The present invention relates to an oral care kit that when coated onto the teeth aids tooth whitening and prevents staining.

Background of the Invention White teeth are seen as cosmetically attractive, however the enamel of the teeth can stain, for instance when certain foods or drinks are consumed. Tooth bleaching compositions are available but many consumers want an instance, revisable tooth whitening system. Hence there is a need for products and devices that improve the appearance of the teeth.

Peroxide based whitening compositions applied to teeth by means of bristles, a sponge surface are described in WO05037127.

WO2014205631 discloses an oral care composition containing (a) a zinc citrate; and (b) a surface-active organophosphate compound. The composition is said to prevent stain from depositing on a tooth surface or other oral surfaces.

Methods for reducing or preventing the staining capacity of a compound to a tooth are disclosed in W014152829. The method includes the step of coating the tooth with a film comprising starch polymer or copolymer that is formed by crosslinking a starch.

WO 2013/070184 discloses dental whitening compositions, comprising an

acrylate/octylacrylamide copolymer and one or more alkyl cellulose ethers. The compositions are said to prevent the teeth from staining.

Dental coating kits that are said to prevent teeth from staining are disclosed in

EP1550428 and EP2854756. With many tooth whitening products the teeth can appear coated with a film and the white shade of the teeth looks unnatural. There remains the need for a tooth whitening composition that gives the teeth a natural shade of white and adheres to the teeth in a manner such that the teeth do not look they are coated. The compositions of the present invention when applied to the teeth give the teeth a naturally white appearance.

Application of such products can also be tricky for the consumer to apply as many formulations over time, sediment and clog applicative devices, especially application devices having a plunger based dispensing system. The present invention relates to a whitening composition that can be applied to teeth from a dispensing system comprising a pump system, without clogging the dispensing system.

Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tooth whitening kit comprising a whitening composition and an applicator;

i) the composition comprising a whitening agent and a smectite clay; and

ii) the applicator comprising an application means, a liquid reservoir and a plunger movably mounted within the reservoir.

Detailed Description of the Invention The applicator of the invention comprises application means, a liquid reservoir and a plunger movably mounted within the reservoir. Preferred applicators are elongated and pen-like in shape. The reservoir of the applicator preferably contains from 0.75 ml to 5 cm ³ of the tooth whitening composition. The applicator is preferably designed so that the composition is dispensed from an aperture at one end. At the other end of the applicator is a piston/button to dispense the tooth whitening composition from the reservoir through the aperture to the applicator surface. The plunger within the applicator is connected to the piston/button. The plunger can be manually operated by a twisting motion or by a push button. Movement of the plunger by operation of the piston/button causes the plunger to move towards the aperture and thus dispense the composition through the aperture.

It is preferable if the liquid reservoir is cylindrical.

To ensure a uniform composition it is preferable if within the liquid reservoir is a dispersal means. A preferred dispersal means is a sphere, preferably at least two spheres are present. Most preferably, the number of spheres is from 2 to 5. To ensure uniform dispersion it is preferable if the spheres comprise metal. More preferably steel.

The applicator means preferably comprises a pad, a sponge-like surface or a fibrillated surface, more preferably, it comprises a plurality of bristles.

Compositions of the invention comprise a non bleaching whitening agent. Suitable whitening agents include materials with a high refractive index or blue dyes/pigments.

In the context of the present invention a high refractive index is means materials with a refractive index of at least 2.0, more preferably at least 2.2, even more preferably at least 2.3, even more preferably still at least 2.4 and most preferably at least 2.5. The maximum refractive index of the particles is not particularly limited but preferably the particles have a refractive index up to 3.0, more preferably up to 2.9. Suitable materials to provide such a high refractive index are limited only in that they should be suitable for use in oral hygiene applications. Particularly suitable are metal salts.

Preferred are salts where the metal is selected from zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti) or a combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively the metal salt is (or at least comprises) a metal oxide. Especially preferred metal oxides are zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (T1O2) or a combination thereof.

Preferred, owing to its high refractive index and suitability for oral application is titanium dioxide (T1O2). Most preferred due to the natural appearance on the teeth is mica and/or mica coated with titanium dioxide. Preferably the level of material with a high refractive index, more preferably a metal salt, in particular metal oxide such as titanium dioxide or mica is from 0.1 to 8 wt% of the total composition, more preferably it is from 0.5 to 4 wt%. The whitening agent can also be a blue colourant such as a pigment or blue dye, preferably it is a blue dye more preferably it is patent blue.

Preferably, the level of blue colourant, more preferably blue pigment of blue dye is from 0.0005 wt% to 0.05 wt% of the total composition, more preferably from 0.0001 wt% to 0.01 wt%

The composition may comprise a mixture of whitening agents. Preferably, the

composition comprises titanium dioxide and a blue dye, more preferably the composition comprises mica and patent blue.

