Title:  Effervescent chewing gum

United States Patent:  6,235,318

Assignee:  Lombardy, Jr.; Charles M. (Chagrin Falls, OH); Lombardy; David R. (Chagrin Falls, OH)

Appl. No.:  234815

Disclosed is an oral hygiene preparation which is plaque disrupting in the form of a chewing gum. The chewing gum comprises a core containing a carbonate and/or bicarbonate which is surrounded by a coating that contains an encapsulated edible acid. Upon mastication the chewing gum effervesces, thus promoting the cleansing and breath freshening properties of the preparation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention is directed to a solid chewable piece of chewing gum comprising:

a) a chewing gum base wherein said base comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of: alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, alkaline earth metal carbonates, alkaline earth metal bicarbonates and mixtures thereof; and

b) a coating covering said base wherein said coating comprises at least one edible acid.

The pH of the chewing gum during the initial mastication will be less than about 4.0 to induce salivary flow immediately, and upon further mastication during the stage of effervescence and thereafter the pH is about 7.0 and above. This feature is important as it has been reported that the oral pH should be about 5.5 to counteract the acids produced by bacteria. In one embodiment of the invention the preferred pH of the chewing gum after effervescence is 7.3 and higher. The chewing gum is designed to create an initial blast of tartness that will induce salivary flow. The saliva produced should be retained in the mouth and used like a mouthwash to swish back and forth between the teeth for at least 15 seconds. This action allows the foaming action to penetrate all the crevices of the teeth and gums, loosening food particles and plaque. The user then continues chewing for at least 15 minutes for additional tooth polishing and long lasting breath freshening. The consumers teeth will have a squeaky clean feeling and the tissues of the oral cavity will be invigorated.

In a more preferred embodiment, the piece of chewing gum additionally comprises at least one component selected from sweeteners, therapeutic agents, flavoring ingredients, processing aids, edible oils and breath fresheners. In a further embodiment, the edible acid is encapsulated prior to its inclusion in the coating.

In a more specific embodiment, this invention relates to a sugar-free, effervescent chewing gum comprising:

1) a chewing gum base formulation comprising:

a) sodium bicarbonate;

b) xylitol (a natural sweetener);

c) mannitol (a bulking agent, humectant and sweetener for a cooling sensation);

d) aspartame and acesulfame K (artificial sweeteners);

e) at least one oil selected from the group consisting of: parsley seed oil (a breath freshener), eucalyptus oil (antibacterial), thyme oil (antibacterial), and myrrh oil (gum stimulant);

f) sorbitol (as natural sweetener and bulking agent); and

2) a coating formulation comprising at least one edible acid.

In a more preferred embodiment, the gum base is coated with a coating comprising an edible acid selected from tartaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, acid phosphate salts (i.e. monocalcium phosphate) and mixtures thereof. Especially preferred is encapsulated ascorbic acid and citric acid. The coating may also contain TiO₂ as a product whitener.

The effervescent chewing gum, according to the invention, is useful to clean teeth and freshen breath. Further, the novel dental oral hygiene gum utilizes effervescence to enhance a person's ability to prevent gum disease, and polish and whiten teeth.

The oral hygiene gum, according to the invention, is preferably void of agents, such as sweeteners, that would promote tooth decay and/or gum disease. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame K are preferred. The oral hygiene gum may also contain natural and/or artificial flavors, with natural flavors being preferred. The gum, according to the invention, may also include coloring agents (in addition to the TiO₂ or in place of), however, the use of coloring agents is not preferred.

The presence of a base compound in the core gum stock is required. The useful bases include calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. The use of sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate is especially preferred as this combination possesses the added feature of being a "tooth polisher" in addition to providing part of the "foaming" component.

The effervescence system (i.e. sodium bicarbonate and citric acid) of the inventive chewing gum comprises from 10 to 50% by weight of the final product. More preferably the effervescence system comprises 10-40% by weight of the final product, with 20-35% by weight being most preferred. Further, the weight ratio of acid to base can range from 0.5 to 2.0 with 0.6 to 1.0 being more preferred and 0.7 to 0.8 being most preferred. This ratio of acid to base is important as the final pH of the chewing gum at the end of mastication should be as high as possible.

There if further disclosed an effervescent solid piece of chewing gum comprising by weight:

a) 25-35% gum base;

b) 30-40% of at least one compound selected from Xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol;

c) 2-10% glycerin;

d) 0.1-0.5% of at least one oil selected from peppermint, menthol, eucalyptus, parsley, thyme and myrrh;

e) 0.2-0.5% of at least one artificial sweetener;

f) 0.5-1.0% lecithin;

g) 2.0-10% calcium carbonate;

h) 5.0-15% sodium bicarbonate; and

i) 5.0-15% of at least one edible acid.

Claim 1 of 20 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A solid chewable piece of chewing gum comprising:

a) a chewing gum base wherein said base comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, alkaline earth metal carbonates, alkaline earth metal bicarbonates and mixtures thereof; and

b) a coating covering said base wherein said coating comprises at least one encapsulated edible acid selected from the group consisting of tartaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, acid phosphate salts, and mixtures thereof;

said at least one component in said base and said at least one edible acid in said coating being in the range of from about 10 to about 50 percent by weight of said chewing gum;

wherein said at least one component in said base is adapted to react with said at least one edible acid during chewing of said chewing gum to produce effervescence.

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