Devices, systems and methods for the whitening of teeth

A system comprising:

• a. a deformable dental gum guard for selectively covering a gum ridge wherein the crown portions of the teeth of said gum ridge are not covered;
• and
• b. a dental treatment device;
• comprising an arch shaped mouthpiece having opposing left and right ends for configured to fit over dental arches for implementing a dental treatment, wherein the mouthpiece includes:
• i. one or more stock dental covers suitable for forming one or more treatment cavities having a vacuum seal, wherein each of the dental covers is adapted to form a treatment cavity over the upper teeth and surrounding gums and/or a treatment cavity over the lower teeth and surrounding gums, and wherein a dental cover fluid seal is formed using a continuous sealing mechanism that includes a sealing rim formed of compressible material for sealing along a length of the dental covers, and at least one pair of sealing plugs for sealing the opposing left and right rear openings of each of the one or more dental covers, whereby the sealing rim and at least one pair of sealing plugs sufficiently seals each of the treatment cavities to enable the reduction of pressure in the dental treatment cavity below ambient pressure, to selectively enable material flow into and out of each of the dental treatment cavities;
• and
• ii. one or more treatment supply portions wherein each of the treatment supply portions has one or more flow channels in fluid communication with the one or more treatment cavities so that the one or more treatment supply portions can deliver and/or remove one or more treatment fluids from the one or more treatment cavities;
• wherein the gum guard and the at least one pair of sealing plugs seals a gap between at least a portion of the device and the gum ridge over which it lies;
• the gum guard contacts and deforms against at least a portion of the gum ridge for forming an intimate contact with the gum, and
• wherein the placement of the one or more dental covers in a patient's mouth over a plurality of teeth and gum ridge acts in conjunction with the gum guard and the at least one pair of sealing plugs for substantially defining a seal at the distal tooth, so that a fluid can be introduced, removed, or both from the one or more treatment cavities while maintaining a vacuum seal in the one or more treatment cavities.

A treatment system comprising:

• a dental treatment device including an arch shaped mouthpiece having opposing left and right ends configured to fit over dental arches for implementing a dental treatment;
• and
• one or more dental gum guards;
• wherein the mouthpiece includes:
• i. one or more stock dental covers suitable for forming one or more treatment cavities having a vacuum seal, wherein each of the dental covers is adapted to form a treatment cavity over the upper teeth and surrounding gums and/or a treatment cavity over the lower teeth and surrounding gums, and wherein a dental cover fluid seal is formed using a continuous sealing mechanism that includes a sealing rim formed of compressible material for sealing along a length of the dental covers, and at least one pair of sealing plugs for sealing the opposing left and right rear openings of each of the one or more dental covers, whereby the sealing rim and at least one pair of sealing plugs sufficiently seals each of the treatment cavities to enable the reduction of pressure in the dental treatment cavity below ambient pressure, to selectively enable material flow into and out of each of the dental treatment cavities;
• and
• ii. one or more treatment supply portions wherein each of the treatment supply portions has one or more flow channels in fluid communication with the one or more treatment cavities so that the one or more treatment supply portions can deliver and/or remove one or more treatment fluids from the one or more treatment cavities;
• and
• wherein the one or more dental gum guard component(s) each includes one or more arch-shaped, elastomeric drape(s) designed to conform substantially to any gum ridge anatomy, and a plurality of pre-configured cut-out holes for customized insertion over and through erupted teeth which provide protection of the gums from the treatment materials contained within the one or more treatment cavities, when the dental treatment device is placed over the one or more dental gum guard component(s).

A method for executing a dental treatment comprising:

• i. positioning a mouthpiece including one or more dental covers over upper and/or lower teeth and surrounding gums;
• ii. applying a vacuum seal to the one or more dental covers for generating a pressure below ambient pressure in the one or more treatment cavities around the teeth;
• and
• iii. flowing one or more treatment materials into the one or more sealed treatment cavities;
• and
• iv. flowing the one or more treatment materials out of the one or more sealed treatment cavities;
• wherein prior to positioning of the mouthpiece, the method includes inserting one or more gum guards, the gum guard comprising an arch-shaped, elastomeric drape designed to conform substantially to any gum ridge anatomy, and having a plurality of pre-configured cut-out holes for customized insertion over and through erupted teeth, which provides protection of the gums exposed within the device from the treatment materials contained within the one or more treatment cavities;
• wherein the method includes placing the mouthpiece over the one or more gum guards;
• and
• the step of applying a vacuum seal to the one or more dental covers generates a fluid seal around the teeth and the dental anatomy covered by the one or more gum guards.

A device comprising:

• an arch shaped mouthpiece having opposing left and right ends for configured to fit over dental arches for implementing a dental treatment, wherein the mouthpiece includes:
• i. one or more stock dental covers suitable for forming one or more treatment cavities having a vacuum seal, wherein each of the dental covers is adapted to form a treatment cavity over the upper teeth and surrounding gums and/or a treatment cavity over the lower teeth and surrounding gums, and wherein a dental cover fluid seal is formed using a continuous sealing mechanism that includes a sealing rim formed of compressible material for sealing along a length of the dental covers, and at least one pair of sealing plugs for sealing the opposing left and right rear openings of each of the one or more dental covers, whereby the sealing rim and at least one pair of sealing plugs sufficiently seals each of the treatment cavities to enable the reduction of pressure in the dental treatment cavity below ambient pressure, to selectively enable material flow into and out of each of the dental treatment cavities;
• and
• ii. one or more treatment supply portions wherein each of the treatment supply portions has one or more flow channels in fluid communication with the one or more treatment cavities so that the one or more treatment supply portions can deliver and/or remove one or more treatment fluids from the one or more treatment cavities;
• wherein each of the treatment cavities is at least partially defined by a pair of drapable aprons each having a J-shaped cross-section;
• each pair of drapable aprons includes a front apron for overlaying a front surface of the teeth and a rear apron for overlaying a rear surface of the teeth;
• and the front apron has a generally upright section connected to a generally curved section, wherein the generally upright section has a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of the generally curved section.