Dentifrice composition

Abstract

To provide a dentifrice composition capable of exhibiting high cleaning effect on hard tissue surfaces while preventing undesired damage to soft tissue surfaces by providing a difference in brushability between the hard and soft tissue surfaces in the oral cavity.SOLUTION: A dentifrice composition comprising the following components (A) and (B): (A) powdered cellulose; and (B) a total of 14 mass% or more and 60 mass% or less of a sugar alcohol (b1) having a solubility in water of 40 mass% or more at 20°C and a polyhydric alcohol (b2), where the content of a water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) is less than 10 mass%.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toothpaste composition. [Background technology]

[0002] Tooth brushing is a method of cleaning the tissue surfaces in the oral cavity using a toothbrush on which a toothpaste composition or the like is placed, and is an important method for keeping the oral cavity clean and preventing oral diseases such as caries and periodontal disease. During such brushing, toothpaste compositions are required to have a cleaning effect of removing plaque, stains, etc. that have adhered to the teeth, etc., and it is known that toothpaste compositions contain powdered cellulose as an ingredient that exerts such an effect. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dentifrice composition containing a specific amount of powdered cellulose to achieve plaque and stain removal effects, as well as specific amounts of menthol, surfactant, and sorbitol, in an attempt to suppress irritation and unpleasant taste. Patent Document 2 discloses a dentifrice composition containing specific amounts of an abrasive inorganic powder, a specific organic resin powder, and a specific cellulose powder, in an attempt to improve stain removal effects. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-69985 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-249305 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The tissues in the oral cavity that should be cleaned to remove plaque, stains, etc. are composed of hard tissues such as teeth and soft tissues such as gums, which can be damaged by excessive brushing. Therefore, when brushing both the tooth surface and the gum surface, it is desirable to have a brushing action that is appropriate for the properties of each tissue. However, none of the above patent documents pays any attention to the fact that differences in brushing properties are required between hard tissue surfaces and soft tissue surfaces in the oral cavity, and there is still ample room for improvement.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention relates to a toothpaste composition that can exhibit a high cleaning effect on hard tissue surfaces while suppressing unnecessary damage to soft tissue surfaces by bringing about a difference in brushing properties between hard tissue surfaces and soft tissue surfaces in the oral cavity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, the present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems, and as a result have found a toothpaste composition which contains powdered cellulose as well as sugar alcohols and polyhydric alcohols while controlling the total content thereof, and by limiting the content of water-insoluble powders, can bring about a difference in brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces in the oral cavity.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides the following components (A) to (B): (A) Powdered cellulose (B) a sugar alcohol (b1) and a polyhydric alcohol (b2) having a solubility in water at 20°C of 40% by mass or more, in total, of 25% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less and the content of water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) is less than 10% by mass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The toothpaste composition of the present invention exhibits high brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces such as tooth surfaces in the oral cavity, while exhibiting excellent sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces such as gums, thereby appropriately suppressing excessive cleaning effects and effectively avoiding unnecessary damage, etc. Therefore, by using the toothpaste composition of the present invention, it becomes possible to control the brushing properties in accordance with the hard and soft tissues in the oral cavity when brushing with a toothbrush or the like, thereby providing a comfortable feeling when used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be described in detail below. In the present invention, the "hard tissue surfaces" constituting the oral cavity refer to the surfaces of organ tissues such as teeth, artificial teeth, dentures, orthodontic appliances, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as "teeth, etc.") Furthermore, the "soft tissue surfaces" constituting the oral cavity refer to the surfaces of organ tissues such as gums and gingiva, as well as the palate, tongue, and floor of the mouth (hereinafter also referred to as "gums, etc.") located around the hard tissues. Furthermore, "cleaning effect" refers to the effect of removing plaque and stains that have adhered or stuck to the hard tissue surfaces in the oral cavity, and the cleaning effect exhibited when a tissue surface in the oral cavity is brushed with a dedicated cleaning tool (toothbrush) on which a toothpaste composition has been placed is referred to as "brushability." Furthermore, "excellent sliding properties" refers to a property that can be exhibited on a tissue surface in the oral cavity when the tissue surface in the oral cavity is brushed with a dedicated cleaning tool (toothbrush) on which a toothpaste composition has been placed, and is a property that allows the dedicated cleaning tool (toothbrush) to move smoothly on the tissue surface in the oral cavity without exerting excessive resistance.

