Intraoral device cleaning agent for effervescent tablets

Abstract

To provide an intraoral device cleaning agent for effervescent tablets, the cleaning agent containing isopropyl methylphenol and menthol, while being capable of suppressing the occurrence of sticking during tableting.SOLUTION: An intraoral device cleaning agent for effervescent tablets according to the present disclosure is characterized by containing, (A) isopropyl methylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one substance selected from a group consisting of malic acid and salts thereof, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein a content of component (C) is 0.1-3 wt.%, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonic acid compound selected from a group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonate and carbonate, and an acid other than malic acid.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an oral appliance cleaning agent for effervescent tablets that can easily remove the slime of oral appliances and suppress the occurrence of sticking during tableting molding.

Background Art

[0002] Oral appliances such as dentures are prone to adhesion of bacteria, biofilms, and other deposits. If left uncleaned, they can not only cause bad breath but also contribute to the induction of oral diseases such as periodontal disease. Therefore, as part of oral care, it is essential to clean and keep oral appliances clean. Bacteria and dirt attached to oral appliances cannot be sufficiently removed by brushing, so cleaning with a cleaning agent is important.

[0003] The cleaning of oral appliances with a cleaning agent is generally performed by immersing the oral appliance in cleaning water prepared by adding the cleaning agent to water. Conventionally, oral appliance cleaning agents have been formulated with surfactants and foaming agents (carbonic acid compounds and acids), which are designed to exhibit chemical cleaning power due to the surfactant action and physical cleaning power due to the foaming action when added to water, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect. However, biofilms and the like attached to oral appliances cannot be sufficiently removed by the action of surfactants and foaming agents, so even when cleaned with an oral appliance cleaning agent, a large amount remains on the oral appliance, contributing to slime.

[0004] Conventionally, in order to remove biofilms attached to oral appliances, oral appliance cleaning agents containing bleaching agents have been used.

[0005] In addition, it is also known that by incorporating enzymes such as protease, cellulase, β-1,3-glucanase, lipase, and mutanase into a denture cleanser, it is possible to impart an effect of removing biofilm adhering to the denture (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). Further, Patent Document 5 describes that a liquid composition for denture cleaning containing (A) polyoxyethylene alkyl ether having an average addition mole number of ethylene oxide of 10 to 20 and an alkyl group having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, (B) protease, and (C) a cationic bactericide exhibits excellent removing power and bactericidal power against denture biofilm.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, even for a cleanser for intraoral appliances containing a bleaching agent or an enzyme, the effect of removing biofilm is not sufficient, and it has not been possible to sufficiently remove the sliminess of intraoral appliances caused by biofilm or the like. Thus, for a cleanser for intraoral appliances containing a bleaching agent or an enzyme, there is a limit to the effect of removing the sliminess of intraoral appliances. Further, from the viewpoint of expanding the variety of cleansers for intraoral appliances, the development of new formulation technologies for easily removing the sliminess of intraoral appliances has been demanded.

[0008] The present inventors have studied a new formulation technology for removing the sliminess of oral appliances, and surprisingly found that by combining and formulating isopropylmethylphenol and menthol in an oral appliance cleaner, the sliminess of the oral appliance can be easily removed.

[0009] However, when isopropylmethylphenol and menthol are combined and formulated in an oral appliance cleaner, a new problem arises in the tableting of the oral appliance cleaner, where the binding force between the components in the tablet decreases, making sticking (the phenomenon where a part of the raw material adheres to the pestle and mortar and a part of the tablet peels off) likely to occur.

[0010] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets that contains isopropylmethylphenol and menthol and can suppress the occurrence of sticking during tableting.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] The present inventors have intensively studied to solve the above problems, and surprisingly found that by further formulating at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts in an oral appliance cleaner containing isopropylmethylphenol and menthol, the occurrence of sticking during tableting can be suppressed. The present disclosure has been completed by further studies based on such findings.

