Cleaning agent composition for oral appliances

Abstract

To provide a detergent composition for an intraoral wearable device, which is capable of effectively suppressing an enzyme odor when applied to an intraoral wearable device, and so on, while favorably maintaining a high enzyme activity.SOLUTION: A detergent composition for an intraoral device comprises: (A) one or two or more enzymes selected from protease, amylase, mutanase, and dextranase in amount of 0.005 mass% or more and 1 mass% or less; (B) one or two or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants (b1) and amphoteric surfactants (b2); and (C) water in amount of 20 mass% or more and 99.5 mass% or less. The mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) is 10 or more and 350 or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning agent composition for intraoral appliances.

Background Art

[0002] With the progress of hyper-aging in recent years, the number of people who are obliged to wear removable intraoral appliances such as dentures has been increasing rapidly. Such removable intraoral appliances, for example, dentures and dental orthodontic appliances, are likely to have dirt such as dental plaque and food residues remaining on them during wearing. Further, if the intraoral appliance is worn with dental plaque or the like remaining, there is a risk of causing bad breath, dental caries, periodontal disease, etc.

[0003]

[0004] Thus, in order to maintain physical health, it is necessary to keep intraoral appliances clean, and various cleaning agent compositions for intraoral appliances using enzymes with excellent removal effects on dental plaque and the like have been developed in the midst of the necessity of daily meticulous care. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a concentrated type denture cleaning agent liquid composition containing a specific polyglycerol fatty acid ester and protease, together with a cationic bactericide and water in a specific mass ratio, aiming to improve the removal power of dental biofilm and the antiseptic power of the denture immersion liquid.

[0005] JP-A-2010-6720 JP-A-2011-241167

[0006]

Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, even with the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, further improvements are needed to adequately suppress enzyme odor while maintaining high enzyme activity. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 above merely attempts to mask the odor using Japanese peppermint oil and does not fundamentally suppress the enzyme odor.

[0007] The inventors have now focused on the fact that when an enzyme is added in a specific amount to a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that contains a certain amount of water, an enzyme odor becomes noticeable when the oral device is brought close to the face for insertion after cleaning, or when the cleaning agent composition is applied to the oral device. To solve this problem, the inventors conducted thorough research and found that by using a specific surfactant in a specific ratio to the enzyme in a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that contains a certain amount of water, the enzyme odor can be effectively suppressed.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention relates to a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that can effectively suppress enzyme odor when applied to oral devices, etc., while maintaining high enzyme activity in good condition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Therefore, the inventors conducted diligent studies to solve the above problems and have found a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that contains a certain amount of water, contains a specific amount of a specific enzyme such as a protease, and contains one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants in a specific mass ratio, thereby effectively suppressing enzyme odor when applied to oral devices and maintaining high enzyme activity in good condition.

[0010] In other words, the present invention comprises the following components (A) to (C): (A) One or more enzymes selected from proteases, amylases, mutanases, and dextranases: 0.005% to 1% by mass (B) One or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants (b1) and amphoteric surfactants (b2) (C) Water: 20% by mass or more and 99.5% by mass or less The present invention provides a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that contains the following, and the mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) is 5 or more and 350 or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention effectively suppresses enzyme odors that can cause discomfort when applied to oral devices, while maintaining high enzyme activity. This allows for a comfortable user experience and fully demonstrates the removal effect of denture plaque and the like. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The present invention will be described in detail below. In this specification, "intraoral appliances" refers to dental appliances that are attached to and removed in the oral cavity, such as complete dentures, partial dentures, orthodontic appliances, retainers (hereinafter collectively referred to as "dentures, etc."), or mouthpieces, mouthguards, etc. Specifically, for example, a complete denture is a denture worn on an edentulous jaw and consists of artificial teeth and a denture base. On the other hand, a partial denture is a denture worn on a jaw where some teeth have been lost and consists of artificial teeth, a denture base, and abutment devices such as clasps, rests, and attachments. Orthodontic appliances and retainers have a similar structure. The material of the denture base is generally a resin such as acrylic resin, and the material of the artificial teeth and abutment devices is, in addition to such resins, a metal such as titanium or ceramics. The material of mouthpieces and mouthguards is generally a resin such as ethylene vinyl acetate. Furthermore, in this specification, "enzyme odor" refers to the unpleasant, distinctive odor derived from enzymes that occurs when cleaning an oral appliance, that is, when applying the composition to the oral appliance or when bringing the oral appliance close to the face to wear it. Furthermore, in this specification, "denture plaque" refers to an aggregate of bacteria and extracellular substances produced by bacteria that adhere to an oral appliance.

