CN117618260A

CN117618260A - Oral care compositions and methods therefor

Info

Publication number: CN117618260A
Application number: CN202311634843.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 袁少棠; 帕洛马·皮门塔; 卡耶坦·多戈-伊索纳吉
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Current assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 2018-12-26
Filing date: 2018-12-26
Publication date: 2024-03-01
Also published as: MX2021007532A; WO2020139328A1; CA3123187A1; AU2018455216B2; BR112021011593A2; EP3883531A1; CN113226259A; AU2018455216A1

Abstract

Oral care compositions and methods for whitening teeth are provided. The oral care composition may comprise an orally acceptable vehicle, a whitening accelerator, and a hydrogen peroxide source. The whitening promoting agent may be dispersed in an orally acceptable vehicle. The whitening promoting agent may comprise a salt of monopersulfate, such as an alkali metal salt of monopersulfate.

Description

Oral care compositions and methods therefor

The present application is a divisional application of chinese patent application with application date 2018, 12, 26, application number "201880100458.0," entitled "oral care composition and method for use thereof," the original application being a chinese national stage application of international application PCT/US 2018/067549.

Background

Conventional oral care products comprising whitening agents are commonly used to whiten teeth. For example, conventional oral care products comprising peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide are commonly used to oxidize chromophores that bind to the surface and/or dentin of teeth, thereby whitening the teeth. While oral care products containing hydrogen peroxide have proven effective in whitening teeth, the use of hydrogen peroxide is limited. For example, increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide to improve whitening often results in irritation of the teeth and gums. In addition, peroxides in oral care products are often highly reactive and prone to decomposition, thereby reducing their whitening efficacy.

Thus, there is a need for improved oral care products and whitening compositions thereof, and methods therefor.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is intended merely to introduce a simplified overview of some aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. This summary is not an extensive overview and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the teachings nor delineate the scope of the disclosure. Rather, its sole purpose is to present one or more concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities embodied in the present disclosure may be achieved by providing an oral care composition comprising an orally acceptable vehicle, a whitening accelerator, and a hydrogen peroxide source. The whitening promoting agent may be dispersed in an orally acceptable vehicle and may include salts of monopersulfate.

In at least one embodiment, the salt of monopersulfate may be an alkali metal salt of monopersulfate.

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may comprise potassium monopersulfate.

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may consist essentially of a salt of monopersulfate. In another embodiment, the whitening accelerator may consist of a salt of monopersulfate.

In at least one embodiment, the whitening composition may be free or substantially free of water prior to use.

In at least one embodiment, the orally acceptable vehicle can comprise a structure-building agent.

In at least one embodiment, the structure-building agent may comprise an amphiphilic copolymer. The amphiphilic copolymer may comprise a polyvinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer.

In at least one embodiment, the structure-building agent can comprise a poloxamer. Poloxamers may include poly (ethylene glycol) -poly (propylene glycol) -poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymers.

In at least one embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source may include a crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogen peroxide complex.

In at least one embodiment, the oral care composition can be a tooth whitening gel.

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent can be present in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight based on the total weight of the oral care composition.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities embodied in the present disclosure may be achieved by providing a method of whitening a subject's teeth. The method may comprise contacting the oral care composition with the surface of a tooth of a subject in need thereof. The oral care composition can be any one or more of the oral care compositions disclosed herein. The oral care composition may comprise an orally acceptable vehicle, a whitening accelerator, and a hydrogen peroxide source. The whitening promoting agent may be dispersed in an orally acceptable vehicle and may include salts of monopersulfate.

In at least one embodiment, contacting the oral care composition with the surface of the teeth can include directly applying the oral care composition with a delivery device. The delivery device may be an applicator including a brush, a bead or a felt tip.

In at least one embodiment, contacting the oral care composition with the surface of the teeth can include placing the oral care composition in a tray and placing the tray around the teeth.

In at least one embodiment, the oral care composition can be contacted with the surface of the tooth for at least 5 minutes, optionally at least 10 minutes, and still optionally at least 15 minutes.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating some typical aspects of the disclosure, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description of various exemplary aspects is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

The ranges used throughout this disclosure are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as a inflexible limitation on the scope of any embodiment or embodiments disclosed herein. Accordingly, the disclosed ranges are to be construed as having specifically disclosed all possible sub-ranges and individual values within the range. Thus, any value within a range can be selected as the end of the range. For example, descriptions of ranges such as 1 to 5 should be considered as having specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as 1.5 to 3, 1 to 4.5, 2 to 5, 3.1 to 5, etc., as well as individual numbers within the range, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 3.2, 4, 5, etc. This applies regardless of the width of the range.

All percentages and amounts expressed herein and elsewhere in this specification are to be understood as referring to weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. The given amount is based on the effective weight of the material.

In addition, all numerical values are "about" or "approximately" the stated value, and experimental errors and variations as would be expected by one of ordinary skill in the art are taken into account. It is to be understood that all numerical values and ranges disclosed herein are approximate values and ranges, whether or not "about" is used in conjunction therewith. It will also be understood that the term "about" in conjunction with a number, as used herein, refers to a value that may be + -0.01% (inclusive), + -0.1% (inclusive), + -0.5% (inclusive), + -1% (inclusive) of the number, + -2% (inclusive) of the number, + -3% (inclusive) of the number, + -5% (inclusive) of the number, + -10% (inclusive) of the number, or + -15% (inclusive) of the number. It should also be understood that when numerical ranges are disclosed herein, any number falling within the ranges are specifically disclosed.

As used herein, "free" or "substantially free" of a material may refer to a composition, component, or phase in which the material is present in an amount of less than 10.0 wt%, less than 5.0 wt%, less than 3.0 wt%, less than 1.0 wt%, less than 0.1 wt%, less than 0.05 wt%, less than 0.01 wt%, less than 0.005 wt%, or less than 0.0001 wt%, based on the total weight of the composition, component, or phase.

