KR101500155B1 - Removing method of tooth cell couloring material with plasma - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to technology for whitening teeth by removing materials coloring an odontoblast with use of plasma, which makes atmospheric pressure of plasma by supplying plasma discharging gas like air wherein the atmospheric pressure of plasma is used on the surface of the odontoblast, thereby burning the material coloring the odontoblast quickly by supplying a plurality of oxygen free radicals and discharging products of combustions, leading to teeth whitening. In addition, in the present invention, provided is a plasma toothbrush which is manufactured by making a treatment device a toothbrush shape for convenience of procedure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for removing dental caries using a plasma,

More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for removing dental caries using plasma.

As interest in cosmetics increases, tooth whitening procedures are also increasing. Dental whitening is desirable for cosmetic reasons, but it is also necessary for teeth and oral health. Dental cells are severely stained by coffee or tea type, and discolored by other calculus. The method of eliminating these discoloration factors is principally the oxidation or burning of organic matter. However, there is a danger of causing a burning action that directly applies high energy to the human body and generates high temperature, and whitening treatment is being studied with the limitation of human safety.

Currently, removal of dental caries is performed mainly by applying a light source such as carbamide peroxide, which is a chemical substance of hydrogen peroxide series, and a laser or LED, to obtain a whitening effect. In this case, the organic oxidant attached to the surface of the tooth cell is oxidized by the generator oxygen [O] having high oxidizing power generated by applying the carbamide peroxide to the teeth, and the activation energy . That is, the irradiation of the light source such as a laser does not directly cause a whitening effect on a tooth cell, but relies heavily on the treatment of a hydrogen peroxide-based drug.

Therefore, removal of the dental cell coloring which has been carried out using a light source has utilized the oxidizing power of the generator oxygen [O] generated by applying 35% by weight of high-carbide peroxide to the teeth. It has been reported that the removal of such a dental cell coloring material is not so effective, and that the tooth material itself is also damaged due to the destruction of the tooth structure as well as the discolored organic material due to the application of the drug, and the frequent use of hydrogen peroxide water actually causes heart disease and cancer . However, even at such concentrations, it is not possible to obtain a whitening effect even when irradiated with a laser or an LED, and 35% by weight of carbamide Peroxide. ≪ / RTI >

On the other hand, the removal of dental coloring materials using atmospheric plasma at room temperature instead of light irradiation is being studied. In the case of applying the atmospheric pressure plasma, the above-mentioned high-concentration carbamide peroxide is applied, and further improvement is required. Furthermore, the atmospheric pressure plasma jet for removing the dental cell coloring which has been studied in the past is a design that is difficult to be used in clinical use, and it is a form that can not be used particularly for self-treatment. In other words, the plasma that is displayed in a straight line like the torii can only be performed on the front side of the teeth, and there is a problem that can not be performed on the side of the tooth or the molar part.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing dental caries using a plasma, which is excellent in whitening effect even when the hydrogen peroxide solution is not used or is used at a low concentration below a standardized standard.

According to the above object, the present invention provides a method for removing dental carcinoma cells, which comprises generating an atmospheric plasma at room temperature to remove coloring matter of the dental caries using only the atmospheric pressure plasma to thereby whiten teeth.

The present invention also provides a method for removing a dental carcinoma color, characterized in that water vapor is further contained in a plasma generating gas when an atmospheric pressure plasma at room temperature is generated.

The present invention also provides a method for removing dental caries by applying a hydrogen peroxide solution of 15% by weight or less to the surface of a dental cell and treating the surface of the tooth with an atmospheric plasma at room temperature.

According to the present invention, by applying a small amount of water vapor to a plasma discharge gas and applying a room temperature atmospheric pressure plasma to a dental cell, it exhibits sufficient oxidizing power to remove the discoloring substance through molecular ionization of H ₂ O without applying any additional hydrogen peroxide solution It is possible to obtain the effect of removing the dental cell coloring matter without using any harmful substances to human body.