[0013] The cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention contains, as component (A), 0.005% by mass or more and 1% by mass of one or more enzymes selected from protease, amylase, mutanase, and dextranase. With the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention, the high enzyme activity due to these components (A) can be well maintained, so that various enzymatic reactions can be effectively carried out and the effect of removing denture plaque and the like can be fully exhibited.

[0014] From the viewpoint of effectively exhibiting excellent denture plaque removal effects, the content of component (A) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 0.005% by mass or more, preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.015% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.02% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A), the content of component (A) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 1% by mass or less, preferably 0.8% by mass or less, more preferably 0.6% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.4% by mass or less. And, the content of component (A) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 0.005% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, preferably 0.01 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.015 to 0.6% by mass, and even more preferably 0.02 to 0.4% by mass.

[0015] More specifically, for example, when component (A) is a protease, such content is preferably 0.01 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.015 to 0.6% by mass, and still more preferably 0.02 to 0.4% by mass in the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention. The content of protease can be determined by using the following quantitative method. Specifically, first, the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances is dissolved in 10 mL of an aqueous solution of 5% sodium thiosulfate and 2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. To 0.2 mL of this solution, 1 mL of an acetone solution of 15% trichloroacetic acid cooled to -20°C is added, and then it is left standing at -20°C overnight. After centrifugation, 1 mL of acetone cooled to -30°C is added to the pellet, and then it is left standing at -20°C for 10 minutes. Then, centrifugation is performed again, and the pellet is air-dried for 1 hour. The obtained pellet is redissolved in 0.2 mL of 0.1N aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, and the protease is quantified using a DC protein assay kit (Bio-rad).

[0016] The cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention contains, as component (B), one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactant (b1) and amphoteric surfactant (b2). Thus, by containing component (B), which is a specific surfactant, at a specific mass ratio with respect to component (A), it is possible to effectively suppress the enzyme odor derived from component (A) while maintaining high enzyme activity.

[0017] Specific examples of the anionic surfactant of component (b1) include one or more selected from N-acyl amino acids or their salts, N-acyl taurines or their salts, α-olefin sulfonic acids or their salts, alkyl sulfate ester salts, and fatty acids or their salts. Thus, by containing component (b1), which is an anionic surfactant, together with component (A), it becomes possible to suppress the enzyme odor while suppressing a decrease in enzyme activity, and effectively exhibit the excellent effect of removing denture plaque and the like of component (A).

[0018] The acyl groups of N-acyl amino acids and N-acyl taurine are derived from saturated or unsaturated straight-chain or branched-chain fatty acids or mixed fatty acids thereof from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzymatic odor derived from component (A) while effectively maintaining high enzymatic activity. Those derived from straight-chain fatty acids or mixed fatty acids of straight-chain fatty acids are preferred, acyl groups having 6 to 22 carbon atoms are preferred, acyl groups having 10 to 20 carbon atoms are more preferred, and acyl groups having 12 to 18 carbon atoms are even more preferred. From the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzymatic odor derived from component (A), as such acyl groups, one or more selected from a caproyl group, a lauroyl group, a myristoyl group, a palmitoyl group, a stearoyl group, and a cocoil group are preferred, one or more selected from a lauroyl group, a myristoyl group, and a cocoil group are more preferred, and one or more selected from a lauroyl group and a cocoil group are even more preferred.

[0019] The amino acid moiety constituting the N-acyl amino acid may be any of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and glycine, and may be any of the D-form, L-form or a mixture of the D-form and L-form, and the L-form is preferred. From the above, as the N-acyl amino acid, specifically, one or more selected from N-lauroyl glutamic acid, N-myristoyl glutamic acid, N-cocoil glutamic acid, N-lauroyl aspartic acid, N-myristoyl aspartic acid, and N-cocoil aspartic acid, N-lauroyl glycine, N-myristoyl glycine, and N-cocoil glycine are preferred, and one or two selected from N-lauroyl glutamic acid and N-cocoil glutamic acid are more preferred.

