An enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth

Abstract

Approaches for an enclosure adapted for placement around a tooth of a patient are described. In one example, the enclosure comprises an inner profile, an outer profile, a hollow protrusion, and a magnetic source. The inner profile of the enclosure corresponds to an outer surface of the tooth of the patient. The hollow protrusion may be disposed on the outer profile of the enclosure to hold a fluid comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures. In one example, the fluid comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures are placed in the hollow protrusion of the enclosure in such a way that the fluid may be in contact with a specified region of the outer surface of the tooth such that the nanostructures move under the influence of the magnetic field and are able to penetrate the dentinal tubules.

Description

AN ENCLOSURE ADAPTED FOR PLACEMENT ON A TOOTHBACKGROUND

[0001] Dental hypersensitivity refers to the loss of dental enamel and the exposure of dentine, which when exposed to an external stimulus such as temperature, chemical, or mechanical stimuli causes transient and unpleasant pain. The cause of this pain is due to the nerves stimulated through the dentinal tubules of a patient. Commonly adopted preventive techniques for dentin exposure include blocking the dentinal tubules or blunting the nerves using chemical based gels, medicines, or toothpastes.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0002] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.

[0003] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0004] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0005] FIG. 3 illustrates an example view of an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0006] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an example enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0007] It may be noted that throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and / or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and / or implementations provided in the drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] As may be understood, dental hypersensitivity is caused due to exposed dentin. Dentin is a calcified tissue of the body and, along with enamel, cementum, and pulp, is one of the four major components of teeth. It is usually covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root and surrounds the entire pulp. Dentin is necessary for support of the enamel and is less mineralized and less brittle than enamel. Dentin is made of many tiny fluid-filled tubules through which sensation is transmitted to the dental pulp. The exposed dentin, when subjected to rapid thermal or pH differences creates a flow in the dentinal fluid which in turn excites the nerve tissues causing pain.

[0009] Continuing further, dentin hypersensitivity is a dental pain arising from exposed dentin surfaces in response to stimuli such as thermal, evaporative, tactile, osmotic, chemical, or electric and may not be ascribed to any other dental disease. The pain arising from an exposed dentin is usually sharp and sudden, in response to an external stimulus. The pain may be triggered due to cold or hot foods and drinks, cold air, coolant water jet from a dental instrument, or electrical pulp testers, dental probe during dental examination, or during periodontal scaling and root planing, or while toothbrushing, or may even be triggered to due dietary acids, or acid etch during dental treatments.

[0010] When the exposed dentine surface is subjected to an external stimulus as discussed previously, the flow of the fluid within the tubules is increased. The movement of the fluid inside the dentinal tubules may be away from or towards the pulp. As may be understood, dentine contains thousands of microscopic tubular structures that radiate outwards the pulp and are typically 0.5 to 2 micrometers in diameter. Dentinal tubules are generally about the radial thickness of dentine tissue (upto 2000 pm) in length and have a tapered structure, with the width of the tubule decreasing along its length. However, changes in the flow of the plasma-like biological fluid present in the dentinal tubules may trigger the mechanoreceptors present on the nerves located at the pulpal aspect, thereby causing pain in the affected area.

[0011] T raditionally, hypersensitivity is usually treated with desensitizing toothpastes which forms a layer of protective covering at the surface of the teeth and blocks the stimulus from reaching the nerve cells. For example, a variety of toothpastes for curing dentin hypersensitivity comprises compounds such as strontium chloride, strontium acetate, arginine, calcium carbonate, hydroxyapatite or the like. Further, desensitizing toothpastes usually contains potassium nitrates, potassium chlorides, or potassium citrates to diffuse along the dentinal tubules to inactivate intra-dental nerves. However, such measures are temporary as repeated brushing of teeth erodes the surface coating and re-exposes the dentine with time.