All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that a definition in the present disclosure conflicts with a definition of the cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

The inventors have surprisingly and unexpectedly found that the incorporation of a whitening promoting agent such as Monopersulfate (MPS) or a salt thereof in an oral care product or a whitening composition thereof provides a surprising and unexpected improvement in whitening efficacy as compared to conventional oral care products comprising hydrogen peroxide alone (i.e., increase Bai Ningjiao). The inventors have also surprisingly and unexpectedly found that the combination of MPS and hydrogen peroxide exhibits a synergistic effect (e.g., beyond the simple additive effect) that will provide a statistically significant enhancement or improvement in whitening efficacy for an oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In particular, oral care products or whitening compositions thereof that combine MPS and hydrogen peroxide provide whiter teeth at a faster rate.

Composition and method for producing the same

The compositions disclosed herein may be or include oral care products, oral care compositions, and/or whitening compositions thereof. For example, the composition may be an oral care product or composition comprising a whitening composition, or a whitening composition thereof. In a typical embodiment, the composition may be an oral care composition in the form of a gel. The whitening composition may comprise a carrier or orally acceptable vehicle in combination with one or more whitening agents, one or more sources of hydrogen peroxide, or a combination or mixture thereof. For example, the whitening composition may comprise one or more whitening promoting agents and one or more sources of hydrogen peroxide and an orally acceptable vehicle. As another example, the whitening composition may comprise one or more whitening promoting agents and an orally acceptable vehicle. The one or more whitening promoting agents and/or the one or more hydrogen peroxide sources may be combined with, dispersed in, mixed with, or otherwise contacted with the carrier or orally acceptable vehicle. The whitening promoting agent may be or include one or more non-peroxide bleaching or whitening agents capable of or configured to synergistically interact with one or more components of the oral care product to enhance the whitening efficacy of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof.

In at least one embodiment, the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may be anhydrous or non-aqueous prior to use. For example, the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may be free of water, substantially free of water. As used herein, "free of water" or "substantially free of water" may refer to a composition that contains water in an amount of less than 10 wt%, less than 8 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 3 wt%, less than 1 wt%, less than 0.1 wt%, less than 0.05 wt%, less than 0.01 wt%, less than 0.005 wt%, or less than 0.0001 wt%, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In another embodiment, the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may have a "low water content" prior to use. As used herein, "low water content" may refer to compositions that contain water in an amount of greater than about 5 wt.% or greater than about 10 wt.% and less than about 20 wt.%, less than about 15 wt.%, or less than about 10 wt.%, based on the total weight of the oral care product or its whitening composition.

In one embodiment, contacting the whitening composition or components thereof with water can trigger the release of hydrogen peroxide. For example, contacting a hydrogen peroxide source with water may trigger the release of hydrogen peroxide. In another example, the hydrogen peroxide source is maintained in a hydrophobic phase, and combining, mixing, or otherwise contacting the hydrophobic phase with a separate hydrophilic phase can initiate the release of hydrogen peroxide from the hydrogen peroxide source.

Hydrogen peroxide source

The one or more hydrogen peroxide sources may be or include any compound or material capable of or configured to synergistically interact or react with the whitening promoting agent to enhance or enhance the whitening efficacy of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the one or more hydrogen peroxide sources may be or include any compound or material capable of or configured to provide or release hydrogen peroxide that synergistically interacts or reacts with the whitening promoting agent to enhance or enhance the whitening efficacy of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. The hydrogen peroxide source may be capable of or configured to release hydrogen peroxide upon contact with water. Illustrative hydrogen peroxide sources may be or include, but are not limited to, hydrogen peroxide, urea peroxide, calcium peroxide, crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogen peroxide complex, sodium percarbonate, and the like, or combinations thereof. The hydrogen peroxide source may also be or include, but is not limited to, a PEROXYDONE commercially available from Ashland Inc. (Kawenton, kentucky) ^TM XL 10F complex. In a typical embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source comprises a crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogen peroxide complex.

The amount or concentration of the hydrogen peroxide source may vary widely and may depend on the amount or desired amount of hydrogen peroxide provided or otherwise delivered by the hydrogen peroxide source. In at least one embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides greater than 0.0 wt% to less than or equal to 35.0 wt% free hydrogen peroxide based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides greater than 0.0 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1.0 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 2.0 wt%, about 2.5 wt%, about 3.0 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4.0 wt%, about 4.5 wt%, about 5.5 wt%, about 6.0 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7.0 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8.0 wt%, about 8.5 wt%, about 9.0 wt%, about 9.5 wt% or about 10.0 wt% to about 12.0 wt%, about 14.0 wt%, about 16.0 wt%, about 18.0 wt%, about 20.0 wt%, about 22.0 wt%, about 24.0 wt%, about 26.0 wt%, about 28.0 wt%, about 30.0 wt%, about 32.0 wt%, about 34.0 wt% or less than about 35.0 wt% of free hydrogen peroxide, based on the total weight of the oral care product or its whitening composition.

In another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides greater than 0.0 wt% to less than or equal to 10.0 wt% free hydrogen peroxide based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide (e.g., free hydrogen peroxide) in an amount of greater than 0.0 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1.0 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 2.0 wt%, about 2.5 wt%, about 3.0 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4.0 wt%, or about 4.5 wt% to about 5.5 wt%, about 6.0 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7.0 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8.0 wt%, about 8.5 wt%, about 9.0 wt%, about 9.5 wt%, or about 10.0 wt%, based on the total weight of the oral care product or its whitening composition. In another example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be provided in an amount that: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide in an amount of greater than 0.0 wt% to less than or equal to 10.0 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 9.5 wt%, about 1.0 wt% to about 9.0 wt%, about 1.5 wt% to about 8.5 wt%, about 2.0 wt% to about 8.0 wt%, about 2.5 wt% to about 7.5 wt%, about 3.0 wt% to about 7.0 wt%, about 3.5 wt% to about 6.5 wt%, about 4.0 wt% to about 6.0 wt% or about 4.5 wt% to about 5.5 wt%.