[0012] That is, the present disclosure provides an invention in the following aspects. Item 1. (A) Isopropylmethylphenol, (B) Menthol, (C) At least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) A foaming agent, The content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, The foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, and double salts of bicarbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, and is an oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets. Item 2. The oral appliance cleaning agent for the effervescent tablets according to Item 1, wherein the oral appliance cleaning agent is a denture cleaning agent. Item 3. A method for producing a tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaning agent, which comprises (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the (D) foaming agent is a raw material mixture which is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, and the raw material mixture is subjected to a tableting step. Item 4. A tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaning agent obtained from the oral appliance cleaning agent for effervescent tablets according to Item 1 or 2. Item 5. Use of a composition comprising (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the (D) foaming agent is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, for cleaning oral appliances. Item 6. Use of a composition comprising (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the (D) foaming agent is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, as an oral appliance cleaning agent for effervescent tablets. Item 7. Use of a composition comprising (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the (D) foaming agent is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, as a tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaning agent. Item 8. A method for cleaning an intraoral appliance, which comprises immersing the intraoral appliance in water into which a tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner is put, the cleaner containing: (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid. Item 9. Use of a composition for producing an intraoral appliance cleaner in the form of a foaming tablet, the composition containing: (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid. Item 10. Use of a composition for producing a tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner, the composition containing: (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] The oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets of the present disclosure can easily peel off and remove the sliminess of the oral appliance by containing a combination of isopropylmethylphenol and menthol. By washing the oral appliance using the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner obtained by tableting and molding with the oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets of the present disclosure, the discomfort caused by the sliminess of the oral appliance can be reduced when the washed oral appliance is reinstalled by hand and after reinstallation in the oral cavity. Further, since the oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets of the present disclosure can easily remove the sliminess of the oral appliance, there is an advantage that variations of the oral appliance cleaner having an effect of removing the sliminess of the oral appliance can be expanded. Furthermore, the oral appliance cleaner for effervescent tablets of the present disclosure contains at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts in addition to isopropylmethylphenol and menthol, so sticking during tableting and molding can be suppressed, manufacturing loss in the tableting and molding process can be suppressed, and high manufacturing efficiency can be achieved in industrial manufacturing.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] In this specification, the notation X~Y regarding a numerical range indicates that it is X or more and Y or less.

[0015] In this specification, the "oral appliance" means a dental wearing appliance that needs to be attached and detached in the oral cavity, such as a complete denture (full denture), a partial denture (partial denture), an orthodontic appliance, a retainer, and a mouthpiece.

[0016] 1. Oral Appliance Cleaner for Effervescent Tablets The oral appliance cleaner for foaming tablets of the present disclosure (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "oral appliance cleaner") contains (A) isopropylmethylphenol (hereinafter, may be referred to as component (A)), (B) menthol (hereinafter, may be referred to as component (B)), at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts (hereinafter, may be referred to as component (C)), and (D) a foaming agent (hereinafter, may be referred to as component (D)), wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, and double salts of bicarbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid. Hereinafter, the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0017] [(A) Isopropylmethylphenol] The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains isopropylmethylphenol as component (A). In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, component (A) is a component for easily removing (making it easier to remove) the slime of the oral appliance when combined and formulated with component (B). Further, by containing component (A) in the oral appliance cleaner, an antibacterial and bactericidal effect can be imparted to the oral appliance cleaner. In this specification, "isopropylmethylphenol" means "4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol". The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may further contain structural isomers of isopropylmethylphenol, such as thymol and carvacrol.

[0018] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of component (A) may be appropriately set within a range where a desired slime removal effect can be obtained, for example, 0.001 to 10% by weight. From the viewpoint of easily and effectively removing the slime of the oral appliance, it is preferably 0.01 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.03 to 1% by weight, and still more preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight.

[0019] [(B) Menthol] The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains menthol as component (B). In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, component (B) is a component for easily removing (making it easier to remove) the stickiness of the oral appliance when combined with component (A). Further, by including menthol in the oral appliance cleaner, a refreshing feeling can be given to the wearer's mouth when the cleaned oral appliance is worn, and the cleaning effect can be felt.

[0020] As the menthol, any of d-form, l-form, and dl-form may be used, but from the viewpoint of easily and effectively removing the stickiness of the oral appliance, l-menthol is preferably used. Also, menthol can be used in the form of essential oil. The essential oil containing menthol is not particularly limited, and examples include spearmint oil, peppermint oil, perilla oil, and white perilla oil. The exemplified menthol and essential oils may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of component (B) (when using essential oil, the content converted to the amount of menthol) may be appropriately set within the range where the desired stickiness removal effect can be obtained. For example, it is 0.001 to 10% by weight. From the viewpoint of easily and effectively removing the stickiness of the oral appliance, preferably it is 0.01 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.03 to 1% by weight, and still more preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight.