[0012] Further, the complex microscopic nature of the dentinal tubules restricts diffusion and approachability of medicaments in the dentinal tubules. The state-of-the-art methods available to increase the effective depth of which medicaments can be penetrated into the dentinal tubules include electrochemical methods, ultrasonic activation of antibacterial agents, driving the nanometric antibacterial agents into dentinal tubules using photoacoustic streaming and ultrasonic devices, and LASERphotodynamic therapy. Although, the above techniques increase the depth of penetration of medicaments, however, complete and targeted penetration, specifically to the affected region of dentinal tubules may not be implemented using the state-of-the-art methods.

[0013] Approaches for an enclosure adapted for placement around a tooth of a patient are described. In one example, the enclosure comprises an inner profile, an outer profile, a hollow protrusion, and a magnetic source. The inner profile of the enclosure corresponds to an outer surface of the tooth of the patient. The hollow protrusion may be disposed on the outer profile of the enclosure to hold a fluid comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures. In one example, the fluid comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures are placed in the hollow protrusion of the enclosure in such a way that the fluid may be in contact with a specified region of the outer surface of the tooth. During operation, to control motion of nanostructures, it may be subjected to a magnetic field. Since the magnetic material experiences an attractive force due to the magnetic field, the nanostructures move under the influence of the magnetic field and are able to penetrate the dentinal tubules.

[0014] Nanostructures are microscopic particles having a size, for example, in a range of about 0.1 to 10 pm. The nanostructures may be loaded with, for example, medicaments, such as silver coating, chitosan, iron oxide nanoparticles, so that they may cause blocking the dentinal tubules or blunting the nerves in a region in which they penetrate. A magnetic material, such as iron, may be integrated with the body of nanostructures to form the magnetically-controlled nanostructures.

[0015] As may be understood, a specified region described in this context may pertain to an area and / or region in the dental structure of the patient with an exposed dentin. Further, the magnetic source may be disposed around the enclosure for producing a magnetic field. In one example, themagnetic source for producing the magnetic field may be associated with an array of magnets, such as permanent magnets or it may be also be magnetic field created by current carrying coils which can be controlled externally.

[0016] Returning to the present example, the magnetic source disposed around the enclosure for producing the magnetic field is such that it may cause movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures on the outer surface of the tooth. Specifically, the movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures on the outer surface of the tooth may be to further cause the magnetically controlled nanostructures from the outer surface of the tooth to be drawn into a plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth, wherein the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth to which the magnetically-controlled nanostructures are drawn are associated with the specified region with the exposed dentin. In one example, the direction of the magnetic field produced by the magnetic source may be geometrically opposite to the hollow protrusion disposed on the outer profile of the enclosure to hold the fluid comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures.

[0017] In one example, the direction of the magnetic field may be controlled by an external source such as to cause movement of the magnetically-controlled nanostructures from the outer surface to be drawn into the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth.

[0018] In one example, the enclosure may be made of one of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyurethane, polymer blends, or combinations thereof. However, other compositions may also be possible for the enclosure, without deviating from the scope of the present subject matter.

[0019] In one such implementation of the present subject matter, the enclosure may be adapted for placement over one of an upper or a lower set of teeth of the patient such for the placement of the enclosure covers the whole set of upper and lower teeth, and may be adapted as a dental alignercomprising a hollow protrusion for holding a fluid comprising magnetically- controlled nanostructures.

[0020] In another such implementation, the enclosure may also be adapted for placement around a specific tooth with an exposed dentin. During such an implementation, the enclosure may comprise a first portion and a second portion such that the first portion and the second portion is clamped around a pivoted position and are adapted to cover a specific region of the outer surface of the tooth. The first portion of the enclosure may be such as to hold the fluid comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures. However, various shapes and structures of the enclosure comprising a hollow protrusion for holding a fluid comprising magnetically- controlled nanostructures, and adapted for placement around a tooth described herein may also lie within the scope of the present subject matter.