In addition, the removal of the plasma dental cell coloring matter according to the present invention was superior to the method of treating the conventional hydrogen peroxide aqueous chemicals and irradiating the light source in terms of whitening effect, and the treatment speed was also faster.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining the principle of removing atmospheric pressure plasma dental cell coloring materials at room temperature according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view and a plasma jet photograph showing the structure of a plasma jet apparatus for removing dental caries.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma toothbrush manufactured in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a low pressure-current waveform during plasma discharge in a plasma toothbrush according to the present invention.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are graphs showing the color index (CIE) and the brightness (lightness) of the results of removing the dental coloring matter according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a graph showing a whitening effect obtained by applying a hydrogen peroxide solution below the reference value to the surface of a tooth and treating the surface with discharged plasma by including steam in air.
Fig. 8 is a graph showing the result of whitening the LED with the application of hydrogen peroxide or using LED alone as a comparative example.
FIG. 9 is a graph showing the color index of a whitening treatment result according to the comparative example using LEDs and the embodiments using plasma.
10 is a SEM photograph of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the principle of discharging an atmospheric plasma at room temperature to perform tooth whitening will be described with reference to Fig.

Fig. 1 shows the structure of teeth and the state of discoloration and the action of plasma. The surface of the dental cell is made of enamel (dentin), and when it is enlarged, it is a porous enamel. If you drink a tea containing a coloring matter such as coffee, the pigment is deposited on the porous enamel and the teeth are discolored. The discoloring substance is a mixture of organic and inorganic substances, and removing them is active (strong) molecular oxygen (O ₂ ) (a kind of radicalized active oxygen). Therefore, conventionally, molecular oxygen having high activity has been generated through the application of a drug of the hydrogen peroxide series. However, in the present invention, the atmospheric plasma at room temperature is generated, and the plasma of high energy activates the surrounding oxygen to quickly oxidize the coloring substance attached to the tooth surface and blow it into the atmosphere. That is, it causes a chemical reaction that is close to the combustion reaction.

When a small amount of water vapor (H ₂ O) is contained in the carrier gas for discharging, the high-energy molecular oxygen can be supplied to the teeth more efficiently in the plasma discharge process. Because it is atmospheric pressure plasma at room temperature, it can provide high energy without reaching high temperature, and it can flow freely in porous enamel pores because it is fluid like gas in essence and can completely remove the substance causing discoloration, and is excellent in whitening effect .

As the plasma discharge gas, an inert gas such as air or Ar, nitrogen, or the like can be used. Active oxygen can be obtained by supplying a small amount of oxygen or water vapor to the discharge chamber. When the discharge gas is air, the same effect can be obtained without mixing oxygen or steam.

The concentration of water vapor or oxygen contained in the discharge gas satisfies a trace amount, for example, 0.1 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 1% by weight. This is because the increase in the amount of water vapor may decrease the discharge efficiency and there is a risk of electric shock.

A dental cell coloring matter removing mechanism for generating a plasma to be applied to a dental cell is preferably as shown in Fig. 3, and a configuration of a plasma jet for discharging an atmospheric plasma is basically shown in Fig.

2, a hollow internal electrode 10, a corresponding external electrode 20, and a quartz tube 20 surrounding the internal electrode 10 are shown. It is possible to inject and supply the discharge gas through the hollow internal electrode 10. The external electrode 20 is exposed to the air and also serves as a case. The quartz tube 20 prevents a short circuit between the external electrode 20 and the internal electrode 10 as a dielectric and prevents a discharge or an arc discharge to cause a stable discharge. A dielectric material made of a metal oxide such as porous ceramic such as alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) is filled in the inside of the external electrode 20 and used as a buffer 40. When the buffer 40 generates heat during plasma discharge Absorbs heat to create a room temperature plasma. However, the plasma dental cell coloring material removing mechanism of Fig. 2 has an opening at the front end of the outer electrode 20, and the plasma jet is discharged in a direction in alignment with the instrument body. Therefore, the plasma processing area becomes a spot type and the processing speed is lowered, and it is very difficult to treat the side such as the tooth cell front side.

Accordingly, the plasma generation angle is bent at 90 ° with respect to the length of the body rather than the front of the body of the tooth cell stain removing device, and the plasma discharge area is widened to produce a kind of plasma toothbrush type dental cell stain removal device Respectively. The structure of the plasma toothbrush is shown in Fig. The design of the plasma toothbrush was based on the dental handpiece used in the existing dentistry, and the dentist 's opinion was actively reflected to facilitate the convenience of use.