[0022] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content ratio of component (B) to component (A) is not particularly limited. The content of component (B) is, for example, 10 to 1000 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of component (A). From the viewpoint of easily and effectively removing the stickiness of the oral appliance, preferably it is 50 to 500 parts by weight, more preferably 70 to 300 parts by weight, and still more preferably 80 to 200 parts by weight.

[0023] [(C) Malic acid and its salts] The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains, as component (C), at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts. Examples of the salts include alkali metal salts such as sodium salts and potassium salts, and ammonium salts. The oral appliance cleaner containing component (A) and component (B) has a drawback that sticking easily occurs during tableting. However, in the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, by containing component (C), the above drawback is overcome, and the occurrence of sticking during tableting can be suppressed. Further, component (C) serves as a constituent component of (D) foaming agent, and plays a role of reacting with the carbonic acid compound during cleaning of the oral appliance to generate carbon dioxide gas.

[0024] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, regarding the content of component (C), from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the occurrence of sticking during tableting, it is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and from the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the occurrence of sticking during tableting, preferably 0.5 to 2% by weight.

[0025] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content ratio of component (C) to component (A) is not particularly limited. The content of component (C) per 1 part by weight of component (A) is, for example, 0.1 to 100 parts by weight. From the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the occurrence of sticking during tableting, preferably 1 to 50 parts by weight, more preferably 3 to 40 parts by weight, and still more preferably 5 to 30 parts by weight.

[0026] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content ratio of component (C) to component (B) is not particularly limited. The content of component (C) per 1 part by weight of component (B) is, for example, 0.1 to 100 parts by weight. From the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing the occurrence of sticking during tableting, preferably 1 to 50 parts by weight, more preferably 3 to 40 parts by weight, and still more preferably 5 to 30 parts by weight.

[0027] [(D) foaming agent] The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains, as component (D), a foaming agent which is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, and double salts of hydrogen carbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid. Since the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains the (D) foaming agent, carbon dioxide bubbles can be generated in the cleaning water, and by exerting the physical cleaning power due to the foaming action, the stickiness of the oral appliance can be removed more easily and effectively.

[0028] The carbonate is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include alkali metal salts of carbonic acid such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. The hydrogen carbonate is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include alkali metal salts of hydrogen carbonate such as sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate. The double salt of the carbonate and the hydrogen carbonate is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium sesquicarbonate. The carbonate compound may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The acid other than malic acid is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include organic acids such as citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, and salicylic acid; inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid and sulfamic acid. The acid may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0029] As the carbonate compound constituting the foaming agent, preferably an alkali metal salt of hydrogen carbonate and an alkali metal salt of carbonic acid, more preferably sodium hydrogen carbonate and sodium carbonate are mentioned. As the acid constituting the foaming agent, preferably an organic acid, more preferably citric acid is mentioned.

[0030] Regarding the ratio of the carbonate compound and the acid in the foaming agent, it is not particularly limited as long as the two can react in water to generate carbon dioxide, but the content of the acid (including malic acid) per 100 parts by weight of the carbonate compound is, for example, 10 to 200 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 150 parts by weight, more preferably 20 to 100 parts by weight.

[0031] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the foaming agent (total amount of carbonic acid compound and acid (including malic acid)) is not particularly limited as long as sufficient carbon dioxide bubbles can be generated during the cleaning of the oral appliance. For example, it may be 10 to 75% by weight, preferably 20 to 70% by weight, more preferably 30 to 65% by weight.

[0032] [Other components] In addition to the components described above, the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may contain other components as necessary, provided that it does not interfere with the effects of the present disclosure.

[0033] (Bleaching agent) The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure preferably contains a bleaching agent. By including a bleaching agent, the detergency can be improved, and the film on the oral appliance can be more effectively removed.

[0034] Regarding the type of bleaching agent used in the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, there is no particular limitation as long as it is non-toxic and physiologically acceptable, and those commonly used in oral appliance cleaners can be widely used.

[0035] Examples of the bleaching agent include oxygen-based bleaching agents such as monopersulfate, perborate, percarbonate, and persulfate.

