Copolymer-Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide for Tooth Bleaching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tooth bleaching agents, such as hydrogen peroxide, are unstable in aqueous formulations and do not effectively release the bleaching agent specifically at the tooth surface, leading to inefficient whitening.
Innovation Solution
A copolymer comprising repeat units from N-vinylpyrrolidone and comonomers like vinylphosphonic acid is used to stabilize hydrogen peroxide, enhancing its affinity for tooth surfaces and controlled release at the desired site, thereby improving tooth bleaching efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogen peroxide is used as a bleaching agent in aqueous formulations, then tooth bleaching can be achieved, but the hydrogen peroxide becomes unstable and breaks down prematurely during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a copolymer as an intermediary substance to stabilize hydrogen peroxide in aqueous formulations. The copolymer forms a complex with H2O2, preventing premature decomposition while allowing controlled release at the tooth surface. This mediator enables the coexistence of stability and efficacy in the same formulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite system by combining hydrogen peroxide with a specifically designed copolymer. This composite material (polymer-H2O2 complex) exhibits both the stability needed for storage and the bleaching activity needed for efficacy, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
2Reliability
If conventional polymers are used to stabilize hydrogen peroxide, then stability is improved, but the bleaching agent is not released specifically at the tooth surface
Solution Approach 1:
The copolymer is designed with specific local properties: hydrophilic segments that interact with saliva and tooth surfaces, and hydrophobic segments that stabilize the peroxide. This local differentiation enables the complex to remain stable during storage but release H2O2 specifically at the tooth surface where saliva contact occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the stabilizing polymer by using a copolymer with specific functional groups (carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or phosphate groups) instead of conventional polymers. These parameter changes enable both stability and targeted release at the tooth surface through electrostatic interactions and saliva-triggered dissolution.
3Reliability
If anhydrous formulations are used to prevent hydrogen peroxide breakdown, then stability is improved, but the formulation complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the formulation parameter from anhydrous to aqueous by introducing a polymer-H2O2 complexing agent. This parameter change allows water to be present in the formulation without causing premature peroxide decomposition, as the polymer protects the H2O2 from breakdown even in the presence of water, simplifying manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The copolymer-stabilized hydrogen peroxide composition effectively releases hydrogen peroxide at the tooth surface, enhancing tooth whitening and maintaining stability, even in anhydrous toothpaste formulations.
Implementation Method 1
compositions comprising a peroxidic compound and this particular copolymer for tooth bleaching
Implementation Method 2
enhancing its affinity for tooth surfaces and controlled release at the desired site
Implementation Method 3
hydrogen peroxide (also referred to hereinafter as H2O2 or H2O2) can be used as a bleaching agent in order to whiten the enamel
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the use of a composition comprising a peroxidic compound and a particular, generically defined copolymer for tooth bleaching.