the preferred embodiments of the peroxide gels used to create the deformable trays according to the precepts of this invention are herein described . it should be noted that the articles “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ”, as used in this specification , include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise . poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ) is commercially available in 50 , 000 , 200 , 000 and 500 , 000 m . w . varying viscosities and longevity of gels may be created based on the amount and weight of poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ) used and the desired strength of peroxide . as a guide , dental gels are preferred to be a viscosity between 1000 and 200 , 000 centipoise . in such ranges , peroxide concentrations may reach up to 50 % hydrogen peroxide using poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ) as a thickener . in its preferred form , a 30 % concentration may be obtained with a shelf life of six months at room temperature . the simplest preferred gel is obtained by mixing 50 % strength hydrogen peroxide with 200 , 000 m . w . poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ) in a ratio of 6 : 4 . additional strengths of peroxide gels may be obtained by utilizing additional solvents and different molecular weights of poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ). some common solvents include : water , ethanol , polyethylene glycols , polypropylene glycols , glycerin , and propylene glycol . any of these may be added for varying the consistency and properties of the gels created . however , each gel must be developed with the basic limitation that the strength of the peroxide in the gel makes the gel inherently more unstable . in the present invention , the resultant gels 15 are placed on preformed pieces of a backing 13 , such as parafilm ( a polymeric wax mixture ), as shown in fig1 . the backing provides stability for the resultant substance and a surface with which the tray may be touched for manipulation . the gels 15 are then dried through conventional processes . typical drying may be performed at temperatures of approximately 37 ° c . for 12 to 24 hours ( fig2 ). drying may also take place in any other suitable environment , including those of ambient air , room temperature , lower than room temperature , higher than room temperature , or vacuums . times and temperatures may vary for individual gel composition . when dried , the gels form a bleaching compound that will conform to a user &# 39 ; s dental arches and form a bleaching tray 10 without cracking or breaking ( fig3 ). the resultant compound is visco - elastic , and gelatinous , having a flexibility and consistency similar to the popular confection known as gummi worms , and will deform when removed from the backing material . the resultant tray is initially planar ; with a significant body of gelatinous whitening composition adhered to the backing . in use , fig4 - 6 , a user will take a tray 10 and wet it with water 20 . the gel will rehydrate and become more adhesive so that the tray will then be applied to the user &# 39 ; s teeth ( dental arch 30 ). the user will press and form the tray 10 around the dental arch 30 ( fig6 ), conforming it to the individual shape of the arch 30 and , ideally covering at least one , if not both , sides of the arch 30 . the user may , if desired , pre - fold the tray ( fig5 ) before applying it to the teeth . the tray 10 according to the present invention is therefore totally customizable and formable , creating a buccal wall 53 , a crease / bottom 56 and a lingual wall 59 . these walls and floor conform exactly to the user &# 39 ; s dental arch 30 ( fig6 ), mimicking the variations and individualities of a particular user &# 39 ; s arch . once treatment is completed , the user simply removes the tray . additional water may be needed to complete removal due to the adhesiveness of the tray 10 . due to the increased peroxide content in the whitening compound , time of treatment will be less than conventional prior art whitening methods . treatment may be accomplished in three days , rather than over the course of a week . as always , a second round of treatment may be initiated , but it is recommended that a user wait at least one day between courses of treatment due to the increased potency of the product . longer treatment times and courses may be utilized with lower concentration peroxide gels and may extend as long as a week of consecutive treatments . by way of example , the following formulations are supplied as examples of compositions for the gel according to the present invention . a true best mode will be dependent upon the desired attributes of the gels , and eventual trays , created . however these examples of possible gels all have the required consistency and bleaching power required by the present invention . it is , of course , to be understood that the following list is only for illustration and that any variation of these and other gels will fall within the purview of this invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that those skilled in the art will be capable of formulating an infinite number of possible gels and , as such , this list should not in any way be deemed limiting of the invention . as can be seen , other ingredients include flavorings and sweeteners , solvents , plasticizers , and other elements for desired effect . it is , of course , readily conceived that other active ingredients may be added to the composition for more desired effects , with or without peroxide . such active ingredients may include and are not limited to fluoride , desensitizers , anti - microbials , anti - fungals , re - mineralizers , surfactants , nutraceuticals , pharmaceuticals and other medicaments . while it is not as preferred as poly ( 2 - ethyl - 2 - oxazoline ), polyvinylpyrrolidone (“ pvp ”) may be used in this invention with good results . again , proportions in formulas using pvp will vary according to desired characteristics and purposes . a specific list of possible additives includes , but is not limited to : desensitizers — potassium citrate , glutaraldehyde , sodium citrate , potassium nitrate , sodium nitrate and sodium and potassium salts of edta , and edta . anti - microbials — chlorhexidine , chlorhexidine gluconate , benzalkonium chloride , thymol , sodium chlorite , potassium chlorite , triclosan , methyl paraben , propyl paraben , sodium benzoate , benzalkonium chloride , cetyl pyridinium chloride , zinc chloride . re - mineralizers — potassium sucrose phosphate , sodium sucrose phosphate , sodium phosphate mono basic , sodium phosphate dibasic , sodium phosphate tri - basic , alone or in combination with one or more of the following : calcium fluoride , calcium hydroxide , calcium hydroxy apatite , sodium fluoride , potassium fluoride , sodium monofluorophosphate . surfactants — sodium lauryl sulfate , polysorbates , lauryl dimethyl amine oxide , cetyltrimethylammonium bromide , polyethoxylated alcohols , polyoxyethylene sorbitan octoxynol , n , n - dimethyldodecylamine - n - oxide , hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide , polyoxyl 10 lauryl ether , polyoxyl castor oil , nonylphenol ethoxylate , cyclodextrins , lecithin , methylbenzethonium chloride . pharmaceuticals — amoxicillin , amoxil , biaxin , cefzil , cipro , levaquin , minocycline , penicillin , tetracycline , trimox , zithromax , astringent alums . nutraceuticals — ascorbic acid , b - glucan , lutein , gallic acid , aloe vera , lactobacillus acidophilus , zinc , tocopherol , choline , q - 10 , b - carotene , lycopene , sodium carbonate , glutathione . flavors — peppermint oil , methyl salicylate , spearmint oil , cinnamon oil , artificial and natural fruit flavorings like banana flavoring , peach flavoring , and apple flavoring . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention . such modifications include increasing or decreasing viscosity and peroxide concentration for various purposes . no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred .
a dental bleaching device may include a backing material made of a polymeric wax mixture , and a dental composition in contact with the backing material . the dental composition may include a thickening agent and a peroxide bleaching agent . the dental composition may be a gelatinous compound having physical deformation properties that allow the dental composition to bend and conform to a shape of a container into which the dental composition is placed , but the dental composition will not merge into a second piece of the dental composition when placed in contact with the second piece .