[0036] As the monopersulfate, specifically, alkali metal salts of monopersulfuric acid such as sodium monopersulfate and potassium monopersulfate (such as bis(peroxymonosulfuric acid)·bis(sulfuric acid)·pentapotassium), ammonium monopersulfate, and hydrates thereof can be mentioned. As the perborate, specifically, alkali metal salts of perboric acid such as sodium perborate and potassium perborate, ammonium perborate, and hydrates thereof can be mentioned. As the percarbonate, specifically, alkali metal salts of percarbonic acid such as sodium percarbonate and potassium percarbonate, ammonium percarbonate, and hydrates thereof can be mentioned. As the persulfate, specifically, alkali metal salts of persulfuric acid such as sodium persulfate and potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, and hydrates thereof can be mentioned. The exemplified bleaching agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the exemplified bleaching agents, preferably monopersulfate, perborate, and percarbonate, more preferably alkali metal salts of monopersulfuric acid, alkali metal salts of perboric acid, and alkali metal salts of percarbonic acid, and still more preferably potassium monopersulfate, sodium perborate, and sodium percarbonate can be mentioned.

[0037] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the bleaching agent may be appropriately set within a range capable of exerting a desired bleaching effect. For example, 1 to 40% by weight, preferably 5 to 35% by weight, more preferably 10 to 30% by weight can be mentioned.

[0038] (Bleaching activator) When the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains an oxygen-based bleaching agent, it may contain a bleaching activator. The bleaching activator is a component that reacts with HO2 - generated from the oxygen-based bleaching agent in water to generate a more highly bleaching organic peracid.

[0039] As the bleaching activator, known ones can be used without particular limitation. For example, tetraacetylethylenediamine; alkanoyloxybenzenesulfonic acid having an alkanoyl group with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 12 carbon atoms, or a salt thereof; alkanoyloxybenzoic acid having an alkanoyl group with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 12 carbon atoms, or a salt thereof, etc. can be mentioned. Examples of the salt include alkali metal salts, ammonium salts, etc. The exemplified bleaching activators may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the exemplified bleaching activators, tetraacetylethylenediamine is preferably used from the viewpoint of excellent efficiency in generating organic peracids.

[0040] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the bleaching activator may be appropriately adjusted according to the content of the oxygen-based bleaching agent. For example, 0.01 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 3% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 2% by weight can be mentioned.

[0041] (Surfactant) The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may contain a surfactant. The surfactant serves as a component that exhibits a chemical cleaning action, etc.

[0042] Regarding the type of the surfactant formulated in the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, there is no particular limitation as long as it can be used as a component of the cleaner, and any of an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, and an amphoteric surfactant may be used. Among these surfactants, preferably an anionic surfactant can be mentioned.

[0043] Examples of anionic surfactants include, for example, α-olefin sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkylsulfonacetates, alkane sulfonates, and the like. Examples of the salt form of the anionic surfactant include alkali metal salts such as sodium and potassium, alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium and calcium, ammonium salts, amine salts, and acid addition salts such as hydrochloride salts. Among the anionic surfactants, α-olefin sulfonates and alkyl sulfates are preferably used, and sodium α-olefin sulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfate are more preferably used.

[0044] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, one surfactant may be blended alone, or two or more surfactants may be blended in combination.

[0045] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the surfactant is not particularly limited as long as it can exhibit a foaming action during cleaning of the oral appliance, and may be appropriately set according to the type of surfactant used, the cleaning power to be provided, and the like. For example, the total amount of the surfactant is 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 7% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight.

[0046] (Sugar alcohol) The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may contain a sugar alcohol. The sugar alcohol is a component that serves as a binder.

[0047] The type of sugar alcohol is not particularly limited. For example, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, and the like can be mentioned. The exemplified sugar alcohols may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the exemplified sugar alcohols, sorbitol is preferably used.

[0048] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of sugar alcohol is, for example, 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 3 to 20% by weight, more preferably 4 to 15% by weight, in terms of the total amount of sugar alcohol.

[0049] (Polyalkylene glycol) The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may contain a polyalkylene glycol. The polyalkylene glycol is a component that serves as a binder.

[0050] Specific examples of the polyalkylene glycol include polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polybutylene glycol, and the like.

[0051] The polyalkylene glycol may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the above-exemplified polyalkylene glycols, polyethylene glycol is preferably used.