[0020] As N-acyl taurine, one or more selected from cocoyl fatty acid taurine, cocoyl methyl taurine, N-caproyl methyl taurine, N-lauroyl taurine, N-lauroyl methyl taurine, N-myristoyl methyl taurine, N-palmitoyl methyl taurine, N-stearoyl methyl taurine, and N-oleoyl methyl taurine are preferred, one or more selected from N-lauroyl methyl taurine and N-myristoyl methyl taurine are more preferred, and N-lauroyl methyl taurine is preferred.

[0021] The olefin group in α-olefin sulfonic acid and its salts preferably has 8 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably 14 to 16 carbon atoms, and even more preferably 14 carbon atoms.

[0022] Preferably, alkyl sulfate ester salts have saturated or unsaturated alkyl groups with 8 to 18 carbon atoms. Specifically, examples include decyl sulfate, lauryl sulfate, myristyl sulfate, palmityl sulfate, stearyl sulfate, octyl sulfate, and caprylic sulfate. Among these, those having saturated alkyl groups with 10 to 12 carbon atoms are preferred, and lauryl sulfate is more preferred.

[0023] Examples of fatty acids or their salts include lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecyl acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, or salts thereof, with lauric acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, or salts thereof being preferred. Among these, lauric acid, oleic acid, or salts thereof are preferred from the viewpoint of ensuring solubility in water, and oleic acid or its salts are more preferred.

[0024] Examples of salts of these components (b1) include alkali metal salts such as sodium and potassium; alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium and magnesium; other inorganic salts such as aluminum and zinc; ammonium salts; organic amine salts such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine; and basic amino acid salts such as arginine salts, lysine salts, histidine salts, and ornithine salts. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. Among these, alkali metal salts are preferred from the viewpoint of suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A) and their availability, with sodium salts and potassium salts being more preferred.

[0025] Among these components (b1), it is more preferable that it be one or more selected from N-acyl amino acids or their salts, alkyl sulfate ester salts, and fatty acids or their salts, in order to effectively achieve both the suppression of enzyme odor derived from component (A) and the maintenance of high enzyme activity.

[0026] Specifically, the amphoteric surfactant of component (b2) includes one or more selected from the following: betaines such as lauryldimethylaminoacetic acid betaine; coconut oil fatty acid amide alkyl betaines such as coconut oil fatty acid amidopropyl betaine; alkyl sulfobetaines such as lauryl sulfobetaine and lauryl hydroxysulfobetaine; imidazolinium betaines such as 2-alkyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethyl-N-imidazolium betaine; carboxybetaine; alkylimidazoline betaine salts such as N-alkyl-1-hydroxyethylimidazoline betaine sodium; and alkylamine oxides such as lauryldimethylamine oxide. In particular, one or more selected from coconut oil fatty acid amide alkyl betaine, alkyl sulfobetaine, and alkylamine oxide are preferred, coconut oil fatty acid amide alkylpropyl betaine and alkylamine oxide are more preferred, and alkylamine oxide is even more preferred.

[0027] From the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A), the content of component (B) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.15% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.4% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of effectively maintaining the solubility of component (A) in water and high enzyme activity, the content of component (B) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.5% by mass or less. Furthermore, the content of component (B) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.15 to 20% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 15% by mass, even more preferably 0.4 to 10% by mass, even more preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, even more preferably 0.5 to 3% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 1.5% by mass.

[0028] The mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) is 5 or more, preferably 7 or more, more preferably 9 or more, even more preferably 10 or more, even more preferably 12 or more, and 350 or less, preferably 300 or less, more preferably 250 or less, even more preferably 200 or less, even more preferably 150 or less, and even more preferably 90 or less. Furthermore, the mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) is 5 or more and 350 or less, preferably 7 to 300, more preferably 9 to 250, even more preferably 10 to 200, even more preferably 12 to 150, and even more preferably 12 to 90.

