Dental trays having thin walls for increased patient comfort

An article of manufacture comprising a thin-walled, flexible dental tray for treating at least a portion of a person's teeth, the dental tray comprising a periphery that is configured so that it terminates at or below the person's gum line so that the dental tray is designed not to exert significant mechanical pressure when worn, and the dental tray further comprising means for holding a sufficient quantity of the dental composition to permit the denial tray to be held in place by adhesive properties of the dental composition as opposed to being held in place primarily by mechanical fit.

A dental tray configured for holding therein a dental composition such that the dental composition retains and comfortably holds the dental tray in position over at least a portion of a person's teeth, the dental tray being formed from a single layer of a polymer sheet material and comprising:

• a periphery that is configured so that it terminates at or below the person's gum line so that it is not designed to exert significant mechanical pressure while the dental tray is positioned over the person's teeth;
• and
• a thin, flexible portion that extends from the periphery and comprises reservoir means for holding a sufficient quantity of the dental composition to permit the dental tray to be held in place by adhesive properties of the dental composition as opposed to being held in place primarily by mechanical fit.

A dental tray configured to hold a dental composition against at least a portion of a person's teeth, the dental tray comprising:

• a periphery that is configured so that the dental tray does not extend beyond the person's gum line and that is scalloped so that the dental tray is not designed to extend over the interdental papilla;
• and
• a portion extending below said periphery comprising reservoir means for holding a desired quantity of the dental composition against the person's teeth while the tray is placed over the person's teeth so that the dental tray is designed to be held in place over the teeth primarily by the dental composition as opposed to being held in place primarily by mechanical fit of the tray.

An article of manufacture comprising a dental tray which consists essentially of a vinyl polymer sheet material and which is configured for holding therein a dental composition for treating at least a portion of a person's teeth, the dental tray comprising reservoir means for holding therein additional dental composition to permit the dental tray to be held in place by adhesive properties of the dental composition as opposed to being held in place primarily by mechanical fit.

A dental tray as defined in claimed 27, wherein the periphery is scalloped up and around the interdental papilla so that the dental tray does not extend onto the interdental papilla.