[0052] In the oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the polyalkylene glycol is, for example, 0.1 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 2% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 1.5% by weight.

[0053] (Lubricant) The oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may contain a lubricant in order to facilitate the process of forming it into a tablet shape.

[0054] The type of the lubricant is not particularly limited. For example, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, sodium stearyl fumarate, sucrose fatty acid ester, sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, light anhydrous silicic acid, hydrous silicon dioxide, and the like can be mentioned.

[0055] The lubricant may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the above-exemplified lubricants, magnesium stearate is preferably used.

[0056] In the oral cavity appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the content of the lubricant is, for example, 0.01 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.015 to 0.5% by weight, more preferably 0.02 to 0.3% by weight.

[0057] In addition, other additives that can be incorporated into the oral cavity appliance cleaner of the present disclosure include, for example, a base material (such as sodium sulfate), a fragrance (other than menthol), a fragrance impregnating agent, an enzyme (such as protease), a pigment, magnesium oxide, a deodorant, a tartar inhibitor, a rust inhibitor, a chelating agent, a pH adjuster, a sweetener, a cooling agent (other than menthol), a foam stabilizer, a preservative, an antibacterial agent (other than isopropylmethylphenol), a bactericidal agent (other than isopropylmethylphenol), a preservative, a bulking agent, an excipient, a disintegrant, and a fluidizing agent, etc. The other components exemplified above may be incorporated singly or in any combination of two or more.

[0058] 2. Dosage form and manufacturing method of the oral cavity appliance cleaner The tablet-shaped oral cavity appliance cleaner of the present disclosure is obtained by tableting and molding using the oral cavity appliance cleaner for foaming tablets of the present disclosure. The formulation into tablets can be carried out by a generally adopted tableting and molding method. For example, a raw material mixture in which components (A) to (D) and other additives incorporated as necessary are mixed may be subjected to a tableting process. Since the oral cavity appliance cleaner for foaming tablets of the present disclosure contains component (C) together with components (A) and (B), sticking can be suppressed during tableting and molding, and manufacturing loss in the tableting and molding process can be suppressed, so high manufacturing efficiency can be realized in industrial production. Further, prior to the tableting process, the mixture may be granulated into granules as necessary.

[0059] In addition, in the tablet-shaped oral cavity appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the weight per tablet is not particularly limited and may be appropriately set in consideration of ease of use, but it is desirable to set the weight per tablet to the amount required for cleaning an oral cavity appliance once. Specifically, the weight per tablet of the tablet-shaped oral cavity appliance cleaner of the present disclosure is, for example, 1 to 4 g, preferably 2 to 3 g.

[0060] 3. Use of the Oral Appliance Cleaner The tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure can be used as a cleaner for various oral appliances, and is particularly preferably used as a denture cleaner.

[0061] 4. Method of Using the Oral Appliance Cleaner The tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure is put into water, heated if necessary, and an oral appliance to be cleaned (preferably a denture) is placed in the water. Then, the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure dissolves and foams, thereby cleaning the oral appliance. In addition, since the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure contains component (A) and component (B), the sliminess of the oral appliance can be easily removed by immersing the oral appliance in the cleaning solution. Thereby, the discomfort caused by the sliminess of the oral appliance can be reduced when the cleaned oral appliance is reinstalled by hand and after reinstallation.

[0062] The water used when cleaning an oral appliance using the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and examples include tap water, purified water, distilled water, physiological saline, and the like.

[0063] When cleaning an oral appliance using the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure may be added after immersing the oral appliance in water, or the oral appliance may be immersed after adding the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure to water.

[0064] In addition, in the cleaning of an intraoral appliance, the ratio of the tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure to water is appropriately set according to the composition of the tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure, the degree of stickiness of the intraoral appliance to be cleaned, etc. For example, for 100 parts by weight of water, the tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner is usually about 1 to 10 parts by weight, preferably about 1 to 5 parts by weight. More specifically, in the cleaning of an intraoral appliance once, 100 to 200 mL of water is prepared, and 1 to 20 g, preferably 1 to 10 g, more preferably 1 to 5 g of the tablet-shaped intraoral appliance cleaner of the present disclosure is added thereto.

