed above, and other non-naturally-occurring
flavors or sweet flavors such as bubble gum, root beer, cola, and
the like.
[0039] Liquid flavorants include a flavoring agent in a liquid
carrier. The liquid carrier is a liquid that can dissolve,
disperse, suspend, or otherwise contain the flavoring agent and
carry the flavoring agent in the flavorant and a conditioning
composition, to a tooth and mouth of a patient, so the flavoring
agent can effectively act to improve the flavor and/or aroma of the
conditioning composition. A liquid carrier can preferably be a
material that does not detrimentally affect the ability of a
conditioning composition to condition (e.g., etch) a tooth, or
substantially detrimentally affect the strength of a bond formed
between a polymerizable material and a tooth conditioned using a
conditioner containing the flavorant. Liquid carriers need not
exhibit any flavor or aroma, and preferably do not exhibit a flavor
or aroma that would interfere with the flavor or aroma of the
flavoring agent.
[0040] Examples of liquid carriers that have been found to be
useful in the invention include essential oils, water, non-aqueous
organic compounds including aliphatic organic hydroxy compounds
such as alcohols (e.g., ethanol) and high molecular weight polyols
such as a diol or triol, e.g., propylene glycol, glycerin, and the
like, and mixtures of two or more of these. Many flavorants are
available commercially that include an essential oil (e.g., soy
oil), water, ethanol, glycerin, and propylene glycol, or
combinations of these, as liquid carrier. For this reason, those
types of liquid carriers have been studied most thoroughly.
However, it is our understanding that other similar liquids could
alternatively or additionally be included in a flavorant to act as
a liquid carrier, such as alcohols or polyols that are similar but
not identical to ethanol, glycerin, and propylene glycol, for
example. Thus, it is also specifically within the contemplation of
the invention that such other types of liquid carrier materials can
be used as described herein, as liquid carriers to carry a
flavoring agent into a conditioning composition or to a mouth or
tooth.
[0041] In general, liquid carrier can be present in a flavorant in
an amount to be substantially responsible for dissolving,
dispersing, suspending, or otherwise containing flavoring agent.
Exemplary relative amounts of liquid carrier (a single type or a
mixture of two or more) to flavoring agent can be from about 70 to
99.9 parts by weight liquid carrier per 30 to 0.1 parts by weight
flavoring agent, e.g., from about 90 to 99 parts by weight liquid
carrier per 10 to about 1 part by weight flavoring agent. As noted
elsewhere in this description, other amounts of liquids can be
present in the conditioning composition or even the flavorant, such
as other organic materials.
[0042] As used herein, a "non-essential oil-based flavorant" means
a flavorant containing a flavoring agent dissolved, dispersed,
suspended or otherwise contained in a significant portion of a
liquid that is other than an essential oil. For example, the
flavorant (flavoring agent, liquid carrier, and any other
ingredients) can comprise at least 50 percent by weight
non-essential oil, more preferably at least 90 or 95 percent by
weight of a liquid that is not an essential oil. The liquid can be
made up of a single liquid or a mixture of liquids, such as a
combination of water and aliphatic organic hydroxy compounds. The
non-essential oil-based flavorant may include small amounts of
essential oil, especially if the flavoring agent is a natural
extract that would normally include an essential oil, e.g., orange
oil extract or lemon extract or lemon juice, or derivatives
thereof. Such amount of essential oil is preferably less than 25%
by weight, e.g., less than 5% by weight essential oil based on the
total weight of flavorant.
[0043] Non-essential oil-based flavorants are in contrast to
essential oil-based flavorants, which are based on essential oil as
a liquid carrier, such as flavorants that use soybean oil, for
example, as a carrier for a flavoring agent. Essential oil-based
flavorants generally include an amount of essential oil that is
sufficient to act as a carrier for a flavoring agent, meaning, for
example, at least a preponderance (50 percent by weight) of
essential oil, and normally at least 80, 90, or 95 percent by
weight essential oil liquid carrier. The term "essential oil" is a
term known in the chemistry art, and contemplates oils derived from
plant sources or animal sources. Examples of essential oils
include, but are not limited to, soybean oil, safflower oil, sesame
oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, walnut oil, peanut oil,
orange oil, eucalyptus oil, cod liver oil, castor oil, combinations
thereof, and the like. Such oils are readily commercially available
from a variety of sources as will be appreciated by one of ordinary
skill. As stated, flavorants and conditioning compositions
described herein do not require an essential oil, and are useful
with no liquid carrier (i.e., dry) or with a liquid carrier that is
different from an essential oil. Thus, embodiments of the
conditioning compositions of the invention can entirely exclude
essential oils. On the other hand, essential oil can be included in
the flavorant or the conditioning compositions of the
invention.
