Abstract: Dental bleaching methods and kits employ a dental bleaching composition, a protective composition and a barrier layer. The dental bleaching composition is positioned so as to contact a person's tooth surfaces. The protective composition is positioned so as to shield a person's gingival tissue from the bleaching composition during tooth bleaching. The barrier layer protects at least the bleaching composition from saliva and/or mechanical forces during tooth bleaching. The dental bleaching composition and protective composition can be in the form of a sticky and viscous gel. The protective composition may alternatively be a flexible polymerizable material. The barrier layer may be a substantially flat sheet, strip or patch, or it may comprise a dental tray.

Abstract: Selection of a proper drill bit for preparing a tooth to receive a crown or a bridge is accomplished through the use of a kit which includes a measuring guide and a template showing the profiles of various drill bits. The measuring guide and template are adapted to cooperate with the conventional X-ray. The X-ray is placed behind the measuring guide and oriented with the axis of the tooth perpendicular to a scale which is printed on the measuring guide. The measuring guide is otherwise transparent. By holding the X-ray and measuring guide up to light, a safe margin around the pulp chamber can be identified by the lines of the scale. Next, the drill template is placed in the measuring guide and manipulated until a drill bit profile is located which will maintain the safe margin around the pulp chamber and yet not cut into adjacent teeth. The method is taught together with a kit for practicing the method. The kit includes a selection of drill bits, the drill bit template, and measuring guide.