[0065] The temperature during the cleaning of the intraoral appliance may be about room temperature. Also, the time for immersing the intraoral appliance in the intraoral appliance cleaning solution is usually 5 minutes to 24 hours, preferably 10 minutes to 12 hours, more preferably 30 minutes to 8 hours.

[0066] Also, during the cleaning of the intraoral appliance, it is not necessary to stir the water added with the intraoral appliance cleaner, etc., but it may be stirred as necessary to more effectively remove the stickiness of the intraoral appliance. Also, in order to more effectively remove the stickiness of the intraoral appliance, the intraoral appliance may be scrubbed with a cleaning tool such as a brush.

Example

[0067] Examples are shown below to more specifically explain the invention of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0068] Test Example 1 (Evaluation of sticking) The composition obtained by mixing each component shown in Tables 1 and 2 using a Redge mixer (manufactured by Matsubo Co., Ltd., model number: M20) was tabletted into a 2 g tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner by pressing at 5 t using a mold with a diameter of 20φ and a tabletting device (manufactured by Kikusui Seisakusho Co., Ltd., rotary powder molding machine, model number: CLEC1518SS7JZ). A total of three sets of pestles were evenly installed on the turntable of the tabletting device. After continuously tabletting 100 tablets of the oral appliance cleaner, the pestles were observed, and the number of sets of pestles with sticking on either the mortar or the pestle was counted. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0069]

Table 1

[0070]

Table 2

[0071] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, in the oral appliance cleaner containing isopropylmethylphenol and l-menthol, when malic acid was blended, the occurrence of sticking was effectively suppressed (Examples 1 to 4). On the other hand, in the oral appliance cleaner containing isopropylmethylphenol and l-menthol, when malic acid was not blended, the occurrence of sticking was observed (Comparative Examples 1 to 6).

[0072] Test Example 2 (Stain Removal Test) Tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaners having the compositions shown in Table 3 were prepared. Specifically, a composition obtained by mixing the components shown in Table 3 was tabletted into a 2 g tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner by pressing at 40 MPa using a mold with a diameter of 20φ and a tabletting device (manufactured by Riken Kiki Co., Ltd., small electric hydraulic pump SMP-3012SK).

[0073] For the tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaners prepared in Examples 5 to 10 and Comparative Examples 7 to 12, a stain removal test was conducted by the following method.

[0074] <Removal test of slime> (1) Preparation of resin chip with biofilm attached Put 5 ml of TSB (Tryptic Soy Broth) medium into a 15 mL tube, inoculate Streptococcus mutans (NBRC13955), and culture at 35 °C for 1 to 2 days. Next, suspend the obtained culture solution in TSB medium to prepare a Streptococcus mutans suspension with the turbidity (OD) at 600 nm adjusted to 1.05 - 1.10. Separately, inoculate Candida albicans (NBRC1595) into PDA medium (Potato Dextrose Agar medium) and culture at 35 °C for 1 to 2 days. After culturing, collect Candida albicans, suspend it in TSB medium, and prepare a Candida albicans suspension with the turbidity (OD) at 600 nm adjusted to 1.45 - 1.50. Mix the obtained Streptococcus mutans suspension and Candida albicans suspension at a volume ratio of 1:1 to prepare a bacterial suspension.

[0075] Immerse a resin chip (20 mm × 20 mm, one-sided polishability with a thickness of 1.5 mm; made of polymethyl methacrylate resin) in 100 ml of 200 ppm aqueous hypochlorous acid solution for 10 minutes, and then sterilize it by thoroughly washing with water. Put one sterilized resin chip into each well of a 6-well plate, add 4.95 ml of TBS (Tris-Buffered Saline) solution containing 5 wt% sucrose to each well, and further add 50 μl of the bacterial suspension, and culture at 37 °C for 24 hours to prepare a resin chip with biofilm attached.

[0076] After culturing, remove the culture solution in each well, add 6 ml of distilled water to each well, pipette 10 times, and then remove the water in the well. Repeat this operation 2 - 3 times until the turbidity of the distilled water added to each well disappears to perform washing, and obtain a resin chip with biofilm attached.