[0044] As used herein, an "aliphatic organic hydroxy compound-based
flavorant" means a nonessential oil-based flavorant containing a
flavoring agent dissolved, dispersed, suspended, or otherwise
contained in a significant portion of liquid aliphatic organic
hydroxy compound as a carrier, e.g., at least about 50 percent by
weight, or at least 90 or 95 percent by weight liquid aliphatic
organic hydroxy compound. The flavorant may also include amounts of
other solvents such as water and essential oils. Preferred
aliphatic organic hydroxy compounds include alcohols such as ethyl
alcohol, and aliphatic diols, triols, or other polyols, such as
glycerin and polypropylene glycol.
[0045] As used herein, a "water-based flavorant" means a
non-essential oil-based flavorant containing a flavoring agent
dissolved, dispersed, suspended, or otherwise contained in a
significant portion of water, e.g., in a liquid that is made up of
at least about 50 percent by weight water, or at least 90 or 95
percent by weight water. The water-based flavorant may also include
amounts of other liquids or solvents, such as aliphatic organic
hydroxy compounds, and essential oils. Examples of water-based
flavorants include many commercially available synthetic and
natural water-based flavorants, including, for example, fruit juice
concentrates such as concentrated lemon juice or concentrated
orange juice, which can be added to a commercially available dental
conditioning composition as described herein, to enhance flavor or
aroma.
[0046] As used herein, an "alcohol-based flavorant" means a
non-essential oil-based flavorant containing a flavoring agent
dissolved, dispersed, suspended, or otherwise contained in a
significant portion of liquid alcohol carrier, e.g., at least about
50 percent by weight liquid alcohol, or at least 90 or 95 percent
by weight liquid alcohol. The alcohol-based flavorant may also
include amounts of other solvents such as water, other aliphatic
organic hydroxy compounds, and essential oils. A preferred alcohol
carrier is ethyl alcohol.
[0047] As for dry flavorants, these can include a dry flavoring
agent, and need not contain anything more. They may, however, be
combined with other optional ingredients such as dry sugars,
preservatives, or acids, such as citric acid, fumaric acid, or
ascorbic acid, which are typically contained in some commercially
available dry flavorants.
[0048] An example of a type of commercially available dry flavorant
is the class of powdered drink mixes such as KOOL-AID, FLAVOR AID,
and similar commercially available mixes. These commercially
available flavorants include a dry flavoring agent generally having
a fruity or other sweet taste, and optionally sugar, acids, and
preservatives.
[0049] An abbreviated list of exemplary flavorants includes:
powdered vanilla (CK Products, Ft. Wayne, Ind.), containing corn
syrup solids, ethyl vanillin and corn starch; Flavor Aid soft drink
mix (Jer Sert Company, West Chicago, Ill.), available in lemonade,
cherry, grape, tropical punch and kiwi watermelon; artificial
banana flavor, containing water, corn syrup, sugar, vegetable gum,
artificial flavors and colors (Flavor Mill, Santa Ana, Calif.);
Water and ethyl alcohol-based--imitatio- n almond extract,
containing water, ethyl alcohol, artificial flavors and phosphoric
acid (Sweet Celebrations, Inc, Medina, Minn.); Water, alcohol and
oil based--Pure Orange Extract (Gel Spice Co. Inc., Bayonne, N.J.),
containing alcohol (80%), water and orange oil; Water and glycerol
based--Artificial caramel flavor (Flavor Mill, Santa Ana, Calif.),
containing water, corn sugar, glycerin, sugar, artificial flavor,
vegetable gum and caramel color. Propylene glycol based --Specialty
Flavors--cranberry (Johnson Supply Co, Sandy, Utah), containing
propylene glycol; Propylene glycol and ethanol based--Alginate
Flavoring (Express Dental Products Inc, La Mirada, Calif.)--mint
flavor, containing propylene glycol, saccharin, amyl acetate and
ethyl acetate (also available in root beer, bubble gum, grape, pina
colada, cherry); Propylene glycol and ethanol based--Extra strength
colorless vanilla (Sweet Celebrations, Edina, Minn.), containing
propylene glycol, alcohol, vanillin and artificial flavor;
Propylene glycol and ethanol based Specialty Flavors--caramel
(Johnson Supply Co, Sandy, Utah), containing propylene glycol,
ethyl alcohol and caramel color; Ethanol, propylene glycol and
water based--Grape flavor (LorAnn Oils, Inc, Lansing Mich.),
containing artificial flavor, ethyl alcohol, propylene glycol,
water and coloring agents; Water, alcohol and glycerin based--Swan
Mint Mouthwash and Gargle (Cumberland Swan, Smyrna, Tenn.),
containing water, alcohol (15 wt %) glycerin and/or sorbitol,
flavor, polysorbate 80, sodium saccharin, sodium benzoate,
octylpyridium chloride, domiphen bromide, benzoic acid, coloring
agents.
