Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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P 29794
Preparation for Mouth and Tooth Care
Tooth care preparations have been prepared for many years in the
form~of pastes, the so-called toothpastes. Herein the starting
material is essentially a precipitated calcium carbonate which
has been formulated with water, glycerol, surface-active sub-
stances and thickening agents to obtain a paste and is filled
into tubes or dispensers. The toothpaste has conquered the mar-
ket while other tooth care preparations like drops, tooth soaps
and powders or pellets scarcely play a role any more. The prepa-
rations are proposed to remove the bacterial plaque, to serve
for caries prophylaxis and for the careful cleaning of the teeth
substantially supported by brushing, and to thoroughly clean the
mouth cavity and refresh the same in a pleasant manner.
During recent years the picture of the toothpastes has not sub-
stantially changed although the formulas have been modified in
various aspects. The use of a rather coarse form of calcium
carbonate for mechanically cleaning the teeth has more and more
been replaced by modern, finer polishing agents on the basis of
aluminum oxide or silicium dioxide (silica gel). Next to ten-
sides structure-forming components and sophisticated taste cor-
recting agents are used. Often active agents like particularly
various fluoro derivatives or mineral salts are added. The
volume could sometimes be reduced; certainly the introduction
and general use of electric toothbrushes has had a strong in-
fluence in this regard.
The handling of toothpastes is, however, accompanied by a number
of disadvantages. Because the dosing from simple tubes is diffi-
cult, dispensers have recently been developed which always de-
liver a predetermined amount of toothpaste. These dispensers
are, however, relatively big and therefore scarcely suitable for
use when travelling. Tubes are pressure-sensitive and therefore
also not ideal when travelling. In dispensers as well as in
tubes toothpaste can dry out during longer interruptions of use,
so that the used receptacles have to be discarded. In addition
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it is not possible to completely empty tubes as well as dispen-
sers. After use the receptacles made from metal or plastic are
retai~ned and cause pollution.
In contrast it is the object of the present invention to provide
a new administration and dosage form for mouth and tooth care
preparations which does not develop the aforementioned dis-
advantages. In particular it is the ob~ect to make possible and
secure exact dosage for the single toothcleaning procedure and
to provide the possibility to completely use the preparation
without remains staying in the package.
The mouth and tooth care preparation of the invention on the
basis of tensides, polishing agents, aromatizing substances as
well as additional usual additives is characterized in that the
active agents and additives are formulated in a binding agent or
a m~xture of binding agents which consists of water-soluble or
water-swellable, physiologically acceptable film forming sub-
stances and that this mixture is formulated into a film whereby
the so formed film is pre-segmented in dosage units.
The mouth and tooth care preparations may comprise such compo-
nents which are normally used for the preparation of tooth-
pastes, with natural starting materials being particularly pre-
ferred. In addition it is important for all components to be
completely non-toxic and physiologically acceptable which, of
course, also applies to the film forming substances to be used.
The following components are to be mentioned as the essential
components of tooth care preparations:
- abrasives like calcium carbonate, calcium and sodium phos-
phate, aluminum oxide or silicium dioxide, particularly
silica gels
- tensides (foaming agents) like sodiumlaurylsulfate, sodium-
laurylsulfoacetate, sarcoside, monoglycerylsulfate and
others
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- aromatizing agents like peppermint oil, spearmint oil,
aniseed oil, cinnamon oil, oil of cloves, menthol and the
like
- sweetening agents like saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame and
the like.
The liquid components usually present in toothpastes like glyce-
rol, propylene glykol or sorbite syrup do not have to be added
to the preparations according to the invention in film-form,
since the plasticity necessary for tubes or dispensers does not
play a role in this regard. Additional usual additives like
fluoro compounds, agents against the forming of tartar, anti-
bacterial agents and the like, as normally used in mouth and
tooth care preparations can also be used according to the
invention.
As water-soluble or water-swellable film-forming agents starch,
gelatines, glycerols and/or sorbite are particularly suitable as
well as natural and synthetic resins and gums. The following
basic formulation has proved suitable:
gelatine 8 - 10 g
starch 3 - 8 g
glycerol 1 - 2 g
water 30 - 50 g.
In this basic material the components of the mouth and tooth
care preparations are dissolved or dispersed to obtain a uniform
distribution of the substances. The mixture so obtained can
according to the invention be formulated in various manner into
mouth and tooth care preparation in the form of a film:
a) It is in the first place possible to formulate the mass
directly into a foil which generally will have a thickness
of between 0.1 and 3 mm. Through predetermined fraction
points this foil can be pre-segmented into dosage units by
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punching or perforation with the strip broadness and length
preferably corresponding to about the size of the tooth-
brush, i.e. of the surface formed by the free bristle ends
of the bristle block or the surface of the longitudinal
cross-cut of the bristle block in the bristle level.
b) Alternatively the mass can be applied onto a carrier film,
the composition of which corresponds to the binding agent of
the mass, as disclosed in detail in EP-OS 219 762. The films
obtained in this manner can also be pre-segmented as indi-
cated above.
c) In addition it is possible to apply the mass onto a release
film or release paper as known from DE-PS 36 30 603. In this
case the coating is pre-segmented in separate segments of
the size as indicated above which prior to use can be peeled
off the carrier film in a manner similar to adhesive
stickers.
In all cases an administration and dosage form is obtained, the
application of which is particularly convenient since the amount
to be used is uniformly predetermined in each case. A dosage is
separated or peeled off in a form of a film segment and is
placed onto the moistened toothbrush or between the bristles
where it adheres and swells through moisture contact. Through
the insertion into the mouth cavity and in connection with the
saliva and the intensive movement of the toothbrush the strip is
pre-dissolved and dissolved so that the components can develop
their full activity. After use and subsequent mouth washing with
water no remains are retained in the mouth.
Optionally the foils can be printed, stamped or punched in
various manners, with the possibility to apply designs particu-
larly for children. The opening and closing of tube closures is
not necessary, no toothpaste is spoiled and the administration
form of the invention is particularly suitable for travelling,
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since it is light of weight, no leaking has to be taken into
account and it occupies extremely little space. Packaging is
possible in non-polluting cardboard cases without the use of
metals or plastics.
The preparations of the invention are suitable not only for
tooth care in the mouth but also, given a suitable composition,
for cleaning and care of artificial teeth and dentures. For the
last mentioned purpose a multiple coating is particularly ad-
vantageous, which comprises the cleaning, disinfecting and
acidic components in one layer, while, optionally separated by
an also water-soluble barrier layer, the second layer comprises
the CO2 or 2 releasing substances.
Example
A tooth care preparation according to the invention has the
following composition:
amylogum 57.0 g
honey 25.0 g
citric acid 2.0 g
titanium dioxide 1.0 g
aromatizing agents 1.0 g
silicium dioxide 3.0 g
Ca-hydrog.-phos. 10.0 g
Na-laurylsulfate 1.0 g
A slurry is formed using the necessary amount of water which is
formulated into a film having a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The
film is segmented into segments of 8 x 35 mm by perforation.
Optionally the mass can be applied onto release paper as carrier
and can be pre-segmented in segments of the size as indicated
above by punching.