[0077] (2) Washing of resin chip 180 ml of purified water was put into a 300-ml cup and the cup was immersed in a thermostatic bath maintained at 40°C. Next, the resin chip with the biofilm attached was immersed in each cup, and then one tablet of each oral appliance cleaning agent prepared in Examples 5 to 10, Comparative Examples 7 to 12, and Reference Example 2 was put into each cup to prepare an oral appliance cleaning solution in each cup and allowed to stand. One hour after the addition of the oral appliance cleaning agent, each resin chip was taken out with tweezers and placed in each well of a 6-well plate filled with purified water. Then, the resin chip was slowly reciprocated 5 times in the well to remove the cleaning agent adhering to the resin chip, and each washed resin chip was obtained.

[0078] (3) Evaluation of the removability of stickiness of the washed resin chip Five evaluators washed their index fingers with ethanol. Then, the surface of the resin chip with the biofilm attached before washing was gently rubbed with the index finger in a circular motion, and based on the following evaluation criteria, with "no stickiness" being "1" and "not peeling off no matter how many times it is rubbed" being "9", the ease of peeling off the stickiness was evaluated by a 9-point scale evaluation in 1-point increments. As a result, all five evaluations were 9. Next, the ease of peeling off the biofilm of the resin chip (reference sample) washed with the oral appliance cleaning agent prepared in Reference Example 2 was evaluated in the same manner as above, and the average value of the five evaluations (average value of the reference sample) was obtained. Thereafter, the ease of peeling off the biofilm of the resin chip (evaluation sample) washed with each oral appliance cleaning agent prepared in Examples 5 to 10 and Comparative Examples 7 to 12 was evaluated in the same manner as above, and the average value of the five evaluations (average value of the evaluation sample) was obtained. JPEG2025111325000003.jpg27153

[0079] Then, the stickiness removal improvement score was calculated by the following formula and evaluated according to the following criteria. The higher the value of the stickiness removal improvement score, the easier it is to remove the stickiness. The results are shown in Table 3. <Formula> Stickiness removal improvement score = average value of the reference sample - average value of the evaluation sample <Evaluation criteria> A: The score for improving the removal of film-like substances is 1.0 or more. B: The score for improving the removal of film-like substances is 0.5 or more and less than 1.0. C: The score for improving the removal of film-like substances is 0.1 or more and less than 0.5. D: The score for improving the removal of film-like substances is 0 or more and less than 0.1.

[0080]

Table 3

[0081] From the results in Table 3, it was confirmed that the oral appliance cleaners prepared in Examples 5 and 6 containing both isopropylmethylphenol and l-menthol, and the oral appliance cleaners prepared in Examples 7 to 10 containing isopropylmethylphenol, l-menthol, and DL-malic acid are superior in the removal of film-like substances and can more easily remove film-like substances compared to the oral appliance cleaners prepared in Comparative Examples 7 to 12 containing isopropylmethylphenol or l-menthol alone.

[0082] In addition, when the film-like substance removal test was conducted using a vinyl acetate ethylene chip or a copolymerized polyester chip, which is a mouthpiece and retainer material, instead of the resin chip, which is a denture material, the same results as above were obtained. That is, also in the mouthpiece and retainer materials, it was confirmed that the oral appliance cleaners prepared in Examples 5 to 10 are superior in the removal of film-like substances and can more easily remove film-like substances compared to the oral appliance cleaners prepared in Comparative Examples 7 to 12.

[0083] Formulation Example A tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner having the composition shown in Table 4 was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, and the sticking was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 4. From the results in Table 4, it was confirmed that in an oral appliance cleaner containing isopropylmethylphenol and l-menthol, the occurrence of sticking can be effectively suppressed when malic acid is blended.

[0084]

Table 4

Claims

1. An oral appliance cleaner in the form of a foaming tablet, comprising: (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, and double salts of bicarbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid.

2. The oral appliance cleaner for a foaming tablet according to Claim 1, wherein the oral appliance cleaner is a denture cleaner.

3. A method for producing a tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner, comprising subjecting a raw material mixture containing: (A) isopropylmethylphenol, (B) menthol, (C) at least one selected from the group consisting of malic acid and its salts, and (D) a foaming agent, wherein the content of the component (C) is 0.1 to 3% by weight, and the foaming agent (D) is a combination of at least one carbonate compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, and double salts of bicarbonates and carbonates, and an acid other than malic acid, to a tableting step.

4. A tablet-shaped oral appliance cleaner obtained from the oral appliance cleaner for a foaming tablet according to Claim 1 or 2.

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