Stand-alone or enhancer composition for oral care

Abstract

A biological tissue care composition, such as an oral care composition, for enhancing the effects of whitening compositions. A solvent and surfactant is used with an alkaline builder and an optional saponifier. A method of use of such a composition includes use as a tooth cleaning composition. Alternatively the composition may be used as a stand-alone cleaning composition.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] The present invention relates to improvements in biological care compositions, and more particularly relates to a composition for enhancing the effects of tooth whitening compositions. [0002] Many oral care tooth whitening compositions, and their associated methods of delivery, have been described and commercialized, yet numerous significant issues remain. Limitations of current art whitening compositions include: (1) reliance on a single dominant mechanism of action, involving decomposition of a strong oxidizer, that only inefficiently lightens one class of stains over relatively long treatment times; (2) a limited ability to physically remove stain molecules, especially deep seated ones; (3) a propensity to have high osmotic pressures which lead to tooth dehydration and subsequent inducement of transient dentinal hypersensitivity; and (4) almost universal reliance on carbomer-like thickener carrier vehicles that scavenge some active free radicals and limit surfac...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] An advantage may be in that the compositions hereof are not reliant on oxidizing agents or carbomer-like thickeners. Tooth whitening is enhanced by the ability of the compositions to deeply penetrate and either thereby whiten or remove most tooth stains using a multi-functional solvent / surfactant / alkaline builder approach known in prior art to the textile and related industries, but heretofore not applied in dentistry. As a result of this multi-factorial and true whitening and / or cleaning approach, the compositions hereof may have the ability to cause deeper, much more rapid and true whitening and / or removal of a majority of organic, inorganic, hydrophobic and / or hydrophilic tooth stains, rather than slowly lightening merely some organic stains. A further improvement may be a reduction in associated transient dentinal hypersensitivity. These may be achieved by shifting the mechanism of action away from caustic and slow acting oxidizing agents, and furthermore utilizing a non-viscous carrier instead of associated carbomer-thickened carrier matrices. A cleaning chemistry that may provide one or more of a superior whitening result in less time, and / or a virtual elimination of associated transient dentinal hypersensitivity, may thus be achieved.

[0013] The whitening effect that may be delivered rapidly and safely by the stand-alone or enhancer solution may be caused by a combination of ingredients designed to work together to remove many if not all species of extrinsic and intrinsic tooth stains. As such it may utilize a variety of different classes of solvents, surfactants and alkaline builders and other ingredients: as for example, 1) a solvent, particularly a highly pure, residue-free dissolving solvent such as HPLC grade de-ionized water; 2) an orally acceptable cleaning alcoholic solvent, that may assist penetration and may have the ability to dissolve most stains and break up thickened gels; 3) an orally acceptable anionic surfactant or detergent that may bind most cationic colored stains found on teeth; 4) an alternative surfactant or surface wetting and high foaming agent to allow deep penetration and foaming-lifting of loosened stains; 5) an alkaline builder that may assist the surfactant / detergent to bind stains and also may work to help cause decomposition of any oxidizers, if used; and 6) an optional saponifier to bind and dissolve hydrophobic oily stains.

Problems solved by technology

Many oral care tooth whitening compositions, and their associated methods of delivery, have been described and commercialized, yet numerous significant issues remain.

Limitations of current art whitening compositions include: (1) reliance on a single dominant mechanism of action, involving decomposition of a strong oxidizer, that only inefficiently lightens one class of stains over relatively long treatment times; (2) a limited ability to physically remove stain molecules, especially deep seated ones; (3) a propensity to have high osmotic pressures which lead to tooth dehydration and subsequent inducement of transient dentinal hypersensitivity; and (4) almost universal reliance on carbomer-like thickener carrier vehicles that scavenge some active free radicals and limit surface penetration ability.

The structure of enamel adds to the difficulty of treating tooth stains, because of its tightly packed crystalline structure and the high amount of electronegativity that is caused by incorporated enamel fluoride ions.

Negatively charged teeth have a propensity to attract cationic stain molecules which unfortunately are also the most likely types of stain molecules to be colored and unaesthetic.

Thus depth of tooth stains, in combination with electrostatic charges that further bind stains, make the challenge of efficiently and reliably whitening teeth even more difficult.

A further limiting factor not well addressed in current art of oral care tooth whitening compositions is the lack of a multi-purpose active formulation strategy.

This shortcoming ultimately causes current art whitening compositions to have unpredictable effectiveness, because they cannot lighten the broad spectrum of possible tooth stains that are present on teeth.

Oxidizer-reliant tooth whitening compositions are mostly limited to the lightening of some organic stains, and do not account very well for the other classes of stains.

The current art has also not overcome long treatment times that remain an unavoidable issue when oral compositions primarily rely on oxidizer chemistry.

To overcome this limitation formulations have opted for high concentrations of caustic oxidizers which further has the potential to cause tooth sensitivity.

Furthermore, a review of the current art shows a common reliance on moderately or highly viscous carrier, further limiting efficacy, and further enhancing susceptibility to tooth sensitivity.

However use of thickening agents also causes unintended, undesirable effects on the safety and efficacy.

Thus it is clear that these extant methods are not efficient, not rapid acting, not free of significant untoward side effects and are not able to truly clean teeth.

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