Chewing Gum and Ingredients to Chemically Inhibit Formation of Plaque and Calculus

This invention relates to chewing gum in particular and confections in general, which includes in it: soluble poly-pyrophosphates and sanguinarine (a benzophenanthridine alkaloid).

This invention is of a chewing gum product in which the 2 chemicals referred to in the preceding paragraph work to chemically inhibit the formation of plaque and calculus.

The consequences of plaque and calculus build-up are periodontal disease, carries, and tooth staining.

Dental plaque is the organic film which develops on the salivary pellicle that coats the teeth, tongue cheeks, roof, and floor of the mouth. This organic film is composed of bacteria and their products. Dental plaque is a chemically complex and dynamic ecological system.

Dental plaque is divided into two major types: supragingival and subgingival. Dental plaque does its damage on the teeth, gums, and bone, by breaking down dietary carbohydrates through the process of glycolysis, thereby decreasing the plaque pH into the acidic range. When the pH of plaque is in the acidic range it breaks down teeth, gums, and supporting bone.

Furthermore, if the dental plaque is not removed, the presence of crystalline foci start to develop. within the plaque layer. This crystallization of plaque is called calculus. Calculus, like plaque, is formed supraginginally and subgininally. If not removed, these deposits cause inflammation and breakdown of the supportive tissues of teeth.

In the broadest description this invention is directed at the chemical inhibitions of the formation of plaque and calculus in the oral cavity.

Specifically, the invention involves a process of incorporating ingredients into the gum base that affect and interfere with the normal chemical development of plaque and calculus in the oral cavity.

The ingredients are sanguinarine (a benzophenanthridine alkaloid) and the soluble poly-pyrophosphates.

Sanguinarine is a new effective plaque inhibiting agent. Sanguinarine is an extract taken from the blood root plant (and has never been used in a gum base in the prior art). The use of sanguinarine in a gum base, to produce an effective oral health delivery system, is new and unique to the field of chewing gum and confections. Sanguinarine works by interfering with the bacteria's ability to convert carbohydrates into gum-eating acids. In other words, it is antiglycolytic in saliva. Sanguinarine also blocks the enzymes that destroy collagen in gum tissue. Sanguinarine becomes absorbed by plaque, the tongue surface, and salivary sediment, whereby the sanguinarine is effective for up to one or two hours.

The soluble poly-pyrophosphates are crystal-growth inhibitors that chemically interrupt the transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate into dental calculus. The soluble poly-pyrophosphates have also been shown to chemically reduce the amount of calculus and the number of sites affected with calculus in the oral cavity.

In a first example the following ingredients are utilized:

(A) Melt gum base in a steam jacketed kettle.

(B) Cool to 180.degree. F., add lecithin and flavor, mix for 2 minutes.

(C) Add sorbitol syrup, mix for 2 minutes.

(D) Mix the sanguinarine, soluble polypyrophosphates and artificial sweetener together.

(Add the above mentioned additives to gum base mixture and mix for 5 minutes.

(F) Remove from kettle, bench cool.

(G) Roll, score, and cut the gum.

Ingredients:

240 ml of butter

540 ml of granulated sugar

1.25 ml of salt

240 ml of light corn syrup

320 ml sweetened condensed milk

5 ml of vanilla or chocolate

0.5 to 1% of sanguinarine

0.5 to 1% of poly-pyrophosphate

(A) Melt butter, add sugar and salt, stir until blended.

(B) Add corn syrup and stir constantly, gradually adding the milk.

(C) Cook over moderate heat 120.degree. C. until the mixture get a firm consistency.

(D) Remove from heat, add sanguinarine, poly-pyrophosphate, and vanilla or chocolate.

(E) Quickly spread into lightly greased pan, wait for it to cool.

(F) Cut into 1" squares and wrap caramel in wax or plastic wrap.

The sanguinarine is in the form of pure sanguinaria extract or a combination of sanguinaria and zinc chloride.

This invention incorporates two ingredients that chemically attack plaque and calculus in a chewing gum/confection; thereby providing a safe, pleasant, and convenient method of complementing tooth-brushing and flossing between professional visits.

This gum/confection is effective because (1) it helps normalize interproximal plaque PH after acidogenic snack food is ingested--compared to not chewing the gum--and after cessation of gum chewing the plaque pH will be above cariogenic potential. (2) The gum helps inhibit the formation of plaque. (3) The gum helps depress the formation of calculus deposits in rapid calculus formers, and in slow calculus formers the calculus deposits are less mineralized.

This invention uses two new chemicals to inhibit the formation of plaque and calculus. There is no evidence in the Prior Art of the use of these ingredients and the means in which they work.

By using the soluble poly-pyrophosphates and sanguinarine this invention inhibits both the formation of plaque and its by product caluclus at the same time.

The biochemical reason that the gum of this application with its use of soluble poly-pyrophosphates retains its anti-calculus effect in the presence of the oral enzyme phosphatase is the following. The soluble poly-pyrophosphates are remarkably stable in the presence of oral phosphatase. The enzyme phosphatase does hydrolize the soluble poly-pyrophates but only to the pyrophosphate and diphosphonate stage.