[0050] From the list it can be seen that the commercially available
flavorants often include other ingredients besides only the liquid
carrier or flavoring agent, e.g., preservatives, sugars, coloring
agents, etc., all of which are acceptable so long as their presence
does not substantially interfere with the functioning of the
conditioning composition to which the flavorant is added. If using
a flavorant that is not one of these commercially available
flavorants, one of skill might avoid the inclusion of ingredients
such as sugars, coloring agents, and preservatives.
[0051] The flavorants useful in the present invention are thus
those flavorants, e.g., due to the chemical identity of their
flavoring agent, and optional liquid carrier, or other included
ingredients, that are capable of altering a sensory property of a
conditioning composition without substantially detrimentally
affecting the ability of the conditioned tooth surface to form a
bond with other dental materials, e.g., that do not interfere with
free-radical polymerization, and which are orally non-toxic.
Generally speaking, these qualities are embodied by the flavorants
described above, including the described liquid carriers and the
described flavoring agents.
[0052] The conditioning composition can be any material used in the
mouth to etch or condition the surface of a tooth, whether enamel
or exposed dentin, i.e., etchants and conditioners. Although there
are many different types of each of these materials, e.g.,
compositions intended for the treatment of enamel, the treatment of
dentin, or the treatment of both, the type of conditioning
composition with which the flavorant is used is not particularly
restricted, and in fact, it is believed that the flavorants
according to the present description may be used with many or all
types of known or commercially available conditioning compositions
to provide advantages disclosed herein.
[0053] Preferably, the conditioning composition into which the
flavorant is incorporated is a material that acts to remove
material from the surface of the tooth, e.g., a material that acts
as an etchant of either enamel, dentin or both. Etchants typically
remove material from the exposed tooth surface by virtue of the
action of an amount of acid, and in particular, many of such
etchants include an amount of phosphoric acid, in concentrations
ranging from 5% or 10% to 40% by weight. Etchants may also include
acids such as citric acid, poly(acrylic acid) or maleic acid, among
others. Such materials are well known to those of ordinary skill in
the art and are readily commercially available.
[0054] Examples of commercially available etchants include, but are
not limited to Scotchbond Etchant (3M, St. Paul, Minn.); All-Etch
(Bisco Dental, Schaumburg, Ill.); Citric-etch (Ellman, Hewlett,
N.Y.); Copalite Dentin Conditioner (Cooley and Cooley, Houston,
Tex.); Copalite Enamel Etch (Cooley and Cooley, Houston, Tex.);
Dentin Conditioner (Scientific Pharmaceuticals, Pomona, Calif.);
Etch 'N Seal (Den-Mat, Santa Maria, Calif.); Etch Gel 10% and Etch
Gel 40% (Zenith Foremost, Englewood, N.J.); Etch 37 (Bisco Dental,
Schaumburg, Ill.); Etch-All (Pulpdent, Watertown, Mass.); Etch-Rite
(Pulpdent, Watertown, Mass.); Etcharrest (Ultradent Products, South
Jordan, Utah); Etching Gel (Espe, Norristown, Pa.); Etching Gel Kit
(Cosmedent, Chicago, Ill.); GC Cavity Conditioner (GC America,
Alsip, Ill.); GC Dentin Conditioner (GC America, Alsip, Ill.); Gel
Etch 10% Orthophosphoric acid (Scientific Pharmaceuticals, Pomona,
Calif.); Gel Etch 33% Orthophosphoric acid (Scientific
Pharmaceuticals, Pomona, Calif.); Gel-Etch (Temrex, Freeport,
N.Y.); Gentle-Etch (Temrex, Freeport, N.Y.); Ketac Conditioner
(Espe, Norristown, Pa.) Sigma Conditioner Gel (Global Dental, North
Bellmore, N.Y.); Star Etch Phosphoric Etchant (Danville Materials,
San Ramon, Calif.); Super Etch Gel, (Southern Dental, San
Francisco, Calif.); Tooth Conditioner (Dentsply Caulk, Milford,
Del.); and Ultra-Etch (Ultradent Products, South Jordan, Utah).