[0010] The toothpaste composition of the present invention contains powdered cellulose as component (A), which allows the toothpaste composition to exhibit high brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces. Specific examples of component (A) include one or more selected from the group consisting of pulp powder, insoluble powdered cellulose, powdered α-cellulose, and powders obtained by pulping celluloses such as pulp that have been insolubilized by chemical treatment. More specifically, from the viewpoint of sufficiently exhibiting brushability on the surface of hard tissue, the average degree of polymerization of the powdered cellulose is preferably 350 or more, more preferably 350 to 2250, and even more preferably 440 to 2250. The average particle size of the powdered cellulose is preferably 10 to 300 μm, more preferably 10 to 50 μm. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of cost, non-granulated powdered cellulose is preferred.

[0011] From the viewpoint of ensuring high brushing performance on hard tissue surfaces, the content of component (A) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.2% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.4% by mass or more, and preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.8% by mass or less. The content of component (A) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.2 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 3% by mass, and even more preferably 0.4 to 1.8% by mass.

[0012] The toothpaste composition of the present invention contains, as component (B), a sugar alcohol (b1) having a solubility in water of 40% by mass or more and a polyhydric alcohol (b2) in a total amount of 25% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less. By containing components (b1) and (b2) in such a total amount, the dispersibility or diffusibility of the other components contained in the toothpaste composition of the present invention can be improved, and this can greatly contribute to the exhibiting excellent sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces.

[0013] The sugar alcohol of component (b1) has a solubility in water of 40% by mass or more at 20°C (dissolving amount of 40 g or more in 100 g of saturated aqueous solution at 20°C), and specific examples of component (b1) include one or more selected from xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol. Among these, from the viewpoint of synergistically enhancing the development of sliding properties on the surface of soft tissue together with component (b2) described below, it is preferable to include sorbitol as component (b1), and a combination of sorbitol and maltitol is more preferable.

[0014] From the viewpoint of enhancing the expression of sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, the content of component (b1) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 7% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, and preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 18% by mass or less. The content of component (b1) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 7 to 25% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 18% by mass.

[0015] Specific examples of the polyhydric alcohol of component (b2) include one or more selected from glycerin, diglycerin, polyglycerin, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, etc. Among these, it is preferable to include one or more selected from glycerin, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol together with component (b1), from the viewpoint of synergistically enhancing the development of sliding properties on the surface of soft tissue.

[0016] From the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the development of sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, the content of component (b2) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 9% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 11% by mass or more, and preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 28% by mass or less, and even more preferably 24% by mass or less. The content of component (b2) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 9 to 30% by mass, more preferably 10 to 28% by mass, and even more preferably 11 to 24% by mass.

[0017] The total content of components (b1) and (b2) (the content of component (B)) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is 14% by mass or more, preferably 16% by mass or more, more preferably 18% by mass or more, even more preferably 20% by mass or more, still more preferably 21% by mass or more, and 60% by mass or less, preferably 53% by mass or less, more preferably 46% by mass or less, even more preferably 38% by mass or less, and still more preferably 34% by mass or less, from the viewpoints of effectively enhancing the expression of sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces while ensuring high brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces. The total content of components (b1) and (b2) (the content of component (B)) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is 14% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, preferably 16 to 53% by mass, more preferably 18 to 46% by mass, even more preferably 20 to 38% by mass, and still more preferably 21 to 34% by mass.