In yet another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides from about 0.1 wt% to less than or equal to 2.0 wt% free hydrogen peroxide based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide (e.g., free hydrogen peroxide) in an amount of about 0.1 wt%, about 0.2 wt%, about 0.3 wt%, about 0.4 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 0.6 wt%, about 0.7 wt%, about 0.8 wt%, about 0.9 wt%, or about 1.0 wt% to about 1.1 wt%, about 1.2 wt%, about 1.3 wt%, about 1.4 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 1.6 wt%, about 1.7 wt%, about 1.8 wt%, about 1.9 wt%, or about 2.0 wt%. In another example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide in an amount of about 0.1 wt% to about 2.0 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.9 wt%, about 0.3 wt% to about 1.8 wt%, about 0.4 wt% to about 1.7 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.6 wt%, about 0.6 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 0.7 wt% to about 1.4 wt%, about 0.8 wt% to about 1.3 wt%, about 0.9 wt% to about 1.2 wt%, or about 1.0 wt% to about 1.1 wt%. In yet another example, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide in an amount of less than or equal to 2.0 wt%, less than or equal to 1.8 wt%, less than or equal to 1.6 wt%, less than or equal to 1.4 wt%, less than or equal to 1.2 wt%, less than or equal to 1.0 wt%, less than or equal to 0.8 wt%, less than or equal to 0.6 wt%, or less than or equal to 0.4 wt%. In a typical embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide source may be present in such an amount: the amount provides hydrogen peroxide in an amount of about 35.0 wt.% or less, or about 2.5 wt.% or less, or about 2.0 wt.% or less.

Whitening accelerator

The whitening promoting agent may be or include any compound or material capable of or configured to synergistically interact or react with the hydrogen peroxide source or hydrogen peroxide thereof to enhance the whitening efficacy of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be or may include one or more non-peroxide bleaching or whitening agents. The whitening accelerator or non-peroxide bleach may be water soluble. Exemplary non-peroxide bleaching agents may be or include, but are not limited to, salts of monopersulfate or salts of Monopersulfate (MPS). For example, the whitening promoting agent may be or include, but is not limited to, an alkali metal salt of MPS, such as MPS potassium, MPS sodium, MPS ammonium, or the like, or any combination thereof. MPS can be single moleculeA compound such as a monopersulfate compound or an MPS compound, a complex such as a monopersulfate complex, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be or may include a MPS compound or a mixture of two or more salts of peroxymonosulfate. The MPS compound may be or may include a mixed or trimeric salt, such as (2 KHSO ₅ ·KHSO ₄ ·K ₂ SO ₄ )。

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be or may include Commercially available from DuPont (wilmington, telawamori). It should be understood that->Has an active oxygen content of about 4.5%. When the mixed salt was purified, the active oxygen content of the mixed salt was about 5.2%. KHSO (kh SO) ₅ The active oxygen content of (2) is about 10.5%. It should also be appreciated that the pure mixed salt has about half of the active oxygen as compared to the pure form, and 86.5% of the pure mixed salt as compared to the pure form (i.e.,) Has 43% active oxygen. It should also be appreciated that->May comprise about 43% potassium hydrogen peroxymonosulfate, about 23% potassium hydrogen sulfate, about 29% potassium sulfate, about 3% potassium peroxydisulfate, and about 2% magnesium carbonate. MPS also inCommercially available from United Initiators inc (meisen, ohio).

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in solid form. For example, the whitening promoting agent can be provided in a powder, tablet, granule, or the like, and the whitening promoting agent can be combined with the remaining components to form an oral care product (e.g., gel) or whitening composition thereof. It should be understood that the solids may be free or substantially free of water. Solids may be provided in a variety of forms including, but not limited to, free-flowing granules, tablets (e.g., effervescent tablets), caplets, granules, pellets, tablets, films, beads, and the like. In another embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be provided as a liquid, mixture or liquid dispersion of a solution, such as a solid.

The whitening promoting agent may be provided separately from one or more of the remaining components or ingredients of the whitening composition and the whitening promoting agent may be combined, mixed, dispersed or otherwise contacted with the one or more remaining components at the time of use to form an oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the whitening promoting agent can be provided as a solid and can be contacted with the one or more remaining components to form or provide an oral care product or whitening composition thereof.

In at least one embodiment, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in an airtight, moisture resistant container, package, vessel, or the like. Illustrative packages may be or include, but are not limited to, sealed metal foil bags, blister packs, lidded tubes containing a desiccant, and the like. The package may be made of a polymeric material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like, or copolymers thereof, a metallic material such as a metallic foil (e.g., aluminum), or both a polymeric material and a metallic material. The whitening promoting agent may be packaged in single or multiple doses.

The amount or concentration of the whitening promoting agent may vary widely. In at least one embodiment, the whitening accelerator can be provided in an amount of from greater than 0.0 wt% to about 30 wt% based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in an amount greater than 0.0 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 1 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 2 wt%, about 2.5 wt%, about 3 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4 wt%, or about 4.5 wt% to about 5 wt%, about 5.5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 8.5 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 9.5 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 25 wt%, or about 30 wt%. In another example, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in an amount greater than 0.0 wt%, about 0.1 wt%, about 0.2 wt%, about 0.3 wt%, about 0.4 wt%, about 0.5 wt%, about 0.6 wt%, about 0.7 wt%, about 0.8 wt%, about 0.9 wt%, or about 1.0 wt% to about 1.1 wt%, about 1.2 wt%, about 1.3 wt%, about 1.4 wt%, about 1.5 wt%, about 1.6 wt%, about 1.7 wt%, about 1.8 wt%, about 1.9 wt%, or about 2.0 wt%. In yet another example, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in an amount of greater than 0.0 wt% to about 2.0 wt%, about 0.1 wt% to about 1.9 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.8 wt%, about 0.3 wt% to about 1.7 wt%, about 0.4 wt% to about 1.6 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 0.6 wt% to about 1.4 wt%, about 0.7 wt% to about 1.3 wt%, about 0.8 wt% to about 1.2 wt%, or about 0.9 wt% to about 1.1 wt%.

