Coating composition containing a liquid glycol

Claim 1

A coating composition, comprising: a liquid glycol selected from the group consisting of a glycol containing n hydroxyl groups and from n to n+2 carbon atoms where n is 2 to 10, a glycol having the formula HO--(C 2 H 4 O) a --H where a is 3 to 20 and a glycol having the formula HO--(C 3 H 6 O) b --H where b is 2 to 15, said liquid glycol at a concentration of from about 50 weight percent to about 90 weight percent of said coating composition; a coloring agent at a concentration in said composition of from about 0.05 weight percent to about 3 weight percent, such that, when said composition is applied as a thin coating to the occlusal surface of one tooth of a pair of occluding teeth and then the coated tooth and the uncoated tooth of said pair are brought into occluding relationship so that a portion of said coating is transferred to the occlusal surface of said uncoated tooth as a thin marking at each contact point between said teeth, said marking has sufficient color intensity to permit visual location of each contact point on the occlusal surface of said uncoated tooth; and a thickening agent at a concentration in said composition of from about 10 weight percent to about 50 weight percent which comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: A--a member selected from the group consisting of a solid glycol ester and a solid ethoxylated ester formed therefrom, said solid glycol ester having at least one free hydroxyl group and being an ester of a fatty acid containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms and of a glycol selected from the group consisting of a glycol containing n hydroxyl groups and from n to n+2 carbon atoms where n is 2 to 10, a glycol having the formula HO--(C 2 H 4 O) d --H where d is 3 to 27 and a glycol having the formula HO--(C 3 H 6 O) g --H where g is 2 to 20, said ethoxylated ester being a reaction product of 2-30 moles of ethylene oxide and one mole of said solid glycol ester; B--a mixture of (1) a component at a concentration of from about 3 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of said coating composition and selected from the group consisting of a glycol ester and an ethoxylated ester formed therefrom, said glycol ester having at least one free hydroxyl group and being an ester of a fatty acid containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms and of a glycol selected from the group consisting of a glycol containing n hydroxyl groups and from n to n+2 carbon atoms where n is 2 to 10, a glycol having the formula HO--(C 2 H 4 O) x --H where x is 3 to 27 and a glycol having the formula HO--(C 3 H 6 O) y --H where y is 2 to 20, and of (2) a component selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid at a concentration of from about 1 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of said coating composition and containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, a fatty acid ester of a fatty acid containing 10 to 22 carbon atoms and of an aliphatic monohydroxyl alcohol containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, said fatty acid ester at a concentration of from about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of said coating composition; a fatty alcohol at a concentration of from about 0.1 weight percent of about 5 weight percent of said coating composition and containing from 10 to 30 carbon atoms, an ethoxylated fatty alcohol at a concentration of from about 0.3 weight percent to about 2 weight percent of said coating composition and which is a reaction product of one mole of fatty alcohol containing from 10 to 30 carbon atoms and 2 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, an aliphatic hydrocarbon oil at a concentration of from about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of said coating composition, and an alkanolamine which is at a concentration of from about 1 percent to about 10 weight percent of said coating composition and which is a secondary or tertiary amine containing from 4 to b 9 carbon atoms, with each alkanol moiety thereof containing 2 to 3 carbon atoms; and C--a mixture of a solid fatty acid at a concentration of from about 7 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of said coating composition and containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms and an alkanolamine which is at a concentration which is about 0.1 to 1.0 of that needed to exactly neutralize said fatty acid in said mixture C and which is a secondary or tertiary amine containing from 4 to 9 carbon atoms, with each alkanol moiety thereof containing 2 to 3 carbon atoms; said composition being in the form of a readily deformable paste which is capable of being smeared as a thin, immobile coating on the occlusal surface of said coated tooth, a portion of said coating capable of being transferred to the occlusal surface of said uncoated tooth when said pair of occluding teeth is brought into occluding relationship, as a thin marking at each contact point between said teeth, said coating being sufficiently thin to permit said occluding teeth to enter into a substantially unimpaired occluding relationship, the mixture of said liquid glycol and said thickening agent serving as a carrier for said coloring agent and being removable from said teeth by a water rinse.