[0018] From the viewpoint of achieving a difference in brushability between hard tissue surfaces and soft tissue surfaces, the mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the content of component (A) is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 1 or more, even more preferably 13 or more, and preferably 160 or less, more preferably 155 or less, and even more preferably 150 or less. The mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the content of component (A) is preferably 0.1 to 160, more preferably 1 to 155, and even more preferably 13 to 150.

[0019] In the toothpaste composition of the present invention, the content of water-insoluble powder (X) other than powdered cellulose of component (A) is less than 10% by mass. If an excessive amount of water-insoluble powder other than component (A) is present, the expression of sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces may be reduced, making it difficult to bring about a difference in brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces, and therefore the content of such powder is limited in the present invention. In the present invention, "water-insoluble" means that the amount of dissolution in 100 g of water (at 20° C.) is 1 g or less.

[0020] Specific examples of the water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) include one or more selected from hydrous silicic acid, anhydrous silicic acid, silica gel, aluminosilicate, zirconosilicate, calcium phosphate such as dibasic calcium phosphate and tribasic calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, calcium carbonate such as light calcium carbonate and heavy calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, alumina, zeolite, calcium pyrophosphate, sodium polyphosphate, magnesium carbonate, and magnesium acetate, and these may be in the hydrated or anhydrous form as appropriate.

[0021] The content of water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is less than 10% by mass, preferably 9.5% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or less. The content of water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.05% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more. The content of water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is less than 10% by mass, preferably 0.05 to 9.5% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 7% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 4% by mass.

[0022] However, among component (X), it is preferable to include an appropriate amount of silicic anhydride having an oil absorption of less than 160 mL / 100 g, from the viewpoint of effectively differentiating the brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces. Specifically, the content of silicic anhydride having an oil absorption of less than 160 mL / 100 g in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably less than 6% by mass, more preferably 5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or less. In the present invention, "oil absorption" refers to the amount of oil that silica can support, and is measured according to JIS K5101-13-2 (established in 2004), and means a value determined by the amount of boiled linseed oil absorbed.

[0023] When the toothpaste composition of the present invention contains component (X), the mass ratio ((B) / (X)) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the content of component (X) is, from the viewpoint of exhibiting excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces while exhibiting high sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, preferably 4 or more, more preferably 5 or more, even more preferably 7 or more, and preferably 350 or less, more preferably 50 or less, and even more preferably 14 or less. The mass ratio ((B) / (X)) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the content of component (X) is preferably 4 to 350, more preferably 5 to 50, and even more preferably 7 to 14.

[0024] When the toothpaste composition of the present invention contains component (X), the mass ratio ((B) / {(X)+(A)}) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the total content of component (X) and component (A) is, from the viewpoint of exhibiting excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces while exhibiting high sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, preferably 1 or more, more preferably 4 or more, even more preferably 6 or more, and preferably 100 or less, more preferably 80 or less, and even more preferably 60 or less. The mass ratio ((B) / {(X)+(A)}) of the content of component (B) (the total content of components (b1) and (b2)) to the content of component (X) is preferably 1 to 100, more preferably 4 to 80, and even more preferably 6 to 60.

[0025] The toothpaste composition of the present invention may further contain a binder (C) from the viewpoint of effectively improving the sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces while ensuring excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces. Specific examples of component (C) include one or more selected from polymeric binders such as carboxyvinyl polymers and acrylic acid / alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymers; hydroxycellulose derivatives such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose; sodium carboxymethylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, carrageenan, xanthan gum, sodium polyacrylate, pectin, agar, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, guar gum, karaya gum, locust bean gum, gella gum, tamalide gum, and psyllium seed gum. In particular, from the viewpoint of achieving a difference in brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces, it is preferable that component (C) contains one or more selected from sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carrageenan, and xanthan gum, and it is more preferable that component (C) contains sodium carboxymethylcellulose.

[0026] From the viewpoint of exhibiting excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces while exhibiting high sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, the content of component (C) in the oral composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 4.5% by mass or less, and more preferably 4% by mass or less. The content of component (C) in the oral composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 4.5% by mass, and even more preferably 0.3 to 4% by mass.