[0055] The conditioning compositions described herein, including a
flavorant, may readily and conveniently be prepared at a point of
use or elsewhere by one of ordinary skill in the dental arts by
combining the desired flavorant (or flavorant ingredients) with the
desired conditioning composition. Such combining may take place
immediately prior to the use of the composition, or alternatively,
the flavorant may be combined with the conventional conditioning
composition and then stored until the use thereof is desired.
Preferably, if the conditioning composition is to be stored for a
period of time, the conditions of storage are preferably not
substantially impacted by the inclusion of the flavorant, and thus,
preferred conditioning composition of the invention may be stored
in the manner appropriate for the conventional conditioning
composition.
[0056] The flavorant is desirably included in the conditioning
composition in an amount that is effective to alter a sensory
property of the conditioning composition. As a lower limit, at
least enough flavorant can be included so the flavorant is capable
of reducing any unpleasant flavor or odor of the conditioning
composition. As an upper limit, not so much flavorant should be
included to cause the properties or effectiveness of the
conditioning composition to be substantially detrimentally
affected. Many factors will affect the amount of any particular
flavoring agent useful in any particular conditioning composition,
including the chemistry and amounts of ingredients of each of the
flavorant (such as whether the flavorant is dry, waterbased,
alcohol-based, its concentration, etc.) and the conditioning
composition. Bearing these considerations in mind, and generally
speaking, the amount of a flavorant that may achieve desired
objectives can range from about 1 part by weight to about 60 parts
by weight flavorant per 100 parts by weight of total flavorant and
conditioning composition, with the range from about 15 or 20, to 55
parts by weight flavorant, per 100 parts by weight total flavorant
and conditioning composition being useful in certain typical
embodiments according to the invention.
[0057] The conditioning compositions of the invention may
optionally include other ingredients that may be used for various
reasons, either based on convenience or to further enhance the
sensory and/or mechanical properties of the conditioning
composition, or another performance aspect of the conditioning
composition. As stated above, some sugars and colorants have been
found to not significantly detrimentally affect the performance of
certain flavorants and conditioning compositions of the invention.
These may therefore be include in the conditioning compositions.
Additionally, certain of the commercially available powdered
flavorants include acid components. These acids may in fact improve
the etching performance of the conditioning composition. Thickening
agents, coloring agents, and the like may also be included.
[0058] The present conditioning compositions into which a flavorant
is incorporated can be advantageous over conventional conditioning
compositions in that they have either a lesser unpleasant flavor or
aroma in comparison to their conventional counterparts, or may even
have a pleasant flavor relative to conventional compositions.
Surprisingly, using the described flavorants to provide these
advantageous sensory properties to conventional conditioning
compositions does not substantially adversely affect the ability of
a tooth surface conditioned with the inventive compositions to bond
with other dental materials. As a result of these beneficial
properties, the conditioning compositions of the invention may
advantageously be used to condition the surface of a tooth to which
a (e.g., free radically) polymerizable dental material is to be
adhered, and thus the invention provides both a method of
conditioning a tooth surface, and a method of adhering a
polymerizable dental material to a conditioned tooth surface.
[0059] Methods of the invention involve applying a conditioning
composition comprising a flavorant to a tooth surface to which a
polymerizable dental material is to be applied, in an amount
effective to condition (e.g., etch) at least a portion of the tooth
surface. The conditioning composition may be applied to the tooth
surface to be conditioned, by any conventional method known to
those of ordinary skill in the dental arts. The inclusion of the
flavorant into conventional conditioning compositions beneficially
does not substantially alter the handling properties of the
conditioning composition so that special equipment would be
required to apply the conditioning compositions of the invention. A
(e.g., free radically) polymerizable dental material may then be
applied to the conditioned tooth surface and caused to harden or
cure. Advantageously, the bond strength that may be achieved
between a tooth surface treated with the conditioning composition
of the invention and a dental material is comparable to (e.g., not
substantially less than) that achievable when a conventional
conditioning composition is used to condition a tooth surface.