In at least one embodiment, the amount of whitening promoting agent present in the whitening composition can be determined at least in part by or in accordance with the amount of hydrogen peroxide provided or otherwise delivered by the hydrogen peroxide source. For example, the whitening promoting agent may be provided in such an amount: the amount is such that the ratio of whitening promoter to the amount of hydrogen peroxide provided by the hydrogen peroxide source, or vice versa, can be from about 0.1:1 to about 5:1, or from about 0.1:1 to about 10:1, or from about 0.1:1 to about 15:1. For example, the ratio of whitening accelerator to the amount of hydrogen peroxide provided by the hydrogen peroxide source, or vice versa, may be about 0.01:1, about 0.1:1, about 0.5:1, about 1:1, about 1.5:1, or about 2:1 to about 2.5:1, about 3:1, about 3.5:1, about 4:1, about 4.5:1, about 5:1, about 10:1, or about 15:1. In another example, the ratio of whitening promoter to the amount of hydrogen peroxide provided by the hydrogen peroxide source, or vice versa, can be about 0.1:1 to about 5:1, about 0.5:1 to about 4.5:1, about 1:1 to about 4:1, about 1.5:1 to about 3.5:1, or about 2:1 to about 3:1.

Orally acceptable vehicle or liquid carrier

The whitening composition may form at least a portion of or be used in one or more oral care products or oral care compositions. The whitening composition can be mixed, dispersed, dissolved, combined, or otherwise contacted with an orally acceptable vehicle or carrier to form an oral care product (e.g., add Bai Ningjiao) or an oral care composition. Illustrative oral care products can include, but are not limited to, mouthwashes, toothpastes (dentifrices), prophylaxis pastes, tooth powders, tooth polishes, tooth gels (e.g., booster Bai Ningjiao), chewing gums, lozenges, whitening strips, gel-on gels, paints, veneers, tubes, syringes, dental trays containing gels or pastes, gels or pastes coated on an application support such as a dental floss or toothbrush (e.g., manual, electric, sonic, combinations thereof, or ultrasonic toothbrushes). In a typical embodiment, the whitening composition may form a whitening gel or at least a portion of a gel whitening composition or be used in a whitening gel or gel whitening composition.

The orally acceptable vehicle can include one or more poloxamers. Poloxamers may be liquid or paste. The poloxamer can have an average molecular weight of less than or equal to about 12,000 daltons (Da), less than or equal to about 11,000Da, less than or equal to about 10,000Da, less than or equal to about 9,000Da, less than or equal to about 8,000Da, less than or equal to about 7,000Da, or less than or equal to about 6,000Da. Illustrative poloxamers may be or may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

l35 (poly (ethylene glycol) -poly (propylene glycol) -poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymer),L43、/>L64、/>L10、/>L44、L62、/>10R5、/>17R4、/>L25R4、P84、/>P65、/>P104 and->P105, etc., or any mixture or combination thereof, each commercially available from BASF corp (fluglem park, new jersey). In a preferred embodiment, the orally acceptable vehicle comprises a poly (ethylene glycol) -poly (propylene glycol) -poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymer, such as +.>L35。

An orally acceptable vehicle can include a thickening system having one or more thickening agents. The one or more thickening agents may be any orally acceptable thickening agent or thickening agent configured to control the viscosity of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. Illustrative thickeners may be or include, but are not limited to, colloidal silica, fumed silica, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymers, crosslinked polyethylene Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and the like, or mixtures or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, the thickening system comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer, or a combination thereof. The thickening system may further compriseXL 10F, commercially available from Ashland Inc. (Kawenton, kentucky). Illustrative thickeners may also be or include, but are not limited to, carbomers (e.g., carboxyvinyl polymers), carrageenans (e.g., irish moss, carrageenan, iota carrageenan, etc.), high molecular weight polyethylene glycols (e.g., jersey)>Commercially available from Dow Chemical Company (midland, michigan), cellulose polymers, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and salts thereof (e.g., CMC sodium), natural gums (e.g., karaya gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic and tragacanth gum), colloidal magnesium aluminum silicate, and the like, or mixtures or combinations thereof.

In a more typical embodiment, the thickening system may comprise an organic polymer, which may also be configured as an adhesion enhancer. Illustrative organic polymers may be or include, but are not limited to, hydrophilic polymers such as carbomers, e.g., carboxymethylene polymers, e.g., acrylic acid polymers and acrylic acid copolymers. Carboxypolymethylene is a slightly acidic vinyl polymer having reactive carboxyl groups. In a typical embodiment, the thickening system comprises carboxypolymethylene, e.g 974 and/or 980, which are commercially available from Noveon, inc (cleveland, ohio).

The amount or concentration of the thickening system and/or any one or more thickening agents thereof present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can vary widely. The thickening system and/or thickening agent thereof present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can be in an amount of from about 1% to about 99% by weight based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the thickening system and/or thickening agent thereof can be present in an amount of about 1 wt%, about 2 wt%, about 3 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 20 wt%, or about 21 wt% to about 22 wt%, about 23 wt%, about 24 wt%, about 25 wt%, about 26 wt%, about 27 wt%, about 28 wt%, about 29 wt%, about 30 wt% or more, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In another example, the thickening system and/or thickener thereof may be present in an amount of about 1 wt% to about 30 wt%, about 3 wt% to about 29 wt%, about 14 wt% to about 28 wt%, about 15 wt% to about 27 wt%, about 16 wt% to about 26 wt%, about 17 wt% to about 25 wt%, about 18 wt% to about 24 wt%, about 19 wt% to about 23 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 22 wt%. In a typical embodiment, the whitening system and/or thickener may be present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof in an amount of from about 10% to about 20% by weight, more typically from about 1.2% to about 1.8% by weight, more typically about 1.5% by weight.

