Atmospheric non-thermal gas plasma method for dental surface treatment
AssigneesNanova, Inc., Curators of the University of Missouri Office of Intellectual Property Admin.
InventorsQingsong Yu, Hao Li, Meng Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The provision of dental restorations can be improved by generating a cold atmospheric plasma inside the mouth of the patient and then applying that cold atmospheric plasma onto a dental restoration site. The dental restoration site can be composed of either or both of dentin and enamel. Further, the provision of dental restorations can also be improved by introducing a dental adhesive onto a dental restoration site and treating it with a cold atmospheric plasma.
Claims19
A method of increasing bonding strength on a dental restoration site in the mouth of a patient comprising:
- removing material from the dental restoration site to expose a surface comprising dentin;
- generating a cold atmospheric plasma inside the mouth of the patient, said plasma having a brush-like shape;
- after the step of removing material to expose the dentin, applying the cold atmospheric plasma onto the dental restoration site for a period of time between about 30 seconds and 60 seconds to chemically activate the dentin to increase penetration of a dental adhesive into collagen fibrils of the dentin and increase chemical bonding between the collagen fibrils and the dental adhesive;
- wherein said dental adhesive is a composite material and wherein said cold atmospheric plasma comprises argon;
- after the step of applying the plasma, applying the adhesive to the surface;
- and
- installing a dental restoration on the adhesive-coated surface.
A method of installing a dental restoration on a tooth inside of a patient's mouth comprising:
- exposing a surface comprising dentin;
- treating the surface with a dentally acceptable acid;
- removing the dentally acceptable acid from the surface;
- providing a plasma generator;
- generating a cold atmospheric plasma inside the mouth of the patient with the plasma generator, said plasma having a brush-like shape;
- after the steps of removing the material from the tooth and removing the acid from the surface, chemically activating the dentin by applying the cold atmospheric plasma onto the surface for a period of time between about 30 seconds and 60 seconds to increase penetration of a dental adhesive into collagen fibrils of the dentin and increase chemical bonding between the collagen fibrils and the dental adhesive;
- after the step of chemically activating the dentin by applying the plasma, coating the dental adhesive on the surface;
- wherein said dental adhesive is a composite material and
- installing a dental restoration on the adhesive-coated surface.
A method of increasing bonding strength on a dental restoration site in the mouth of a patient comprising:
- exposing a surface comprising dentin;
- treating the surface with a dentally acceptable acid;
- removing the dentally acceptable acid from the surface;
- generating a cold atmospheric plasma inside the mouth of the patient,
- after the steps of removing the material from the tooth and removing the acid from the surface, chemically activating the dentin by applying the cold atmospheric plasma to expose amino acids and increase the exposed surface area of amino acids available for adhesion, the cold atmospheric plasma being applied at a temperature between about 35° C. and 39° C. onto the surface for a period of time between about 10 seconds and 60 seconds;
- after the step of chemically modifying the surface by applying the plasma, coating the dental adhesive on the surface;
- wherein said dental adhesive is a composite material and wherein said cold atmospheric plasma comprises argon;
- and
- installing a dental restoration on the adhesive-coated surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.