[0060] Any desired polymerizable dental material may be applied to
the conditioned tooth surface. Because residual amounts of the
ingredients of the flavorant (e.g., the flavoring agent and the
liquid carrier) have been found to not substantially affect the
ability of these types of materials to form substantially permanent
bonds with the conditioned tooth surface, the particular dental
material applied is not restricted. Free radically-polymerizable
dental materials are well known and easily recognized by those of
ordinary skill in the dental arts and include, for example resin
composite tooth restorative materials, including but not limited to
flowable composites, packable or condensable composites, hybrid
composites, microfilled composites and continuum filled composites,
as well as compomers, pit and fissure sealants, orthodontic
adhesives and resin-based cements.
[0061] Commercially available free-radically polymerizable dental
materials that may be bonded to a tooth surface conditioned
according to the present invention include but are not limited to
Silux Plus (microfilled composite, 3M, St Paul, Minn.), HRV
Herculite (hybrid composite, Kerr, Orange, Calif.), Restorative
Z100 (continuum filled, 3M, St Paul, Minn.), Aeliteflo (flowable
composite, Bisco, Schaumburg, Ill.), Alert (packable or condensable
composite, Jeneric/Pentron, Wallingford, Conn.), Compoglass
(compomer, Ivoclar North America Inc, Amherst, N.Y.), Aeliteseal
(pit and fissure sealant, Bisco, Schaumburg, Ill.), Cure-on-Touch
(orthodontic adhesive, Scientific Pharmaceuticals, Pomona, Calif.),
and Imperva Dual Activated Resin Cement (resin-based cement, Shofu
Dental Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif.).
[0062] The present invention will be described below with reference
to the following representative examples, wherein bond strength was
determined as follows.
EXAMPLES
[0063] In Assignee's copending patent application Ser. No.
09/427,943, filed on Oct. 27, 1999, entitled "Flavored Tooth
Conditioning Compositions and Methods for Using the Compositions to
Condition a Tooth Surface," the disclosure of which is incorporated
herein by reference, it was disclosed that essential oils
containing flavoring agents could be incorporated into acidic
formulations designed to etch or condition tooth substances, prior
to placement of a tooth restorations, pit and fissure sealants and
before bonding of orthodontic brackets. The essential oil was used
as a carrier to incorporate the flavor into the conditioning
composition.
[0064] It has now been found that other modes of presentation of
flavoring agents are also effective when incorporated into
conditioning compositions. For example, flavors may be presented as
powders, or in non-essential oil-based liquid carriers such as
water, and other nonaqueous organic liquids, such as aliphatic
hydroxy-containing compounds, e.g., ethyl alcohol, propylene
glycol, glycerol (glycerin), as well as mixtures of these or other
liquids. Examples tested include:
[0065] Flavor A. Solid material--powdered vanilla (CK Products, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.), containing corn syrup solids, ethyl vanillin and corn
starch.
[0066] Flavor B. Solid material--Flavor Aid soft drink mix (Jer
Sert Company, West Chicago, Ill.). The flavors include lemonade,
cherry, grape, tropical punch and kiwi watermelon. The constituents
are citric and/or fumaric acid, dextrose, monocalcium phosphate,
artificial flavor, ascorbic acid, food color, dioctyl sodium
sulfosuccinate. Note that alternative names for fumaric acid
include trans-1,2-ethylenedicarboxylic acid, allomaleic acid and
boletic acid. Note also the potential for citric acid to contribute
to the overall effect of etching or conditioning tooth
substance.
[0067] Flavor C. Water-based--artificial banana flavor, containing
water, corn syrup, sugar, vegetable gum, artificial flavors and
colors (Flavor Mill, Santa Ana, Calif.). This is a thick material,
and some of it had formed sediment inside the bottle. Prior to use
the material was rendered homogeneous by the use of an ultrasonic
water bath (Cole Parmer Ultrasonic Cleaner, Model 08849-00, Cole
Parmer, Vernon Hills, Ill.).
[0068] Flavor D. Water and ethyl alcohol based--imitation almond
extract, containing water, ethyl alcohol, artificial flavors and
phosphoric acid (Sweet Celebrations, Inc, Medina, Minn.). Note that
this material contains a small quantity of phosphoric acid, which
may contribute to the overall etching/conditioning effect.
[0069] Flavor E. Water, alcohol and oil based--Pure Orange Extract
(Gel Spice Co. Inc., Bayonne, N.J.), containing alcohol (80%),
water, and orange oil.