[0029] The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention contains 20% to 99.5% by mass of water as component (C). This allows for easy application to oral devices without the need for pre-dissolving in water or other preparatory steps. However, a problem arises when a large amount of water (component (C)) is present, resulting in a strong enzyme odor derived from component (A). The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention can solve this problem.

[0030] The content of component (C) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 20% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, and even more preferably 50% by mass or more. Also, the content of component (C) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 99.5% by mass or less, preferably 99% by mass or less, more preferably 98.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 98% by mass or less. The content of component (C) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 20% by mass or more and 99.5% by mass or less, preferably 30 to 99% by mass, more preferably 40 to 98.5% by mass, and even more preferably 50 to 98% by mass.

[0031] In this invention, "water" refers to the total water content in the oral appliance cleaning agent composition, including not only purified water directly added to the composition but also the water contained in each of the added components. The water content in the oral appliance cleaning agent composition of this invention can be calculated from the amount of added water and the amount of water in the added components, but it can also be measured using a Karl Fischer moisture meter, for example. As a Karl Fischer moisture meter, for example, a trace moisture measuring device (manufactured by Hiranuma Sangyo Co., Ltd.) can be used. With this device, 5g of the oral appliance cleaning agent composition can be taken, suspended in 25g of anhydrous methanol, and 0.02g of this suspension can be taken to measure the water content.

[0032] The mass ratio ((C) / (A)) of the content of component (C) to the content of component (A) is preferably 20 or more, more preferably 30 or more, even more preferably 50 or more, even more preferably 100 or more, preferably 19800 or less, more preferably 10000 or less, even more preferably 7000 or less, and even more preferably 5000 or less, from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A) while increasing the diffusivity of components (A) and (B) in the oral appliance cleaning composition when applying the oral appliance cleaning composition to the oral appliance, etc.

[0033] The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention may further contain a fragrance compound (D), but its content may be limited. By including fragrance compound (D), a pleasant aroma is provided in the oral cavity during cleaning, and it is possible to moderately contribute to the suppression of the enzyme odor derived from component (A). On the other hand, since the enzyme odor derived from component (A) is suppressed in the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention, the content of fragrance compound (D) can also be limited.

[0034] The components (D) include menthol, limonene, linalool, citral, isopulegol, menthyl lactate, vanillin, menthyl lactate, camphor, anethole, methyl salicylate, eucalyptol, cassia, 1,8-menthyl acetate, eugenol, oxanone, α-irison, propenyl guaetol, linalool, benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde glycerol acetal, menthone, pinene, geraniol, One or more of the following are examples: borneol, perillaldehyde, citronellal, camphor, cineole, anetholecarvone, ocimene, n-amyl alcohol, citronellol, α-terpineol, citronellol acetate, ethyllinalool, vanillin, ionone, cis-3-hexenol, δ-undecalactone, thymol, cinnamon oil, pimento oil, perilla oil, anise oil, peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, sassafras oil, clove oil, sage oil, marjoram oil, cinnamon oil, eucalyptus, cornmint oil, tea plant, common tea plant oil, spearmint oil, lemon oil, and thyme oil.

[0035] From the viewpoint of providing a pleasant aroma in the oral cavity and maintaining that aroma well, without inhibiting the enzyme odor suppression effect and high enzyme activity retention effect derived from component (A) during washing, the content of component (D) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.008% by mass or more, more preferably 0.01% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.012% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.014% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of effectively avoiding excessive odor residue in the oral appliance after washing, the content of component (D) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.8% by mass or less, more preferably 0.2% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.05% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.02% by mass or less. Furthermore, the content of component (D) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.008 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 0.2% by mass, even more preferably 0.012 to 0.05% by mass, and even more preferably 0.014 to 0.02% by mass.

[0036] On the other hand, with the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention, the enzyme odor derived from component (A) is suppressed, so the content of fragrance compound (D) can be limited. In that case, the content of fragrance compound (D) in the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention may preferably be less than 0.5% by mass, more preferably less than 0.4% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.3% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.2% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.1% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.05% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.025% by mass, even more preferably less than 0.01% by mass, and even more preferably no component (D) may be included.