One end portion of the plasma toothbrush body is formed in a shape that is upward from the horizontal angle with the handle portion 500, thereby facilitating the operation of the plasma toothbrush body. The hollow inner electrode 100 is disposed inside the body extended from the handle 500 and the outer electrode 200 to which the voltage of the opposite polarity is applied is formed of a casing that also serves as a case. A quartz tube 300 is disposed so as to surround the internal electrode 100 so that a short circuit does not occur between the internal electrode 100 and the external electrode 200 and a porous ceramic is filled inside the head portion of the external electrode 200, (400) are the same as those of the dental-cell colored material removing mechanism shown in Fig. The electrodes are made of metal, for example made of tungsten or stainless steel. The external electrode 200 is grounded so that the user can safely use it. The specific configuration and operation of the buffer 400 will be described later.

In the structure of the internal electrode 100 and the external electrode 200, in the head portion having the plasma discharge chamber, the plasma discharge port is formed at a bent angle of 90 ° with respect to the body, The plasma is discharged and injected through the openings formed in the downward direction with respect to the body by the +/- (polarity reversible) voltage applied to the inner and outer electrodes 100 and 200, respectively, So that the discharge area can be enlarged by taking a structure like a shower head.

The sizes of the plasma toothbrush described in FIG. 3 are exemplary values and may be somewhat modified. It is preferable to configure the tooth smaller than the general toothbrush so that it can be processed to the front teeth and molar teeth, the front teeth, the side surface and the rear surface.

The applied voltage is an intensity in kV, and a voltage of 0.7 to 10 kV, preferably 1 to 5 kV, is applied.

The dental cell color removal treatment can be performed by plasma treatment alone as described above. Plasma easily penetrates micropores in the dental enamel layer and supplies reactive oxygen, that is, reactive oxygen molecules, to the coloring material, causing rapid oxidation, that is, near burning, causing the coloring material to be blown into the atmosphere. Therefore, as in the conventional procedure, a whitening action occurs even when the hydrogen peroxide-based drug is not applied to the surface of a tooth cell.

However, when a hydrogen peroxide water agent (such as hydrogen peroxide water or carbamide peroxide) of 15 wt% or less, which is reported by the KFDA as harmless to the human body, is applied to the surface of tooth cells and subjected to plasma treatment, Whitening action occurs. This is because a considerable amount of active oxygen is supplied from the hydrogen peroxide water-based drug, and the oxygen is rapidly activated by the energy supply by the plasma, so that a high concentration of active oxygen acts on the surface of the porous dental cell.

The structure and role of the porous ceramic constituting the buffer 400 are as follows.

Porous alumina, which is a dielectric, has an ideal structure in which an electrode and a dielectric are integrated (electrode-dielectric integrated type) because the porous alumina has chemical and not physical and mechanical bonding with aluminum which can serve as a discharge electrode. The dielectric formed at this time is located between the two electrodes generating the low-temperature atmospheric plasma. The dielectric thickness is 0.5 to 5 mm, preferably 1.5 to 2 mm. The pore size included in the dielectric is 50 to 500 μm, preferably 100 to 200 μm , And a porosity of about 10 to 50%, preferably about 35%. FIG. 2 shows the structure of a discharge electrode of a porous alumina dielectric in the structure of a low-temperature plasma jet. Due to such a structural characteristic, it is possible to prevent an erroneous discharge and an arc discharge at the time of plasma generation, thereby preventing a temperature rise due to a strong streamer discharge, etc., and to improve the durability of the electrode and induce generation of high secondary electrons and field emission The discharge start voltage and the sustain voltage of the plasma can be lower than those of the conventional plasma electrode. Due to such a structure and mechanism, it is possible to form a low-power uniform and stable atmospheric plasma applicable to a living body.

In the present embodiment, an AC 60 Hz power supply apparatus using a slicer and a transformer (PNP-1000) was used as a plasma generating condition. Argon, nitrogen, and air were used as discharge gas for plasma generation, .

The discharge characteristics of the low-temperature atmospheric plasma will be described below.

In general, atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge is a discharge type in which numerous streamers are combined. This filament discharge is spatially non-uniform, and in the case of a locally produced streamer, the high temperature interferes with the formation of a uniform glow discharge. Especially, in case of atmospheric air discharge, the dissociation recombination (DR) cross-sectional area is very large compared to helium and argon due to the presence of oxygen, so that the discharge forming voltage is high and a non-uniform plasma is formed. On the other hand, in the case of argon and helium, metastable states with a low cross-sectional area of dissociation recombination (DR) and long lifetime energy inside the plasma become redundant electron sources to form a glow discharge can do. Accordingly, the present inventors analyzed and observed characteristics of discharge at low pressure of atmospheric pressure plasma electrode using a porous alumina dielectric.