[0070] Flavor F. Water and glycerol based--Artificial caramel
flavor (Flavor Mill, Santa Ana, Calif.), containing water, corn
sugar, glycerine, sugar, artificial flavor, vegetable gum and
caramel color. This material was homogenized in a manner similar to
Flavor D.
[0071] Flavor G. Propylene glycol based--Specialty
Flavors--cranberry (Johnson Supply Co, Sandy, Utah), containing
propylene glycol.
[0072] Flavor H. Propylene glycol and ethanol based--Alginate
Flavoring (Express Dental Products Inc, La Mirada, Calif.)--mint
flavor, containing propylene glycol, saccharin, amyl acetate and
ethyl acetate.
[0073] Flavor I. As for flavor I, but with root beer flavor.
[0074] Flavor J. As for flavor I, but with bubblegum flavor.
[0075] Flavor K. As for flavor I, but with grape flavor.
[0076] Flavor L. As for flavor I, but with pina colada flavor.
[0077] Flavor M. As for flavor I, but with cherry flavor.
[0078] Flavor N. Propylene glycol and ethanol based--Extra strength
colorless vanilla (Sweet Celebrations, Edina, Minn.), containing
propylene glycol, alcohol, vanillin and artificial flavor.
[0079] Flavor O. Propylene glycol and ethanol based--Specialty
Flavors--caramel (Johnson Supply Co, Sandy, Utah), containing
propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol and caramel color.
[0080] Flavor P. Ethanol, propylene glycol and water based--Grape
flavor (LorAnn Oils, Inc, Lansing Mich.), containing artificial
flavor, ethyl alcohol, propylene glycol, water and coloring
agents.
[0081] Flavor Q. Water, alcohol and glycerin based--Swan Mint
Mouthwash and Gargle (Cumberland Swan, Smyrna, Tenn.), containing
water, alcohol (15 wt %) glycerin and/or sorbitol, flavor,
polysorbate 80, sodium saccharin, sodium benzoate, octylpyridium
chloride, domiphen bromide, benzoic acid, coloring agents.
[0082] The above 18 flavors were tested in combination with 5
commercially dental etchants:
[0083] Etchant 1. 3M Scotchbond.TM. etchant, based on phosphoric
acid (3M Dental Products, St. Paul, Minn.).
[0084] Etchant 2. Ultra-Etch.RTM. based on 35% phosphoric acid
(Ultradent, South Jordan, Utah).
[0085] Etchant 3. Unietch.RTM. 32% phosphoric acid etchant (Bisco
Inc, Schaumberg, Ill.).
[0086] Etchant 4. Kerr Gel Etchant with 37.5% free phosphoric acid
(Kerr USA, Orange Calif.).
[0087] Etchant 5. 34% Tooth Conditioner phosphoric acid gel
(Dentsply/Caulk, Milford Del.).
EXAMPLE 1
Ability to Etch
[0088] Mixtures were made of each of the 18 flavors with each of
the five etchants. In all cases, the amount of added flavor was
greater than the minimum amount subjectively deemed to be necessary
to give a sufficient degree of flavor and/or odor to the etchant.
The different formulations of etchant as detailed below were
prepared, and applied to the enamel of extracted teeth for 20
seconds, followed by thorough washing with water and rigorous
air-drying. The surfaces were visually examined for evidence of the
characteristic frosted appearance that accompanies etching, and for
a distinct boundary line between the etched portion of the surface
and the glossy unetched enamel.
[0089] Etchant 1
[0090] When Etchant 1 was mixed with different flavors, as follows.
In all cases, etching of the enamel was visible.