[0037] The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention may further contain a pH adjuster (E). This makes it possible to maintain a pH that is effective in preserving high enzyme activity while suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A).

[0038] Component (E) specifically includes, for example, one or more selected from carbonates and bicarbonates; hydroxides; organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, or salts thereof; and inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, or salts thereof. Among these, one or more selected from carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, organic acids, and hydrochloric acid are preferred, one or more selected from sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium hydroxide, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, and hydrochloric acid are more preferred, and one or more selected from sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, citric acid, and hydrochloric acid are even more preferred.

[0039] From the viewpoint of stabilizing the pH of the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention, the content of component (E) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.15% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.2% by mass or more. Furthermore, the content of component (E) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is 60% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less. And, the content of component (E) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 60% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass, even more preferably 0.15 to 10% by mass, and even more preferably 0.2 to 5% by mass.

[0040] The cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention preferably further contains an anionic homopolymer or copolymer (F) in order to suppress the enzyme odor derived from component (A) while further enhancing the removal effect, particularly of denture plaque and the like. An anionic homopolymer or copolymer is a homopolymer or copolymer containing structural units derived from an anionic monomer, and may be a homopolymer consisting of structural units derived from only one type of anionic monomer, a copolymer consisting of structural units derived from two or more types of anionic monomers, or a copolymer consisting of structural units derived from anionic monomers and structural units derived from monomers other than anionic monomers.

[0041] The mass-average molecular weight of component (F) is preferably 2000 or more, more preferably 5000 or more, even more preferably 8000 or more, and even more preferably 10000 or more, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the removal effect of denture plaque and the like. Furthermore, the mass-average molecular weight of component (F) is preferably 500000 or less, more preferably 350000 or less, even more preferably 200000 or less, and even more preferably 100000 or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring good solubility or dispersibility of each component. And, the mass-average molecular weight of component (F) is preferably 2000 to 500000, more preferably 5000 to 350000, even more preferably 8000 to 200000, and even more preferably 10000 to 100000. Note that mass-average molecular weight (Mw) refers to the value obtained by gel permeation chromatography (using chloroform solvent, a calibration curve defined with linear polystyrene as the standard, and a refractive index detector).

[0042] From the viewpoint of greatly contributing to the denture plaque removal effect, the constituent units of component (F) that are derived from anionic monomers (f1) having a carboxyl group, a sulfo group, or a phosphate group are preferably constituent units that are derived from anionic monomers (f1). Specifically, examples of monomers (f1) that constitute component (F) include, for example, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, sulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, methacryloyloxyalkyl sulfonic acid, methacrylamidoalkyl sulfonic acid, acryloyloxyalkyl phosphate, and monomers obtained by substituting some of these with anhydrides or alkyl groups, as well as one or more monomers derived from sugars such as glycopyranose in which a carboxymethyl group is bonded to some of the hydroxyl group. In particular, monomers that do not contain aromatic rings or alicyclic rings in their molecular structure are preferred, and it is more preferable that they be one or more selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, and sulfonic acid.

[0043] The content of anionic monomer-derived constituent units in 100% by mass of all constituent units of component (F) is preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, even more preferably 50% by mass or more, and preferably 100% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of effectively ensuring the excellent denture plaque removal effect.

[0044] Specifically, component (F) can be one or more selected from acrylic acid homopolymer, methacrylic acid homopolymer, crosslinked acrylic acid homopolymer, acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer, acrylic acid / methacrylic acid copolymer, acrylic acid / sulfonic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate / maleic acid copolymer, phosphinic acid / acrylic acid copolymer, carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum, gellan gum, alginic acid, carrageenan, pectin, and hyaluronic acid. In particular, from the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the removal effect of denture plaque, one or more selected from acrylic acid homopolymer, acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer, acrylic acid / methacrylic acid copolymer, and acrylic acid / sulfonic acid copolymer are preferred, one or more selected from acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer and acrylic acid / sulfonic acid copolymer are more preferred, and acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer is even more preferred.