In the case of atmospheric plasma using porous alumina dielectrics, the pore size of the porous dielectrics constituting the alumina is an important parameter to form a stable and uniform plasma. Also, since there is a thick pore layer made of dense porous channels, it is possible to prevent exposure of the metal electrode and to form a dielectric breakdown voltage that is more stable than a general dielectric. Since the dielectric itself is formed electrochemically, there are few defects in the interface and it is stable. Among other things, the dense porous structure induces less generation of a strong electric field such as a streamer discharge, By making it effective, it can lead to a stable and uniform discharge at low voltage. Many pores on the electrode surface do not affect the sheath and electric field characteristics of the plasma. The reason for this can be explained by the Debye length λ _D , which can be obtained from the following equation (1).

(1)

(One)

ε ₀ = dielectric constant of free space, n _e = electron density (≈0 ¹² cm ^-3 ),

T _e = kinetic energy expressed in volts, e = 1.6 x 10 ^-19 C

Since the calculated λ _D = 7 μm generally forms a sheath at a value of 4 to 6 times of λ _D , a stable discharge can be formed at a pore size of about 100 to 200 μm in both electrodes. Also, since the discharge initiation voltage according to the discharge interval varies depending on Paschen's law, care must be taken when producing atmospheric pressure low-temperature plasma jet according to the gas.

 Current-voltage measurements are the best way to demonstrate the discharge characteristics of atmospheric plasma. 4 shows the current-voltage waveform when the applied frequency and applied voltage are 60 Hz and 2.24 kV in an electrode structure using atmospheric air 1 lpm and porous alumina dielectrics. As shown in FIG. 4, a current flows together while a voltage is applied. At this time, a conduction current and a displacement current flow together. The power consumption calculated from the current-voltage waveform is shown in Equation 2.

(2)

(2)

T is a sine wave period of about 60 Hz

Next, the results of removing the dental coloring material according to the present embodiment will be described.

Fig. 5 shows the color index (CIE) and the lightness (waterness) of air mixed with steam and Fig. 6 shows the color index (CIE) and the brightness after mixing the nitrogen and water vapor at 0.2 to 1 wt% and discharging the atmospheric plasma at room temperature. As a result of observing the effect of removing coloring matter (that is, the whitening effect) by using a colorimetric colorimeter (CM-3500D) (Colormetric spectrophotometer), the whitening degree was improved by 2 to 4 times. In fact, when the water vapor (0.6 wt%) of 1000 sccm was supplied, the whitening effect was excellent. The plasma generated from the jet was analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy and it was found that the amount of active oxygen generated was larger than that of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet using a gas containing no water vapor.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the result of whitening in the case where carbamide peroxide below a prescribed reference value is applied to a tooth surface in treating air with a trace amount of water vapor by discharging plasma, and shows a further improved whitening effect.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the whitening results of the LEDs applied with the hydrogen peroxide application or the LEDs alone as a comparative example. When the LED was used alone, whitening was hardly performed, and even when 35 wt% carbamide peroxide was applied, It can be confirmed that the effect of the plasma treatment is less than that of the plasma treatment.

FIG. 9 shows a comparative example using an LED and a color index of a dentine-removing whitening treatment according to the embodiments of the present invention using a plasma, and a comparison of effects can be seen at a glance.

10 is an SEM photograph of this embodiment, and the results of the procedure can be easily confirmed.

By using the plasma toothbrush as described above, it is possible to perform a plasma dental cell coloring removal treatment which is convenient and safe for the human body and has high whitening effect.

The method of the above embodiment using the atmospheric plasma can be applied to both the dental cells contained in the human body and the dental cells separated from the body.

It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and that various applications and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

10, 100: internal electrode
20, 200: external electrode
30, 300: quartz tube
40, 400: buffer
500: Handle portion

Claims (4)

Wherein the atmospheric plasma at room temperature is used to make the discharge gas into air to make oxygen in the air into active oxygen to remove the substance causing tooth discoloration from the dental cell and to whiten teeth without supplying H ₂ O ₂ A method for removing a cell coloring matter. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma discharge gas further comprises water vapor. Hydrogen peroxide water or carbamide peroxide in an amount of not more than 15% by weight is applied to the surface of tooth cells,
Generating an atmospheric plasma at room temperature by using air as a discharge gas to convert oxygen in the air into active oxygen to remove a material causing tooth discoloration from the dental cell.


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