[0027] The toothpaste composition of the present invention may further contain a fluorine-containing compound, specifically, one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of fluoride ion-donating compounds and monofluorophosphate ion-donating compounds.

[0028] The fluoride ion supplying compound is a fluorine-containing compound other than a compound that supplies monofluorophosphate ions. Examples of such a fluoride ion supplying compound include one or more compounds selected from sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, potassium fluoride, zinc fluoride, betaine fluoride, stannous alanine fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, and hexylamine fluoride. Among these, sodium fluoride or stannous fluoride is preferred. The monofluorophosphate ion supply compound may be one or more selected from sodium monofluorophosphate, potassium monofluorophosphate, magnesium monofluorophosphate, calcium monofluorophosphate, etc. Of these, sodium monofluorophosphate is preferred.

[0029] The content of the fluorine-containing compound in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is, in terms of fluorine atoms, preferably 500 ppm or more, more preferably 600 ppm or more, even more preferably 700 ppm or more, and preferably 1500 ppm or less, more preferably 1495 ppm or less, and even more preferably 1490 ppm or less. The content of the fluorine-containing compound in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is, in terms of fluorine atoms, preferably 500 to 1500 ppm, more preferably 600 to 1495 ppm, and even more preferably 700 to 1490 ppm.

[0030] When the fluorine-containing compound is a fluoride ion-donating compound, the content of the fluoride ion-donating compound in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.02 to 0.33% by mass, more preferably 0.04 to 0.33% by mass, and even more preferably 0.05 to 0.329% by mass. When the fluorine-containing compound is a monofluorophosphate ion-donating compound, the content of the monofluorophosphate ion-donating compound in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.38 to 1.14% by mass, more preferably 0.45 to 1.133% by mass, and even more preferably 0.53 to 1.129% by mass.

[0031] The toothpaste composition of the present invention may further contain one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants, within limits that do not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0032] Specific examples of anionic surfactants include one or more selected from fatty acid salts such as oleate and laurate; alkyl sulfates or salts thereof such as lauryl sulfate, myristyl sulfate, palmityl sulfate, stearyl sulfate, octyl sulfate, and capryl sulfate; alkyl sulfonates such as alkylbenzenesulfonates, α-olefinsulfonates, and hydroxyalkanesulfonates; alkyl phosphates such as alkyl phosphates; higher fatty acid sulfonated monoglyceride salts, fatty acid ester salts of isethionic acid; polyoxyethylene monoalkyl phosphates; N-acylamino acids, N-acyltaurines, and salts thereof. Among these anionic surfactants, one or more selected from alkyl sulfate ester salts, acylamino acid salts, and N-methyl long-chain acyltaurine sodium salts are preferred, and one or more selected from alkyl sulfate ester salts and N-methyl long-chain acyltaurine sodium salts are more preferred. The number of carbon atoms in the alkyl or acyl group contained therein is preferably 6 to 18, more preferably 10 to 14. More specifically, for example, preferred alkyl or acyl groups include lauryl and lauroyl groups.

[0033] Specific examples of nonionic surfactants include one or more selected from polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil; sucrose fatty acid esters; polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate; sorbitan fatty acid esters; glycerin fatty acid esters such as monostearate glyceride; alkyl glucosides; polyglycerin fatty acid esters such as monostearate decaglyceride and monomyristate decaglyceride; polyoxyethylene monoalkyl (or alkenyl) ethers; polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene copolymers; polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether; fatty acid alkanolamides such as coconut oil fatty acid diethanolamide; and polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters. Among these nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester are preferred.