[0021] In one example, the magnetically controlled nanostructure may comprise a core shell structure of the diameter range 50nanometeres to 5 microns where the core is made of magnetic materials like, iron, iron oxide, cobalt, iron platinum, zinc ferrite or a combination thereof. The shell may be made of a variety of materials like silica, calcium, phosphorus, fluorides, various metal oxides or a combination thereof. Further, the magnetically- controlled nanostructure may be suspended in a gel or fluid made of water, glycerine, carbomer, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide among other things and a combination thereof. In one example, the magnetically-controlled nanostructure may also be of various shapes like sphere, rods, helices, ellipsoids, cubes and more complicated structures arising from the combination of these. However, various materials for the composition of the magnetically-controlled nanostructures herein may also lie within the scope of the present subject matter.

[0022] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will be better explained with regard to the following descriptionand accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate the principles of the present subject matter along with examples described herein and should not be construed as a limitation to the present subject matter. It is thus understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

[0023] Further, for the sake of simplicity, and without limitation, the same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components. While aspects of the described enclosure may be implemented in any number of systems, and / or implementation, the examples are described in the context of the following example system. It may be noted that drawings of the present subject matter shown here are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter claimed.

[0024] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one example, the enclosure 100 comprises an inner profile (not shown in FIG. 1 ), an outer profile 102, a hollow protrusion 104, and a magnetic source 112. The inner profile of the enclosure 100 corresponds to an outer surface 106 of the tooth of the patient. The hollow protrusion 104 may be disposed on the outer profile 102 of the enclosure 100 to hold a fluid 108 comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures. In one example, the fluid 108 comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures are placed in the hollow protrusion 104 of the enclosure 100 in such a way that the fluid 108 may be in contact with a specified region 110 (also shown as dotted region in FIG. 1 ) of the outer surface 106 of the tooth.

[0025] During operation, to control motion of nanostructures, it may be subjected to a magnetic field, also referred to as B. Since the magnetic material in the nanostructures experiences an attractive force due to the magnetic field B, the nanostructures move under the influence of the magnetic field and are able to penetrate the dentinal tubules so that they may cause blocking the dentinal tubules or blunting the nerves in the region 1 10 in which they penetrate. A magnetic material, such as iron, may be integrated with the body of nanostructures to form the magnetically- controlled nanostructures The specified region 110 described in this context may pertain to an area and / or region in the dental structure of the patient with an exposed dentin. Further, the magnetic source 112 may be disposed around the enclosure 100 for producing a magnetic field, also referred to as B, in the referred figures.

[0026] The magnetic source 110 for producing the magnetic field B may be associated with an array of magnets such as permanent magnets, or it may be also be a magnetic field created by current carrying coils which can be controlled externally. Returning to the present example, the magnetic source 112 disposed around the enclosure 100 for producing the magnetic field B is such that it may cause movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures in the fluid 108 onto the outer surface 106 of the tooth. Specifically, the movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures onto the outer surface 106 of the tooth may be to further cause the magnetically controlled nanostructures from the outer surface 106 of the tooth to be drawn into a plurality of dentinal tubules (not shown in FIG. 1 ) of the tooth, wherein the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth to which the magnetically- controlled nanostructures are drawn are associated with the specified region 1 10 with the exposed dentin. In one example, the direction of the magnetic field B produced by the magnetic source 1 12 may be geometrically oppositeto the hollow protrusion 104 disposed on the outer profile 102 of the enclosure 100.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one example, the enclosure 200 (same as enclosure, 100) comprises an inner profile, an outer profile 102, a hollow protrusion 104. The inner profile of the enclosure 200 corresponds to an outer surface of the tooth of the patient. The hollow protrusion 104 may be disposed on the outer profile 102 of the enclosure 200 to hold a fluid comprising magnetically controlled nanostructures. As shown in FIG. 2, the enclosure 200 may be adapted for placement over one of an upper or a lower set of teeth of the patient such for placement covers the whole set of upper and lower teeth, and may be adapted as a dental aligner comprising a hollow protrusion 104 for holding a fluid comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures.