[0091] Flavor A, present as 34.4% of the mixture
[0092] Flavor B, present as 33.6% of the mixture
[0093] Flavor C, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0094] Flavor D, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0095] Flavor E, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0096] Flavor F, present as 28.5% of the mixture
[0097] Flavor G, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0098] Flavor H, present as 31.0% of the mixture
[0099] Flavor I, present as 27.3% of the mixture
[0100] Flavor J, present as 30.8% of the mixture
[0101] Flavor K, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0102] Flavor L, present as 17.2% of the mixture
[0103] Flavor M, present as 29.1% of the mixture
[0104] Flavor N, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0105] Flavor O, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0106] Flavor P, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0107] Flavor Q, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0108] Etchant 2
[0109] Etchant 2 was mixed with different flavors, as follows. In
all cases, etching of the enamel was visible:
[0110] Flavor A, present as 32.7% of the mixture
[0111] Flavor B, present as 37.4% of the mixture
[0112] Flavor C, present as 53.4% of the mixture
[0113] Flavor D, present as 53.4% of the mixture
[0114] Flavor E, present as 39.3% if the mixture
[0115] Flavor F, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0116] Flavor G, present as 27.0% of the mixture
[0117] Flavor H, present as 37.3% of the mixture
[0118] Flavor I, present as 25.0% of the mixture
[0119] Flavor J, present as 23.9% of the mixture
[0120] Flavor K, present as 40.8% of the mixture
[0121] Flavor L, present as 36.2% of the mixture
[0122] Flavor M, present as 18.3% of the mixture
[0123] Flavor N, present as 26.0% of the mixture
[0124] Flavor O, present as 13.0% of the mixture
[0125] Flavor P, present as 15.2% of the mixture
[0126] Flavor Q, present as 52.6% of the mixture
[0127] Etchant 3
[0128] Etchant 3 was mixed with different flavors as follows. In
all cases, etching of the enamel was visible:
[0129] Flavor A, present as 25.0% of the mixture
[0130] Flavor B, present as 42.8% of the mixture
[0131] Flavor C, present as 26.6% of the mixture
[0132] Flavor D, present as 22.0% of the mixture
[0133] Flavor E, present as 37.4% of the mixture
[0134] Flavor F, present as 33.3% of the mixture
[0135] Flavor G, present as 32.7% of the mixture
[0136] Flavor H, present as 25.0% of the mixture
[0137] Flavor I, present as 21.6% of the mixture
[0138] Flavor J, present as 28.0% of the mixture
[0139] Flavor K, present as 23.0% of the mixture
[0140] Flavor L, present as 22.9% of the mixture
[0141] Flavor M, present as 17.3% of the mixture
[0142] Flavor N, present as 28.9% of the mixture
[0143] Flavor O, present as 25.9% of the mixture
[0144] Flavor P, present as 29.9% of the mixture
[0145] Flavor Q, present as 28.6% of the mixture
[0146] Etchant 4
[0147] Etchant 4 was mixed with different flavors as follows. In
all cases, etching of the enamel was visible:
[0148] Flavor A, present as 37.2% of the mixture
[0149] Flavor B, present as 28.8% of the mixture
[0150] Flavor C, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0151] Flavor D, present as 26.8% of the mixture
[0152] Flavor E, present as 43.7% of the mixture
[0153] Flavor F, present as 27.3% of the mixture
[0154] Flavor G, present as 31.2% of the mixture
[0155] Flavor H, present as 34.8% of the mixture
[0156] Flavor I, present as 39.6% of the mixture
[0157] Flavor J, present as 38.0% of the mixture
[0158] Flavor K, present as 21.0% of the mixture
[0159] Flavor L, present as 25.0% of the mixture
[0160] Flavor M, present as 50.0% of the mixture
[0161] Flavor N, present as 20.8% of the mixture
[0162] Flavor O, present as 26.5% of the mixture
[0163] Flavor P, present as 19.4% of the mixture
[0164] Flavor Q, present as 27.1% of the mixture
[0165] Etchant 5
[0166] Etchant 5 was mixed with different flavors as follows. In
all cases, etching of the enamel was visible:
[0167] Flavor A, present as 33.1% of the mixture
[0168] Flavor B, present as 50.6% of the mixture
[0169] Flavor C, present as 47.5% of the mixture
[0170] Flavor D, present as 54.3% of the mixture
[0171] Flavor E, present as 40.3% of the mixture
[0172] Flavor F, present as 33.3% of the mixture
[0173] Flavor G, present as 30.6% of the mixture
[0174] Flavor H, present as 49.2% of the mixture
[0175] Flavor I, present as 12.9% of the mixture
[0176] Flavor J, present as 28.4% of the mixture
[0177] Flavor K, present as 29.3% of the mixture
[0178] Flavor L, present as 28.9% of the mixture
[0179] Flavor M, present as 49.5% of the mixture
[0180] Flavor N, present as 37.4% of the mixture
[0181] Flavor O, present as 32.8% of the mixture
[0182] Flavor P, present as 26.4% of the mixture
[0183] Flavor Q, present as 38.5% of the mixture
EXAMPLE 2
Bonding of Orthodontic Brackets to Enamel
[0184] Shear bond strength to tooth enamel was determined.