The orally acceptable vehicle can include one or more structuring agents. As used herein, the term or expression "structure building agent" may refer to a material that not only thickens an oral care product or whitening composition thereof, but also maintains the oral care composition in a homogeneous state. As used herein, the term or expression "homogeneous" may refer to a mixture, solution or composition consisting of or comprising two or more compounds, elements, substances, etc. uniformly dispersed into each other. The homogeneous oral care composition may be capable of remaining or exhibiting no phase separation after aging for at least 12 hours, at least 24 hours, at least 36 hours, at least 2 days, at least 3 days, at least 5 days, at least 10 days, at least 15 days, at least 20 days, at least 30 days, at least 2 months, at least 3 months, at least 5 months, at least 6 months, or at least 1 year.

Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the structure-building agent may generally interact with one or more components of the orally acceptable vehicle and/or other structure-building agents to maintain a homogeneous state. For example, the structure-building agent may be capable of or configured to form a gel or gel structure via self-assembly. The structure-building agent may be capable of or configured to form a gel with one or more components of the other structure-building agent and/or orally acceptable vehicle by interacting with one or more components of the other structure-building agent and/or orally acceptable vehicle via any one or more intermolecular forces (e.g., van der waals forces, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding, etc.).

In some embodiments, the structure-building agent may be or may include a polymer. In some examples, the structure-building agent may be or include an amphiphilic copolymer, wherein the amphiphilic copolymer is comprised of two or more monomers, wherein at least one of the monomers is hydrophilic (e.g., vinyl pyrrolidone), and wherein at least one of the monomers is hydrophobic (e.g., vinyl acetate). It is understood that the amphiphilic copolymer may be capable or configured to interact with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, substances or liquids. In at least one embodiment, the structure-building agent may be or include, but is not limited to, poloxamers as described above, crosslinked polymers such as crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone ("PVP"), polyvinylpyrrolidone copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymers, or any combination thereof. It is understood that crosslinked PVP swells in the presence of L35 by absorbing L35 into its crosslinked polymer network. The interaction between the crosslinked PVP and L35 can promote the formation of a homogeneous gel by preventing the solid crosslinked PVP from phase separating from the liquid L35.

Illustrative structure-building agents may be or include, but are not limited to, polymers and copolymers based on N-vinyllactams. Monomers useful in preparing the vinyllactam-based polymers or copolymers of the present application include any monomer having 3 to 8 atoms in the heterocycle that contains a carbonyl carbon atom and a heteroatom (e.g., N, S, O) in its vinyl moiety. Suitable monomers include, but are not limited to, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-piperidone, N-vinyl-3-methyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-3-methyl-piperidone, N-vinyl-3-methyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-4-methyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-4-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-4-methyl-piperidone, N-vinyl-4-methyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-5-methyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-5-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-4-methyl-piperidone, N-vinyl-3-ethyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-4, 5-dimethyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-5, 5-dimethyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-3, 5-trimethyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-5-methyl-5-ethyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-3, 4, 5-trimethyl-3-ethyl-pyrrolidone, N-6-methyl-6-ethyl-piperidone, N-vinyl-2-ethyl-piperidone, N-vinyl-3-methyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-3, 5-dimethyl-2-piperidone, N-vinyl-4, 4-dimethyl-2-piperidone, N-vinyl-2-caprolactam, N-vinyl-7-methyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-7-ethyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-3, 5-dimethyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-4, 6-dimethyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-3, 5, 7-trimethyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-2-valerolactam, N-vinyl-hexahydro-2-azepinone, N-vinyl-octahydro-2-azacyclooctanone, N-vinyloctahydro-2-azacyclononene, N-vinyldecahydro-2-azacyclodecanone, and the like, or combinations thereof.

The amount or concentration of any one or more structure building agents present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can vary widely. The amount of any one or more structure building agents present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can be from about 1% to about 99% by weight based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, the thickening system and/or thickening agent thereof can be present in an amount of about 1 wt%, about 2 wt%, about 3 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 20 wt%, or about 21 wt% to about 22 wt%, about 23 wt%, about 24 wt%, about 25 wt%, about 26 wt%, about 27 wt%, about 28 wt%, about 29 wt%, about 30 wt% or more, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In another example, any one or more of the structure-building agents can be present in an amount of about 1 wt.% to about 99 wt.%, about 3 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, about 14 wt.% to about 80 wt.%, about 15 wt.% to about 80 wt.%, about 16 wt.% to about 70 wt.%, about 17 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, about 18 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 19 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, or about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.%. In a typical embodiment, the amount of any one or more structuring agents present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may be from about 10% to about 20% by weight, more typically from about 1.2% to about 1.8% by weight, more typically about 1.5% by weight.

In some embodiments, the oral care product or an orally acceptable vehicle thereof can include a hydrophobic component or base material. The hydrophobic component may be or may include a hydrophobic polymer, such as a silicone polymer. The term "hydrophobic" or "water insoluble" as applied to polymers and as used herein may refer to organic polymers that are substantially non-aqueous and have a water solubility at 25 ℃ of less than one gram per 100 grams of water. Any such silicone polymer that is compatible with the components disclosed herein and that can produce an oral care product or whitening composition thereof having a desired viscosity can be used.

In some embodiments, hydrophobic polymers suitable for use in the present invention may be referred to as "silicone" polymers, which are also commonly referred to in the art as "silicone" polymers. In certain embodiments, the hydrophobic polymers may include those in which a whitening agent may be dispersed. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrophobic polymer may be or include, but is not limited to, a silicone-based hydrophobic polymer such as a polyorganosiloxane, in particular a polydimethylsiloxane.

