Dentifrices

Claim 2

A VISUALLY CLEAR DENTIFRICE COMPRISING ABOUT 5 TO 50% BY WEIGHT OF A SENTALLY ACCEPTABLE WATER-SOLUBLE SODIUM PHOSPHATE SALT POLISHING AGENT HAVING A REFRACTIVE INDEX BETWEEN ABOUT 1.435 AND ABOUT 1.465, A WATER-SOLUBLE BIGUANIDOHEXANE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT IN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE ABOUT 0.001-5% BY WEIGHT OF THE FREE BASE THEREOF AND A DENTIFRICE GEL VEHICLE COMPRISING (1) ABOUT 20% UP TO ABOUT 80% BY WEIGHT OF SAID DENTRIFRICE OF A LIQUID PHASE INCLUDING HUMECTANT HAVING A REFRACTIVE INDEX OF ABOUT 1.44 TO 1.47, SAID HUMECTANT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SORBITOL, GLYCERINE AND MIXTURES THEREOF AND 0 UP TO AN AMOUNT OF SAID VISUALLY CLEAR DENTIFRICE OF FREE WATER IN WHICH NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 30% BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLISHING AGENT IS SOLUBLE AT 40*C., AND (2) ABOUT 0.5 TO 20% BY WEIGHT OF A GELLING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, IRISH MOSS AND HYDROXYETHYL CELLULOSE, THE REFRACTIVE INDEX OF SAID DENTIFRICE GEL VEHICLE BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 1.36 AND ABOUT 1.47, SAID POLISHING AGENT AND SAID ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT BEING HOMOGENOUSLY AND INVISIBLY DISTRIBUTED IN SAID VISUALLY CLEAR DENTIFRICE GEL VEHICLE.

Claim 3

The dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said water-soluble antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of 1,6-di-p-chlorophenylbiguanidohexane, 1-6-bis (2-ethylhexylbiguanido) hexane and salts thereof.

Claim 4

The dentifrice claimed in claim 2 wherein said water-soluble antimicrobial agent is a salt of 1,6-di-p-chlorobiguanidohexane.

Claim 5

The dentifrice claimed in claim 2 wherein said water-soluble antimicrobial agent is a salt of 1,6-bis (2-ethylhexylbiguanido) hexane.

Claim 6

the dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said water-soluble antimicrobial agent is present in amount to provide about 0.1-1% by weight of the free base thereof.

Claim 7

The dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said gelling agent is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

Claim 8

The dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said gelling agent is Irish moss.

Claim 9

The dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said gelling agent is hydroxyethyl cellulose.

Claim 10

The dentifrice claimed in claim 1 wherein said polishing agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium pyrophosphate dodecahydrate, hydrated dibasic sodium orthophosphate and tribasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate.

Claim 11

The dentifrice claimed in claim 2 wherein said polishing agent is dibasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate.

Claim 12

A visually clear dentifrice comprising about 5 to 50% by weight of a dentally acceptable water-soluble alkali metal phosphate salt polishing agent having a refractive index between about 1.435 and 1.465, selected from the group consisting of (a) sodium pyrophosphate dodecahydrate (Na4P2O7.10H2O)-refractive index 1.450; (b) dibasic sodium orthophosphate dihydrate (Na2HPO4. 2H2O)-refractive index 1.463; (c) dibasic sodium orthophosphate heptahydrate (Na2HPO4.7H2O)-refractive index 1.436 (d) dibasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate (Na2HPO4.12H2O)-refractive index 1.436; (e) tribasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate (Na3PO4.12H2O)-refractive index 1.446; a water-soluble biguanidohexane antimicrobial agent in amount to provide about 0.001-5% by weight of the free base thereof and a dentifrice gel vehicle comprising (1) at least about 20% by weight of said dentifrice of a liquid phase including humectant having a refractive index of about 1.44 to 1.47, said humectant consisting essentially of sorbitol, glycerine and mixtures thereof and 0 up to an amount of said visually clear dentifrice of free water in which not more than about 30% by weight of said polishing agent is soluble at 40*C., and (2) about 0.5 to 20% by weight of a gelling agent selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, Irish moss and hydroxyethyl cellulose, the refractive index of said dentifrice gel vehicle being between about 1.36 and about 1.47, said polishing agent and said antibacterial agent being homogeneously And invisibly distributed in said visually clear dentifrice gel vehicle.

Claim 13

A visually clear dentifrice comprising about 5 to 50% by weight of a dentally acceptable water-soluble alkali metal phosphate salt polishing agent having a refractive index between about 1.435 and 1.465, selected from the group consisting of (a) sodium pyrophosphate dodecahydrate (Na4P2O7.10H2O)-refractive index 1.450; (b) dibasic sodium orthophosphate dihydrate (Na2HPO4. 2H2O)-refractive index 1.463; (c) dibasic sodium orthophosphate heptahydrate (Na2HPO4.7H2O)-refractive index 1.436 (d) dibasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate (Na2HPO4.12H2O)-refractive index 1.436; (e) tribasic sodium orthophosphate dodecahydrate (Na3PO4.12H2O)-refractive index 1.446; a water-soluble biguanidohexane antimicrobial agent in amount to provide about 0.001-5% by weight of the free base thereof and a dentifrice gel vehicle comprising (1) at least about 20% by weight of said dentifrice of a liquid phase including humectant having a refractive index of about 1.44 to 1.47, said humectant consisting essentially of sorbitol, glycerine and mixtures thereof and 0 up to an amount of said visually clear dentifrice of free water in which not more than about 30% by weight of said polishing agent is soluble at 40*C., and (2) about 0.5 to 20% by weight of a gelling agent selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, Irish moss and hydroxyethyl cellulose, the refractive index of said dentifrice gel vehicle being between about 1.36 and about 1.47, said polishing agent and said antibacterial agent being homogeneously And invisibly distributed in said visually clear dentifrice gel vehicle.