Preferably, the weight ratio of any of the above mentioned combinations of metal salt/mica to blue colourant, more preferably titanium dioxide/mica to blue dye, is from 2000:1 to 750:1 , more preferably from 1500:1 to 1000:1. Preferably compositions of the invention comprises less than 0.1 wt% of bleaching agent, more preferably less than 0,01 wt%, most preferably less than 0.001wt% of a bleaching agent. In the context of the present invention it is particularly advantageous to avoid bleaching agents based on peroxides. Compositions according to the invention comprise a clay, preferably a smectite clay, more preferable a montmorillonite clay.

Preferred smectite clays are selected from montmorillonites (bentonites, hectorites and derivatives thereof) (organically modified montmorillonite clays) such as quaternium-18 bentonite, quaternium-18 hectorite, stearalkonium bentonite and stearalkonium hectorite and mixtures thereof. Stearalkonium hectorite is particularly preferred. Preferred compositions comprise from 5 to 25 wt% of the total composition of the above mentioned clay. More preferred compositions have 8 to 15 wt% of the total composition of the above mentioned clay. The clay is believed to thicken the product and to adjust the appearance of the

composition on the teeth so the teeth look natural. A disadvantage of the clay is that it can cause sedimentation within the product, so the level of clay should be adjusted to maximise thickening and to minimise sedimentation. Compositions of the invention comprise an acryl based polymer, more preferably an acrylate / octylacrylamide copolymer for example a copolymer of octylacrylamide (for example N-(1 , 3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-propenamide) and one or more monomers selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and their simple esters, in a particular embodiment, the acrylate / ocivlacry i amide copolymer is 2-propenoic acid, 2-methyl- 2-methylpropyl ester, polymer with 2-propenoic acid and N-(1 ,1 ,3,3 -tetramethylbutyl)-2-propenamide (example DERMACRYL@P 79 (commercially available from National Starch or AkzoNobel.

Preferably the level of acryl based polymer is from 2 to 20 Wt % of the total composition, more preferably from 5 to 15 wt% of the total composition.

Preferably which the weight ratio of clay to acryl based polymer is from 1.3:1 to 1 :1 .

Compositions according to the invention will usually contain a continuous phase, which may be a mixture of water, alcohol more preferably a polyhydric alcohol. The amount of alcohol generally ranging from 20 to 85 wt% (based on the total weight of the dentifrice), preferably the level of water is 7 wt% or below and the level of alcohol is from 30 wt%. to 75 wt% of the total composition.

A preferred alcohol for use in the present invention and at the present invention is isopropyl alcohol.

In a preferred embodiment the composition comprises an ester in the continuous phase, more preferably ethyl acetate. Preferably the level of ethyl acetate is form 10 to 30 wt% of the total composition more preferably form 15 to 25 wt%. The oral care composition of the present invention may contain a variety of other ingredients which are common in the art to enhance physical properties and performance. These ingredients include antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-caries agents, plaque buffers, fluoride sources, vitamins, plant extracts, desensitizing agents, anti- calculus agents, biomolecules, flavours, proteinaceous materials, preservatives, opacifying agents, micas, colouring agents, pH-adjusting agents, sweetening agents, particulate abrasive materials, polymeric compounds, buffers and salts to buffer the pH and ionic strength of the compositions, and mixtures thereof. Such ingredients typically and collectively makeup less than 20 percent by weight of the composition, and preferably, from 0.0 to 15 percent by weight, and most preferably, from 0.01 to 12 percent by weight of the composition, including all ranges subsumed therein.

It is highly preferable if compositions of the invention are orally acceptable. By "orally acceptable" it is meant that the compositions are safe for use in the mouth at the levels required.

Compositions of the invention preferably have a viscosity from 10,000 cps to 500,000 cps. It should be noted that in the context of the present invention all viscosities are measured at a temperature of 20 degrees centigrade with a Brookfield Viscometer, Spindle No. 4.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing Figure 1 which is an elevational view of the dispenser in a vertical section.

Referring to the Figures, the dispenser of the invention is designated by the reference number 1 . In this embodiment, dispenser comprises a barrel (7) that acts as a reservoir. At one end of the barrel is a capillary (9). Within the capillary is a ball (9) mounted between two springs (10). The capillary leads to a tip (14) which has an aperture leading to a brush (1 1 ). At the proximal end is a piston (5). The piston is attached to a screw (2) which is in contact with a sprung gearing mechanism (4). The gearing mechanism is operated by A push end cap (1 ). The dispenser is sealed by and plug (10) and an end cap (13). Within the barrel (5) and freely movable our two spheres (17). Example of the invention will now be illustrated by the following non-limiting examples:

Table 1

* Mica

The sedimentation of the above Examples was measured and is recorded in Table 2 below

Table 2

Examples according to the invention coated the teeth with a natural looking film yet had acceptable sedimentation thus they did not clog the dispenser.