[0045] Furthermore, the mass ratio (acrylic acid / maleic acid) of constituent units derived from acrylic acid monomers to constituent units derived from maleic acid monomers that constitute the acrylic acid / maleic acid copolymer is preferably 0.01 to 99, more preferably 0.05 to 50, even more preferably 0.1 to 10, and even more preferably 0.1 to 5.

[0046] From the viewpoint of effectively enhancing the removal effect of denture plaque and the like while suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A), the content of component (F) in the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably 0.05% by mass or more, more preferably 0.07% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, even more preferably 6% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 4% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2% by mass or less.

[0047] The pH of the oral appliance cleaning composition of the present invention at 25°C may vary depending on the type of component (A), from the viewpoint of ensuring a pH environment that is effective in maintaining high enzyme activity while suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A), but is preferably 4 or higher, more preferably 4.5 or higher, even more preferably 5 or higher, even more preferably 5.5 or higher, even more preferably 6 or higher, preferably 13 or lower, more preferably 12 or lower, and even more preferably 11 or lower.

[0048] The cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above-mentioned components, other surfactants, anti-inflammatory agents, preservatives, pigments, dyes, bleaching agents, etc., to the extent that they do not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0049] The present invention may take the form of a cleaning agent composition for oral devices in liquid or foam form. Furthermore, it may take the form of a liquid cleaning agent composition for oral devices in liquid form impregnated into a sheet, or the form of a cleaning agent composition for oral devices in liquid form filled into a spray container, a foam dispensing container, or an aerosol container. This allows for quick and easy application to oral devices without the need for prior dissolution or dilution in water.

[0050] Generally, when an enzyme-containing cleaning agent composition for oral devices is in foam form, it tends to have a stronger enzyme odor compared to when it is in liquid form. However, with the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention, even in foam form, it is possible to suppress the enzyme odor derived from component (A) while maintaining high enzyme activity and exhibiting excellent removal effects such as denture plaque. In particular, by creating a foamy form, the cleaning agent composition can be used to coat oral appliances, ensuring that it reaches every corner of the complexly shaped oral appliances. This allows for the effective removal of denture plaque and other debris by maintaining high enzyme activity. As a result, simply rinsing the oral appliance with water after applying the composition, without any additional physical force such as brushing, effectively suppresses enzyme odor and provides a fast-acting, excellent removal of denture plaque and other debris.

[0051] The present invention provides a method of using the cleaning agent composition for oral devices, in which, first, the oral device such as dentures is immersed in the cleaning agent composition, or the cleaning agent composition is applied to the oral device by foaming, coating, dropping, or spraying, and then left for a certain period of time. The waiting time is usually 20 to 30 minutes, but it is also possible to shorten the waiting time to 5 to 10 minutes. Next, after letting it stand, rinse the oral appliance with water or the like to wash away the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances. If using the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention, it is more preferable to simply rinse it off, and there is no need to apply any additional physical force such as brushing.

[0052] When the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention is in the form of a foam, the method of use is to cover an oral device such as a denture with the foamy cleaning agent composition for oral devices and then leave it for a certain period of time. The time for covering the oral appliance with foam is preferably 1 minute or more, more preferably 2 minutes or more, and even more preferably 3 minutes or more, from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing the enzyme odor derived from component (A) while fully enjoying the excellent denture plaque removal effect. Furthermore, the time for covering the oral appliance with foam is preferably 30 minutes or less, more preferably 20 minutes or less, and even more preferably 10 minutes or less, from the viewpoint of fully exhibiting the effect of the foam. And, the time for covering the oral appliance with foam is preferably 1 minute or more and 30 minutes or less, more preferably 2 to 20 minutes, and even more preferably 3 to 10 minutes.

[0053] The amount of foam covering the oral appliance is determined from the perspective of effectively utilizing the foam's effects and fully enjoying the high enzyme activity, based on the surface area of ​​the oral appliance (1 cm²). 2 The amount per unit is preferably 0.05g or more, more preferably 0.07g or more, even more preferably 0.1g or more, preferably 3.5g or less, more preferably 3.2g or less, and even more preferably 3g or less.