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an example view of an enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The enclosure 300 may also be adapted for placement around a specific tooth 308 of the set of teeth of the patient with an exposed dentin. During such an implementation, the enclosure 300 may comprise a first portion 302 and a second portion 304 such that the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 is clamped around a pivoted position 306. The first portion 302 of the enclosure 300 may be such as to hold the fluid 312 comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures 310. The enclosure may be adapted to be placed around the tooth 308 with the exposed dentin such that while clamping the first portion 302 with the second portion 304 around the pivoted position 306, the area of the tooth with exposed dentin is closure to the magnetically-controlled nanostructures 310,wherein applying the magnetic field B derived from a magnetic source, as shown in FIG.1 , may cause movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures 310 on the outer surface of the tooth 308. Specifically, the movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures 310 on the outer surface of the tooth 308 may be to further cause the magnetically controlled nanostructures 310 to be drawn into a plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth 308, wherein the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth 308 to which the magnetically-controlled nanostructures are drawn are associated with the specified region with the exposed dentin.

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an example enclosure adapted for placement on a tooth of a patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The enclosure 400 (same as enclosure 300) may also be adapted for placement around a specific tooth 408 of the set of teeth of the patient with an exposed dentin. During such an implementation, the enclosure 400 may comprise a first portion 402 and a second portion 404 such that the first portion 402 and the second portion 404 is clamped around a pivoted position (not shown in FIG. 4). The first portion 402 of the enclosure 400 may be such as to hold a fluid comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures 406.

[0030] The enclosure 400 may be adapted to be placed around the tooth 408 with the exposed dentin such that while clamping the first portion 402 with the second portion 404 around the pivoted position, the area of the tooth with exposed dentin is closure to the magnetically-controlled nanostructures 406, wherein applying the magnetic field B derived from a magnetic source, as shown in FIG.1 , may cause movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures 406 on the outer surface of the tooth 408. Specifically, the movement of magnetically-controlled nanostructures 406 on the outer surface of the tooth 408 may be to further cause the magnetically controllednanostructures 406 to be drawn into a plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth 408, wherein the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth 408 to which the magnetically-controlled nanostructures are drawn are associated with the specified region with the exposed dentin.

[0031] Although examples for the present disclosure have been described in language specific to structural features and / or methods, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed and explained as examples of the present disclosure.

Claims

I / WE CLAIM:

1. An enclosure adapted for placement around a tooth of a patient, the enclosure comprising: an inner profile and an outer profile such that the inner profile of the enclosure corresponds to an outer surface of the tooth; a hollow protrusion disposed on the outer profile of the enclosure to hold a fluid comprising magnetically-controlled nanostructures such that the fluid is to be in contact with a specified region of the outer surface of the tooth; and a magnetic source disposed around the enclosure for producing a magnetic field such that the magnetic field is to cause movement of the magnetically-controlled nanostructures on the outer surface of the tooth, and further cause the magnetically- controlled nanostructures from the outer surface to be drawn into a plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth.

2. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic source is an array of magnets.

3. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic source is an electromagnetic field.

4. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is adapted for placement over one of an upper set of teeth and a lower set of teeth of the patient.

5. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the firstportion and the second portion are pivotally attached and are adapted to cover the specific region of the outer surface of the tooth.

6. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is made of one of a thermoplastic polyurethane, polyurethane, polymer blends, or combinations thereof.

7. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the direction of the magnetic field produced by the magnetic source is geometrically opposite to the hollow protrusion disposed on the outer profile of the enclosure.

8. The enclosure as claimed in claim 7, wherein the direction of the magnetic field is controlled by an external source such as to cause movement of the magnetically-controlled nanostructures from the outer surface to be drawn into the plurality of dentinal tubules of the tooth.

9. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetically- controlled nanostructures are suspended in a fluid made of one of water, glycerin, carbomer, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and combinations thereof.10.The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the magnetically- controlled nanostructure is a core shell-structure having diameter within the range from 50 nanometers to 5 microns.

11. The enclosure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the core of the core shell structure is made of one of an iron, iron oxide, cobalt, iron platinum, zinc ferrite, or a combination thereof.The enclosure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shell of the coreshell structure is made of one of silica, calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, or combinations thereof. The enclosure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shape of the magnetically-controlled nanostructure is one of a sphere, a rod, a helix, an ellipsoid, a cube, or a combination thereof.

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