[0034] Specific examples of amphoteric surfactants include one or more selected from amidobetaine-type amphoteric surfactants such as coconut oil fatty acid amidopropyl betaine and coconut oil fatty acid amidobetaine; imidazoline-type amphoteric surfactants such as 2-alkyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethylimidazolinium betaine, N-alkyl-1-hydroxyethylimidazoline betaine sodium, N-lauroyl-N'-carboxymethyl-N'-hydroxyethylethylenediamine sodium, and N-cocoyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethylethylenediamine sodium; acetate betaine-type amphoteric surfactants such as lauryl dimethylaminoacetic acid betaine and coconut oil fatty acid amidopropyl dimethylaminoacetic acid betaine; alkyl sulfobetaines such as lauryl sulfobetaine and lauryl hydroxysulfobetaine; and amino acid-type amphoteric surfactants such as N-lauryldiaminoethylglycine and N-myristyldiaminoethylglycine.

[0035] The content of one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2.5% by mass or less, even more preferably 2% by mass or less. In particular, from the viewpoint of bringing about a difference in brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces, it is preferable to contain an anionic surfactant (D) as the surfactant. The content of the anionic surfactant of component (D) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and preferably 2% by mass or less, more preferably 1.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1% by mass or less. The content of component (D) in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 2% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 1.5% by mass, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1% by mass.

[0036] The toothpaste composition of the present invention preferably contains water. In the present invention, water means the total water content in the toothpaste composition, including not only purified water or the like contained in the toothpaste composition but also the water contained in each of the components contained therein. By containing such water, the above-mentioned components can be well dissolved or dispersed, and the desired effects can be fully exerted.

[0037] Specifically, the water content in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 15% by mass or more, and preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 55% by mass or less, and even more preferably 50% by mass or less.The water content in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 5 to 60% by mass, more preferably 10 to 55% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 50% by mass. The water content can be calculated from the amount of water added and the amount of water in the added components, but can also be measured, for example, with a Karl Fischer moisture meter.

[0038] In order for the toothpaste composition of the present invention to exhibit excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces while exhibiting high sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces, it is preferable to limit the content of sugar alcohols having a solubility in water at 20°C of less than 40% by mass (amount dissolved in 100 g of saturated aqueous solution at 20°C of less than 40 g). Examples of such sugar alcohols having a solubility of less than 40% by mass in water at 20°C include erythritol, mannitol, α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-mannitol, and reduced palatinose.

[0039] The content of sugar alcohols having a solubility in water of less than 40% by mass at 20° C. in the toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, still more preferably 12% by mass or less, preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, and still more preferably 8% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of bringing about a difference in brushing properties between hard and soft tissue surfaces. Alternatively, except in cases where sugar alcohols are inevitably mixed in, the toothpaste composition of the present invention may not contain sugar alcohols having a solubility in water of less than 40% by mass at 20° C.

[0040] The toothpaste composition of the present invention may further contain other ingredients in addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, such as medicinal ingredients such as tocopherol acetate, glycyrrhetinic acid, and cetylpyridinium chloride, other active ingredients, sweeteners, colorants, etc., within the scope of not impairing the effects of the present invention.

[0041] From the viewpoints of exhibiting excellent brushing properties on hard tissue surfaces while exhibiting high sliding properties on soft tissue surfaces and providing a comfortable feel when used, the pH of the toothpaste composition of the present invention at 25°C is preferably 4 or higher, more preferably 4.5 or higher, even more preferably 5 or higher, and preferably 10 or lower, more preferably 9.5 or lower, and even more preferably 9 or lower. The pH of the toothpaste composition of the present invention at 25°C is preferably 4 to 10, more preferably 4.5 to 9.5, and even more preferably 5 to 9. The pH of the toothpaste composition of the present invention is a value measured at 25°C using a pH electrode, and refers to the value measured after adjusting the composition to a 10% by mass aqueous solution with purified water such as ion-exchanged water or distilled water.

