Denture cleaning composition

Claim 2

A solid denture cleaning composition comprising a tartar dissolving amount of an acidic component which dissolves to provide an acidic solution when the composition is mixed with water and a neutralising component having a protective coating, in an amount such that, when the composition is mixed with water the protective coating is so affected that the neutralising component is released over a period of time to neutralise the initially acid solution to a pH of more than 5.5.

Claim 3

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acidic component is selected from the group consisting of sulphamic acid, acetodiphosphonic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and sodium bisulphate.

Claim 4

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neutralising component is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate salt, a bicarbonate salt, a mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate salt, a mixture of a bicarbonate salt with a phosphate salt.

Claim 5

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the protective coating is selected from the group consisting of polymers containing acrylic acid and its esters, methacrylic acid and its esters, crotonic acid and its esters, ethylene, styrene, esters of vinyl alcohol, vinyl ethers, maleic acid and its esters, allyl alcohol and vinyl pyrrolidone.

Claim 6

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 4 wherein the protective coating is selected from the group consisting of a styrene/acrylic ester co-polymer, a styrene/allyl alcohol copolymer and a vinyl acetate/versatic ester copolymer.

Claim 7

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising a bleaching agent selected from the group consisting of a salt of the acid H 2 SO 5 , a perborate salt and a percarbonate salt.

Claim 8

A denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein the salt of the acid H 2 SO 5 is potassium monopersulphate.

Claim 9

The denture cleaning composition of claim 1 comprising powdered sulphamic acid and sodium carbonate coated with 15% by weight starch and 20% by weight of a copolymer containing methacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate and sytrene in the ratio of 1:3.24:2.42:1.67.

Claim 10

A solid cleaning composition for dentures comprising a. an acidic component selected from the group consisting of sulphamic acid, acetodiphosphonic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and sodium bisulphate; b. a sufficient quantity of an acid-neutralising component to neutralise said acidic component selected from the group consisting of a carbonate salt, a bicarbonate salt, a mixture of a carbonate with a bicarbonate salt, and a mixture of bicarbonate salt with a phosphate salt; c. a protective coating around the acid neutralising component comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of a sytrene/acrylic ester copolymer, a styrene/allyl alcohol copolymer and a vinyl acetate/versatic ester copolymer, the composition being such that, when the composition is added to water the acidic component dissolves to give an acidic solution, and the protective coating formed around the acid-neutralising component so retards the release of the acid-neutralising agent that, for a period of time, the solution remains sufficiently acidic to remove tartar deposits.

Claim 11

A solid cleaning composition for dentures comprising a. an acidic component selected from the group consisting of sulphamic acid, acetodiphosphonic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and sodium bisulphate; b. a sufficient quantity of an acid-neutralising component to neutralise said acidic component selected from the group consisting of a carbonate salt, a bicarbonate salt, a mixture of a carbonate with a bicarbonate salt, and a mixture of bicarbonate salt with a phosphate salt; c. a protective coating around the acid neutralising component comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of a sytrene/acrylic ester copolymer, a styrene/allyl alcohol copolymer and a vinyl acetate/versatic ester copolymer, the composition being such that, when the composition is added to water the acidic component dissolves to give an acidic solution, and the protective coating formed around the acid-neutralising component so retards the release of the acid-neutralising agent that, for a period of time, the solution remains sufficiently acidic to remove tartar deposits.

Claim 12

A solid denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 9 wherein a coating of starch is applied to the neutralising component before the protective coating is applied.

Claim 13

A solid denture cleaning composition as claimed in claim 9 additionally comprising a bleaching agent of the active oxygen releasing type selected from the group consisting of a salt of the acid H 2 SO 5 , a perborate salt and a percarbonate salt.