Extracted teeth were used. Each tooth was sectioned to give a
portion of the tooth with an intact enamel surface. Each tooth
portion was embedded in an autopolymerizing acrylic resin cement
(Orthodontic resin, Dentsply/Caulk, Milford Del.) in an aluminum
ring, to leave the enamel surface exposed. The surface were then
polished wet under 5 lb pressure on 600 grit carborundum paper for
30 seconds in an automatic polishing machine (Buehler Automat 2,
Buehler Ltd, Lake Bluff, Ill.). Each specimen was etched for 20
seconds, washed with distilled water for 20 seconds, then dried
thoroughly by air from a pressure line. Orthodontic brackets
(Victory Series, Miniature Mesh Twin Bracket, size 0.018, 3M Unitek
Dental Products, Monrovia, Calif.) were bonded to these specimens.
A thin coat of Transbond XT Primer (3M Unitek Dental Products,
Monrovia, Calif.) was applied to the etched enamel. Transbond XT
Light Cure Orthodontic Adhesive (3M Unitek Dental Products,
Monrovia, Calif.) was applied to the bracket base. The bracket was
positioned on the primed enamel. The adhesive was light cured for
20 seconds from each of four directions using a dental curing light
of intensity >450 mW/cm.sup.2 and wave length approximately
470-480 nm (Optilux, Demetron Research Corporation, Danbury,
Conn.). Specimens were stored in water at 37.degree. C. for 24
hours in distilled water prior to testing. Testing was carried out
using a shear bond testing rig and described and illustrated by
Holtan et al. (Journal of Dentistry, vol. 22, pages 92-96, 1994).
The testing machine was Instron model 4204 (Instron, Canton,
Mass.), used at a rate of cross head movement of 1 mm/min. There
were three experimental groups, and five specimens per group.
[0185] The etchants used in the experimental groups were:
[0186] Group 1 (control). Etchant 1, as supplied by the
manufacturer.
[0187] Group 2. Etchant 3 with 13% Flavor B.
[0188] Group 3. Etchant 3 with 13% Flavor R.
[0189] The mean shear bond strength data were:
[0190] Group 1. 11.5 MPa, Group 2, 10.0 MPa and Group 3, 9.5
MPa.
[0191] There was no statistically significant difference between
the three groups (ANOVA, p<0.05). These data indicate sufficient
degree of bonding for orthodontic purposes (Reynolds et al British
Journal of Orthodontics, vol. 3 pages 91-95, 1975). Under identical
conditions to Group 1 above, bond strengths of 10.1 MPa have been
reported by Rojas (MS Thesis, University of Minnesota, 1997).
EXAMPLE 3
Bonding of Resin Composite to Enamel
[0192] Polished enamel surfaces were prepared as in Example 2.
Following etching as in Example 2, two coats of 3M Single Bond
adhesive was applied (3M Dental Products, St Paul, Minn.). The
adhesive was gently air died for about 3 seconds, and was visible
light cured for 10 seconds. A cylinder of resin composite tooth
restorative material (Restorative Z100, 3M, St. Paul, Minn.) was
applied, and visible light cured for 40 seconds. The same curing
light as in Example 2 was employed. Specimens were stored in water
at 37.degree. C. for 24 hours before testing. Shear bond strength
was measured as in Example 2. There were two experimental groups,
and five specimens per group.
[0193] Group 1, using unmodified Etchant 1.
[0194] Group 2, Etchant 3 containing 13.1% Flavor P. In Group 2
experiments an extra practical stage was carried out-following
etching the enamel was sprayed with an alcohol/water mixture prior
to air drying and bonding.
[0195] The experimental data were:
[0196] Group 1, mean shear bond strength 19.6 Mpa
[0197] Group 2, mean shear bond strength 20.8 MPa
[0198] There was no statistically significant difference between
these two groups (t-test, p<0.05).
[0199] All of the etchants tested can be flavored; all of the
flavors can be used with the etchants; no instances have been found
of a flavored etchant described herein that does not work. Neither
the flavoring agents nor the solvents such as water, alcohol,
propylene glycol, glycerin, etc., were seen to interfere with the
procedure.
[0200] Other embodiments of this invention will be apparent to
those skilled in the art upon consideration of this specification
or from practice of the invention disclosed herein. Various
omissions, modifications, and changes to the principles and
embodiments described herein may be made by one skilled in the art
without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention
which is indicated by the following claims.
* * * * *