[0054] It is preferable to rinse the oral appliance with water after covering it with the formed foam to wash away the cleaning agent composition. By providing the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention in foam form, it is possible to effectively suppress the enzyme odor derived from component (A) and wash away the coated foam while exhibiting a fast-acting and excellent denture plaque removal effect simply by rinsing the oral appliance with water, without requiring any particular physical force. This reduces the burden on elderly users and other users, making it easy to increase the frequency of use. Furthermore, after covering the oral appliance with the formed foam, it is preferable to rinse the oral appliance with water without applying any physical force. This makes it possible to clean the oral appliance simply and effectively while effectively suppressing the unpleasantness caused by the enzyme odor.

[0055] From the viewpoint of fully utilizing the effect of foam, it is preferable to fill the cleaning agent composition for oral devices of the present invention into a container equipped with a foam-forming mechanism and to form foam by spraying or discharging from the container. A container equipped with a foam-forming mechanism is a container that can form foam by spraying or discharging the contents filled in the container from a nozzle or discharge port to the outside of the container via the foam-forming mechanism. Examples of containers equipped with such a foam-forming mechanism include trigger-type spray containers and pump-type dispenser containers.

[0056] A trigger-type spray container comprises a container body for filling with contents, and a trigger and sprayer which are foam-forming mechanisms. When the trigger is pulled during use, the contents are sprayed out from the nozzle of the sprayer, forming foam. Such a trigger-type spray container may be of the direct-pressure type or the pressurized type. A pump-type dispenser container comprises a container body for filling with contents, a tube or nozzle, and a foam-forming mechanism such as a mesh inside these components. When a part of the container is pressed during use, the contents are dispensed from the discharge opening of the tube or nozzle, and foam is formed. When cleaning an oral appliance using the cleaning agent composition for oral appliances of the present invention, it is preferable to use a trigger-type spray container among these containers, from the viewpoint of fully utilizing the foaming effect.

[0057] When using a trigger-type spray container, from the viewpoint of fully utilizing the foaming effect, it is desirable to set the spray diameter at a spraying distance of 20 cm to preferably 2 cm or more, more preferably 3 cm or more, preferably 10 cm or less, and more preferably 8 cm or less. Furthermore, in a trigger-type spray container, from the viewpoint of effectively forming foam, it is desirable to set the spray force of the detergent composition, which is the contents, to preferably be 1 g·f or more, more preferably 3 g·f or more, preferably 10 g·f or less, and more preferably 8 g·f or less at a spraying distance of 20 cm.

[0058] Thus, the present invention provides a cleaning agent composition for oral devices that not only suppresses the enzyme odor that can cause discomfort when applied to oral devices, but also effectively cleans oral devices while maintaining high enzyme activity. This composition allows for a comfortable user experience while fully demonstrating the effectiveness of removing denture plaque and the like. [Examples]

[0059] The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples. Unless otherwise specified in the table, the content of each component is expressed in mass percent.

[0060] [Examples 1-10, Comparative Examples 1-5] Each of the components listed in Tables 1-4 was mixed to prepare a cleaning agent composition for each oral appliance. The obtained cleaning agent compositions for oral appliances were evaluated according to the following methods. The results are shown in Tables 1-4. Tables 1-3 show evaluations in foam form, while Table 4 shows evaluations in liquid form.

[0061] pH measurement The pH of each composition (at 25°C) was measured using a pH meter (HORIBA LAQUA pH / ION METER F53; 9615S JF15 (manufactured by HORIBA, Ltd.)).

[0062] Evaluation of enzyme odor The cleaning agent compositions for oral appliances were evaluated through a sensory test using expert panelists. First, the panelists directly smelled the raw materials of the enzymes to recognize the enzyme odor. Subsequently, the enzyme odor of the cleaning agent compositions for oral appliances was evaluated using the method described below. • When evaluating in a foamy form The obtained cleaning agent composition for oral devices was filled into a foaming container (a trigger-type spray container set to a spray diameter of 5 cm and a spray force of 5 g·f at a spray distance of 20 cm), and 5 g was dispensed from the nozzle in foam form and applied to oral devices. The composition was then evaluated according to the following criteria. • When evaluating in liquid form The obtained cleaning agent composition for oral devices was applied to 5g of an oral device and evaluated according to the following criteria. • Evaluation criteria 1: I cannot detect any enzyme odor at all. 2: The enzyme odor is barely detectable. 3: The enzyme odor is weak and can be detected. 4: The smell of enzymes can be easily detected. 5: Strong smell of enzymes