In some embodiments, the silicone polymer that can function as part of the hydrophobic component is in the form of a fluid. Polysiloxane fluids useful herein as the hydrophobic silicone material component include those having a viscosity of about 1 centipoise (cP) to about 1 centipoise (cP) as measured at 25 deg.c Those of about 1000cP, or about 2cP to about 500cP, or about 20cP to about 400 cP. The polysiloxane fluids used herein may be linear or cyclic and may be substituted with a wide variety of substituents. Substituents may be or include, but are not limited to, methyl, ethyl, phenyl substituents, and the like, or mixtures thereof. Suitable silicone fluids may include linear silicone polymers such as dimethicone and other low viscosity analogs of silicone materials having a viscosity of about 200cP or less, and cyclomethicone, and other cyclic siloxanes having a viscosity of about 200cP or less. Other fluids include silicone polyether copolymers and hydroxy-terminated polydimethyl-siloxane fluids (e.g., dow Corning ST-DIMETHICONOL). ^TM 40. Dow Corning SGM 36, SGM 3). Commercial examples of materials suitable for use herein include the DC200 series of fluids sold by Dow-Corning corporation and the AK fluid series sold by Wacker-Chemie GmbH (Munich, germany). Polymeric silicone resins with polysiloxane blends may also be used, including powdered trimethylsiloxysilicates, such as Dow Corning 593 fluid, wacker Belsil TMS 803. Another suitable silicone fluid from Dow Corning is Q7-9210.

In some embodiments, the hydrophobic component may be or may include a silicone fluid. In some embodiments, the silicone fluid may be or may include a silicone polymer.

The hydrophobic component may be present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof in an amount of from about 10% to about 95%, from about 10% to about 80%, from about 10% to about 60%, from about 10% to about 40%, from about 10% to about 30% by weight based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof.

Adhesives or adhesion enhancers

In at least one embodiment, the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may optionally comprise one or more binders configured to improve, maintain, and/or promote adhesion of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof to the oral surface. The one or more binders may also be configured to increase the hydrophobicity of a film formed from the oral care product or whitening composition thereof, thereby allowing the film to withstand external challenges such as grinding, rubbing, or brushing.

Illustrative binders may be or include, but are not limited to, alkyd resins, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, poly (ethylene oxide), polyacrylate, ketone resins, polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers, polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight of 200 to 1000, polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block copolymers (Polyox), silicones, and the like, as well as mixtures or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, the one or more binders may include a silicone polymer, which is also commonly referred to in the art as a "silicone" polymer. Illustrative silicone-based hydrophobic polymers may be or include, but are not limited to, polyorganosiloxanes, polydiorganosiloxanes, and the like, and combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, the adhesion enhancing agent comprises at least one silicon Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA). Such PSAs may be pressure sensitive hydrophobic polymers specifically designed for pharmaceutical use, are permeable to a number of pharmaceutical compounds, and are applicable to transdermal administration of a variety of compounds. In some embodiments, the silicone polymer is a copolymerization product of a mixed silanol-terminated polydiorganosiloxane such as polydimethylsiloxane with a silanol-containing silicone resin, whereby the silanol groups of the polydiorganosiloxane undergo a condensation reaction with the silanol groups of the silicone resin such that the polydiorganosiloxane is lightly crosslinked by the silicone resin (i.e., the polydiorganosiloxane chains are bonded together by the resin molecules to give chain branching and entanglement and/or a small amount of network character) to form the silicone hydrophobic polymer. In at least one embodiment, the adhesion promoter is available under the trade name BIO-PSA from Dow Corning Company (Midland, michigan). Changing the ratio of silicone resin to polydiorganosiloxane will change the adhesion of the polymer. The ratio may be in the range of about 70:30 to about 50:50. For example, BIO-PSA silicones commercially available from Dow-Corning are available in different silicone resin to silicone polymer ratios, namely 65/35 (low tack), 60/40 (medium tack) and 55/45 (high tack). Such polyorganosiloxane PSA may be obtained in a form of being dissolved in an ethyl acetate solvent or polydimethylsiloxane. In at least one embodiment, the adhesion enhancing agent may comprise a silicone adhesive 8-7016, which is commercially available from Dow Corning Corporation (midland, michigan).

The one or more binders or adhesion enhancers may be present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof in an amount of from about 10% to about 80% by weight, from about 10% to about 60% by weight, from about 10% to about 50% by weight, from about 10% to about 40% by weight, from about 10% to about 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof.

Flavoring agent

The oral care product or whitening composition thereof may further comprise one or more flavoring agents. Illustrative flavoring agents may include, but are not limited to, essential oils and various flavoring aldehydes, esters, alcohols, and the like. Flavoring agents may also include, but are not limited to, sweeteners, sucralose, dextrose, polydextrose, sucrose, maltose, dextrin, dried invert sugar, mannose, xylose, ribose, fructose, levulose, galactose, corn syrup (including high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup solids), partially hydrolyzed starch, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, isomalt, aspartame, neotame, saccharin and salts thereof (e.g., sodium saccharin), dipeptide-based intense sweeteners, cyclamates, dihydrochalcones, and the like, or mixtures thereof. Examples of essential oils include oils of spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen, sassafras, clove, sage, eucalyptus, marjoram, cinnamon, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange. In another example, the flavoring agents may include menthol, carvone, and anethole. In a preferred embodiment, the flavoring agent comprises peppermint and spearmint. In a more preferred embodiment, the flavoring agent comprises a Firmenich Newman flavoring agent.

The amount of any one or more flavoring agents in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can be less than 1.0 wt%, less than 0.9 wt%, less than 0.8 wt%, or less than 0.7 wt%. For example, the amount of flavoring agent in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can be from about 0.0% to about 1.0% by weight, from about 0.5% to about 0.9% by weight, from about 0.7% to about 0.8% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of flavoring agent in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof is from about 0.01% to about 0.4% by weight, preferably from about 0.1% to about 0.3% by weight, or about 0.2% by weight.