[0042] The toothpaste composition of the present invention is preferably prepared in the form of a gel or paste. Specifically, the viscosity of the toothpaste composition of the present invention at 25°C is preferably 500 to 5000 dPa·s, more preferably 550 to 4000 dPa·s. The viscosity of the toothpaste composition of the present invention refers to the value measured using a digital viscometer (TVB-10 type viscometer, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) and a T-bar stage (TS-20, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) under the conditions of a rotor TC, a rotation speed of 2.5 rpm, and a time of 1 minute. [Example]

[0043] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the following examples. Unless otherwise specified in the tables, the content of each component is expressed in mass %.

[0044] [Examples 1 to 10, Comparative Example 1] Each toothpaste composition (pH 5 to 6 at 25°C, viscosity 550 to 4000 dPa·s) was prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 1. Then, using the obtained toothpaste compositions, evaluation 1 was carried out according to the following method.

[0045] Evaluation 1: Evaluation of brushability against model materials for the surface of oral tissue The brushing performance on hard tissue surfaces was measured using the brushing rate (h) calculated using the following formula: A higher brushing rate (h) indicates a better brushing effect on hard tissue surfaces. The brushing ability on the soft tissue surface was measured using the brushing rate (brushing rate s) calculated by the same method. A lower brushing rate (brushing rate s) indicates better sliding ability on the soft tissue surface. Brushing rate s (or brushing rate h) = horizontal force (N) / vertical force (N)

[0046] Next, the ratio (brushing rate s / brushing rate h) of the obtained brushing rate value on the soft tissue surface (brushing rate s) to the brushing rate value on the hard tissue surface (brushing rate h) was calculated. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that if this value (brushing rate s / brushing rate h) is less than 1.5, it can be evaluated that the brushing rate exhibits excellent brushing properties and provides sufficient cleaning effect on the hard tissue surface, while the brushing rate is moderately suppressed on the soft tissue surface and high sliding properties are exhibited.

[0047] The specific steps for calculating the brushing rate are shown below. 1) An aluminum alloy plate was used as a model of the soft tissue surface, and a silicone rubber plate was used as a model of the hard tissue surface. A toothbrush was used as a cleaning tool, and the movement of each toothbrush was measured using a motion capture system incorporating a force plate. 2) First, each toothpaste composition obtained was placed on the surface to be brushed placed on a force plate, and a professional panelist repeatedly brushed each plate while arbitrarily varying the force applied to the toothbrush and the brushing speed. Next, based on the toothbrush movement data when the toothbrush passed through a predetermined evaluation position, horizontal force (N) was plotted on the horizontal axis and horizontal force (N) on the vertical axis, and the relationship between these was approximated by a linear regression equation using the least squares method, and the slope of the regression equation was calculated to obtain the brushing rate. 3) The value of the brushing rate for the obtained aluminum alloy plate was defined as brushing rate h, and the value of the brushing rate for the silicone rubber plate was defined as brushing rate s, and the ratio of these (brushing rate s / brushing rate h) was calculated for each formulation. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0048] [Table 1]

Claims

1. The following components (A) to (B): (A) Powdered cellulose (B) a sugar alcohol (b1) having a solubility in water at 20°C of 40% by mass or more and a polyhydric alcohol (b2) in a total amount of 14% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less and the content of a water-insoluble powder (X) other than component (A) is less than 10% by mass.

2. 2. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, wherein component (X) is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydrous silicic acid, anhydrous silicic acid, silica gel, aluminosilicate, zirconosilicate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, alumina, zeolite, calcium pyrophosphate, and magnesium acetate.

3. 3. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) ((B) / (A)) is 0.1 or more and 160 or less.

4. 3. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of component (X) is from 0.05% by mass to 9.5% by mass.

5. 5. The toothpaste composition according to claim 4, wherein the mass ratio of the content of component (B) to the content of component (X) ((B) / (X)) is 4 or more and 350 or less.

6. 3. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, further comprising a binder (C).

7. 3. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of sugar alcohols having a solubility in water at 20°C of less than 40% by mass is 30% by mass or less.

8. 3. The toothpaste composition according to claim 1, further comprising an anionic surfactant (D).

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