[0063] Evaluation of enzyme activity For cleaning agent compositions for oral devices, the enzyme activity rate was calculated using the following method and used as an evaluation index. First, 0.45 mL of an aqueous solution containing 0.22% sodium carbonate and 0.17% sodium bicarbonate was added to a test tube, and 0.025 mL of a DMSO solution of 40 mM AAPL (Glt-Ala-Ala-Pro-Leu-pNA, manufactured by Peptide Institute Co., Ltd.) was added and mixed using a vortex mixer. After incubation at 50°C for 5 minutes, the solution was diluted 20-fold. 0.025 mL of each sample from the examples and comparative examples below was added and mixed, and the reaction was incubated at 50°C for 0 minutes and 90 minutes. To terminate the reaction, 1 mL of a 5% citric acid aqueous solution was added and mixed. Absorbance OD was measured using a microplate reader (TECAN Sunrise Rainbow Thermo tunable absorbance microplate reader). 420nm The absorbance OD of a sample that did not contain a surfactant (Comparative Example 2) was also measured. 420nm Based on this, the enzyme activity rate (%) was calculated according to the following formula (1). Furthermore, a higher value for the obtained enzyme activity rate indicates higher enzyme activity. Enzyme activity rate (%)= 100-{(OD after 90 minutes of reaction when using the above-obtained composition) 420nm -OD after 0 minutes of reaction when using the above-obtained composition 420nm ) / (OD after 90 minutes of reaction in Comparative Example 2) 420nm -OD after 0 minutes of reaction in Comparative Example 2 420nm )} × 100···(1)

[0064] [Table 1]

[0065] [Table 2]

[0066] [Table 3]

[0067] [Table 4]

[0068] Examples of formulations for the oral appliance cleaning agent composition of the present invention are shown below.

[0069] [Example prescription 1] Liquid denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000005.tif72170

[0070] [Example prescription 2] Pump-type denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000006.tif60170

[0071] [Prescription Example 3] Pump-type denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000007.tif52170

[0072] [Prescription Example 4] Trigger-type spray denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000008.tif72170

[0073] [Prescription Example 5] Pump-type denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000009.tif59170

[0074] [Prescription Example 6] Trigger-type spray denture cleaner TIFF0007830032000010.tif59170

[0075] [Prescription Example 7] Concentrated Liquid Denture Cleanser TIFF0007830032000011.tif58170

Claims

1. The following components (A) to (C): (A) One or more enzymes selected from proteases, amylases, mutanases, and dextranases: 0.005% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less (B) One or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants (b1) and amphoteric surfactants (b2): 0.15% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less (C) Water 20% by mass or more and 99.5% by mass or less A cleaning agent composition for oral devices, comprising: component (b1) being one or more selected from N-acyl amino acids or their salts, alkyl sulfate ester salts, and fatty acids or their salts; component (b2) being one or more selected from coconut oil fatty acid amide alkylpropyl betaine and alkylamine oxide; the mass ratio of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) ((B) / (A)) being 12 or more and 250 or less; and the mass ratio of the content of component (C) to the content of component (A) ((C) / (A)) being 100 or more and 5000 or less.

2. Furthermore, the cleaning agent composition for oral devices according to claim 1, further comprising sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (E).

3. The cleaning agent composition for oral devices according to claim 2, wherein the content of component (E) is 0.1% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

4. A cleaning agent composition for oral devices according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pH at 25°C is 4 or more and 13 or less.

5. A cleaning agent composition for oral devices according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is applied to an oral device in a foamy form.

6. The following components (A) to (C): (A) One or more enzymes selected from proteases, amylases, mutanases, and dextranases: 0.005% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less (B) One or more amphoteric surfactants selected from coconut oil fatty acid amide alkylpropyl betaine and alkylamine oxide. (C) Water 20% by mass or more and 99.5% by mass or less A cleaning agent composition for oral appliances, wherein the mass ratio ((B) / (A)) of the content of component (B) to the content of component (A) is 12 or more and 250 or less.

Images