Additional ingredients

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may comprise other additional ingredients/components. For example, the oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may comprise anticaries agents, desensitizing agents, viscosity modifiers, diluents, mouth feel agents, colorants, preservatives, and the like, or combinations or mixtures thereof. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that while the general properties of each of the above-mentioned classes of materials may be different, some common properties may also exist and any given material may be used for multiple purposes in two or more of these classes of materials.

In at least one embodiment, the additional ingredients/components may include one or more active materials configured to prevent and/or treat one or more diseases and/or conditions of the oral cavity. For example, the one or more active materials may be configured to prevent and/or treat one or more conditions and/or disorders of hard and/or soft tissues of the oral cavity. The active material may also be configured to prevent and/or treat one or more physiological disorders and/or conditions, and/or provide a beautification benefit to the oral cavity.

In at least one embodiment, the oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may comprise an anticalculus agent. In general, anticalculus agents may be incompatible with some whitening compositions, however, embodiments of the present disclosure may incorporate the anticalculus agent and whitening composition into a single phase oral care product. Illustrative anticalculus agents may include, but are not limited to, phosphates and polyphosphates (e.g., pyrophosphates), polyaminopropane sulfonic Acid (AMPS), hexametaphosphate, zinc citrate trihydrate, polypeptides, polyolefin sulfonates, polyolefin phosphates, bisphosphonates. In a typical embodiment, the anticalculus agent comprises tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP), sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP), or a combination thereof.

The oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may optionally comprise one or more antimicrobial agents and/or one or more preservatives such as Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, benzyl alcohol, and the like, or combinations thereof. In another example, the oral care composition may comprise one or more antibacterial agents selected from halogenated diphenyl ether (e.g., triclosan), herb extracts and essential oils (e.g., rosemary extract, tea extract, magnolia extract, thymol, menthol, eucalyptol, geraniol, carvacrol, citral, sabinol, catechol, methyl salicylate, epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, gallic acid, miswak (miswak) extract, sea buckthorn extract), biguanide preservatives (e.g., chlorhexidine, alexidine, or tinidine), quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g., cetyl Pyridinium Chloride (CPC), benzalkonium chloride, tetradecylpyridinium chloride (TPC), N-tetradecyl-4-ethyl pyridinium chloride (TDEPC)), phenolic preservatives, hexetidine, homo-tididine, sanguinarine, povidone iodine, delmopinol, salifluor, other metal ions (e.g., stannous salts, copper salts, iron salts), sanguinarine, propolis and oxidizing agents (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, buffered sodium peroxyborate or sodium peroxycarbonate), phthalic acid and salts thereof, monoperoxyphthalic acid and salts and esters thereof, ascorbyl stearate, oleoyl sarcosine, alkyl sulfate, dioctyl sulfosuccinate, salicylanilide, dimyrimidine bromide, delmopinol, octenol and other piperidinyl derivatives, niacin formulations, chlorites; or a mixture of any of the foregoing. In a typical embodiment, the antibacterial agent comprises cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). For example, all of the dual phase mouthwash compositions disclosed herein can comprise CPC as an antibacterial agent.

The oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may comprise an antioxidant. Any orally acceptable antioxidant may be used, including but not limited to: butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), vitamin a, carotenoids, vitamin E, flavonoids, polyphenols, ascorbic acid, herbal antioxidants, chlorophyll, melatonin, and the like, or combinations or mixtures thereof.

The amount or concentration of any one or more of the additional ingredients/components present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can vary widely. Any one or more of the additional ingredients/components present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may be present in an amount of from about 1% to about 99% by weight, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. For example, any one or more of the additional ingredients/components may be present in an amount of about 1 wt%, about 2 wt%, about 3 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 15 wt%, about 20 wt%, or about 21 wt% to about 22 wt%, about 23 wt%, about 24 wt%, about 25 wt%, about 26 wt%, about 27 wt%, about 28 wt%, about 29 wt%, about 30 wt% or more, based on the total weight of the oral care product or whitening composition thereof. In another example, any one or more of the additional ingredients/components may be present in an amount of about 1 wt% to about 99 wt%, about 3 wt% to about 90 wt%, about 14 wt% to about 80 wt%, about 15 wt% to about 80 wt%, about 16 wt% to about 70 wt%, about 17 wt% to about 60 wt%, about 18 wt% to about 50 wt%, about 19 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 30 wt%. In a typical embodiment, the amount of any one or more of the additional ingredients/components present in the oral care product or whitening composition thereof may be from about 10% to about 20% by weight, more typically from about 1.2% to about 1.8% by weight, more typically about 1.5% by weight.

All ingredients used in the compositions described herein should be orally acceptable. As used herein, the term "orally acceptable" refers to ingredients present in a composition as described in an amount and form that does not render the composition unsafe for use in the oral cavity.

Method

The present disclosure also provides methods of whitening teeth of a human or animal subject using the oral care products and/or whitening compositions disclosed herein. As used herein, "animal subject" may include higher non-human mammals such as canines, felines, and equines. The method can include contacting an oral care product, a whitening composition, or a hydrogen peroxide source thereof with water to initiate the formation of hydrogen peroxide. The method may further comprise contacting the oral care product or whitening composition thereof with a surface of the oral cavity, such as a surface of a tooth.

In some embodiments, contacting the surface of the tooth with the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can include applying the oral care product or whitening composition directly to the tooth using a delivery device, such as a pen (e.g.,whitening pen or->ACTIS ^TM Whitening pen, colgate-Palmolive Company (new york ); liquid sticks with applicators such as felt tips, brushes, running beads, nonwoven mats, and the like. In another embodiment, contacting the surface of the tooth with the oral care product or whitening composition thereof can include placing the oral care product or whitening composition thereof in a tray (e.g., a reservoir of tray) and placing the tray around the tooth. The oral care product or whitening composition can be applied to the teeth and left for at least 2 minutes, at least 5 minutes, typically at least 10 minutes, or more typically at least 30 minutes. After each treatment with the tooth whitening composition, the teeth may be treated with a tooth desensitizing agent. Exemplary desensitizing agents may contain potassium nitrate, citric acid, citrate, strontium chloride, and the like.

The oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may be applied at predetermined intervals and/or contacted with the surface of the teeth. For example once a day, at least once a day for a plurality of days, or once every other day. In another example, the oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may be applied and/or contacted with the tooth surface at least once a day, at least once every two days, at least once every three days, at least once every five days, at least once a week, at least once every two weeks, or at least once a month. The oral care product and/or whitening composition thereof may be used for up to 2 weeks, up to 3 weeks, up to 4 weeks, up to 6 weeks, up to 8 weeks, or longer.

The tray may be of any conventional form and may be formed from conventionally used polymers such as thermoplastic polymers. Thermosetting polymers may also be used. Accordingly, the tray may range from high flexibility to low flexibility. Thermoplastic polymers are generally used. Illustrative thermoplastic polymers may be or include, but are not limited to, polyethylene and polypropylene polymers, derivatives and copolymers thereof, silicone elastomers, polyurethanes and derivatives, polycaprolactams, polystyrene and derivatives, polybutadiene and derivatives, polyisoprene and derivatives, polymethacrylates and derivatives thereof, and the like, or combinations thereof.

All ingredients used in the compositions described herein should be orally acceptable. As used herein, "orally acceptable" may refer to any ingredient present in a composition as described in an amount and in a form that does not render the composition unsafe for use in the oral cavity.

Examples

The examples and other embodiments described herein are exemplary and are not intended to be limiting in describing the full scope of the compositions and methods of the present disclosure. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations of specific embodiments, materials, compositions and methods may be made within the scope of the present disclosure, with substantially similar results.

Example 1

The whitening efficacy of the control gel whitening composition (4) and the three test gel whitening compositions (1) - (3) for whitening teeth was evaluated. Each of the control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4) was prepared by combining the components/ingredients according to table 1. As shown in table 1, control whitening composition (4) contained about 0.1 wt.% hydrogen peroxide, while test whitening compositions (1) - (3) contained a combination of 0.1 wt.% hydrogen peroxide with varying amounts of the salt of monopersulfate, i.e., potassium Monopersulfate (MPS). In particular, the test whitening compositions (1), (2) and (3) comprise about 1 wt.%, about 3 wt.% and about 5 wt.% MPS. The control whitening composition (4) represents a commercially available whitening gel product.

TABLE 1

Composition of control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4)

To evaluate the whitening efficacy of the control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4), bovine teeth stained with tobacco solutions and having L values of about 60 were obtained. A total of four teeth were used to evaluate each of the control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4). To evaluate whitening efficacy, each bovine tooth was subjected to 14 whitening cycles. Each whitening cycle included applying about 50mg of each of the control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4) to the respective surfaces of the bovine teeth, immersing the teeth in a circulatory system containing phosphate buffer and maintained at a pH of about 7 for about 15 minutes, removing the control and test gel whitening compositions (1) - (4) and buffer from the bovine tooth surfaces, and thoroughly drying the bovine teeth.

The values of L, a, b were measured using a hand-held spectrophotometer (SPECTROSHADE Micro instrument, manufactured by Medical High Technology of verona, italy). The values of L, a, b were compared to baseline values measured prior to treatment to calculate the change in whiteness of each bovine tooth. It is understood that the whiteness index (W) is a measure of the overall color change relative to pure white, given by equation (1), and the change in whiteness index (Δw) is measured by equation (2). It is also understood that the lower the whiteness index (Δw x), the whiter the teeth. The change in whiteness index (Δw) or whitening efficacy is summarized in table 2.

W*＝((L*-100) ² +(a*) ² +(b*) ² ) ^1/2 (1)

ΔW*＝W* _{Treatment of} –-W* _{Base line} (2)

Table 2 control and test whitening compositions (1) - (4) whitening efficacy (aw x)

As illustrated in table 2, the test gel whitening compositions (1) - (3) each show relatively higher whitening efficacy in removing stains that are difficult to remove, such as tobacco stains, than the control gel whitening composition (4) comprising hydrogen peroxide alone.

The present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. While a limited number of embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the preceding detailed embodiments. The disclosure is intended to be interpreted as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An oral care composition comprising:

an orally acceptable vehicle;

a whitening promoting agent dispersed in the orally acceptable vehicle, wherein the whitening promoting agent comprises a salt of monopersulfate; and

a source of hydrogen peroxide.

2. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the salt of monopersulfate is an alkali metal salt of monopersulfate.

3. The oral care composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the whitening promoting agent comprises potassium monopersulfate.

4. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the whitening promoter consists essentially of the salt of monopersulfate, optionally the whitening promoter consists of the salt of monopersulfate.

5. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the whitening composition is substantially free of water prior to use.

6. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the orally acceptable vehicle comprises a structuring agent.

7. The oral care composition of claim 6, wherein the structure building agent comprises an amphiphilic copolymer, optionally the amphiphilic copolymer comprises a polyvinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer.

8. The oral care composition of claim 6, wherein the structure building agent comprises a poloxamer, optionally the poloxamer comprises a poly (ethylene glycol) -poly (propylene glycol) -poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymer.

9. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the hydrogen peroxide source comprises a crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogen peroxide complex.

10. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the oral care composition is a tooth whitening gel.

11. The oral care composition of any preceding claim, wherein the whitening promoter is present in an amount of from about 1 wt% to about 5 wt%, based on the total weight of the oral care composition.

12. A method for whitening a subject's teeth, the method comprising contacting the oral care composition of any of the preceding claims with a surface of a subject's teeth in need thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein contacting the oral care composition with the surface of the teeth comprises directly applying the oral care composition with a delivery device, optionally, an applicator comprising a brush, a bead, or a felt tip.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein contacting the oral care composition with the surface of the tooth comprises placing the oral care composition in a tray and placing the tray around the tooth.

15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the oral care composition is contacted with the surface of the tooth for at least 5 minutes, optionally at least 10 minutes, further optionally at least 15 minutes.