Breath freshening confectionery products and methods of making and using same

Abstract

A confectionery product comprises a first side and a second side generally opposite to the first side; the second side comprising an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue within the oral cavity. In preferred embodiments the first side is smooth, and may be domed shaped and generally fit the roof of the mouth. The abrasive surface may be provided by 1) a formed, uneven surface, 2) by including abrasive inclusions in the composition making up the second surface, or 3) a combination of a formed, uneven surface and abrasive inclusions. The confectionery product is preferably a hard confectionery, but may also be a chewing gum product. A preferred confectionery product comprises a second side with a width and a length, the smallest of which is at least 1.6 times the product thickness. Preferred pressed tablets are made from a compressible composition and have at least one abrasive surface suitable for cleaning the surface of a human tongue in an oral cavity and have a hardness of between about 18 Kp and about 35 Kp.

1 . A hard confectionery product comprising: 
 a) a first side and a second side generally opposite to said first side;    b) the first side comprising a domed, non-abrasive surface; and    c) the second side comprising an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue within an oral cavity;    d) wherein the product does not include a handle.    
   
   
       2 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 1  comprising a pressed tablet.  
   
   
       3 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 1  comprising a deposited hard candy.  
   
   
       4 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive scrubbing surface is provided by abrasive inclusions in the hard confectionery.  
   
   
       5 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 4  wherein the abrasive inclusions are embedded in only the surface layer of the abrasive surface.  
   
   
       6 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 1  wherein the domed surface and abrasive surface are made from different compositions.  
   
   
       7 . A hard confectionery product comprising: 
 a) a first hard confectionery composition; and    b) a second hard confectionery composition different than said first composition, the second composition comprising an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue.    
   
   
       8 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . The hard confectionery product of  claim 7  wherein the first and second compositions are different in color form one another.  
   
   
       11 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . A hard confectionery product comprising: 
 a) a hard confectionery material comprising abrasive inclusions; and    b) the hard confectionery material being formed into a product having a piece size with no dimension greater than about 25 mm and at least one formed, uneven surface, the abrasive inclusions and formed, uneven surface together forming an abrasive scrubbing surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue.    
   
   
       21 . A hard confectionery product comprising; 
 a) a first side and a second side generally opposite to said first side;    b) the first side comprising a smooth surface; and    c) the second side comprising an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue, the second side being made of a hard confectionery material comprising abrasive inclusions.    
   
   
       22 - 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A hard confectionery product comprising: 
 a) a piece size with no dimension greater than about 25 mm; and    b) an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue, the abrasive surface being made of a hard confectionery material comprising abrasive inclusions formed of a material selected from the group consisting of solid matrices of carbohydrates, solid matrices of polyols, extruded carbohydrates, extruded polyols and mixtures thereof.    
   
   
       29 - 45 . (canceled)  
   
   
       46 . The product of  claim 4  wherein the inclusions comprise abrasive particles that predominantly have particle sizes of between about 100 microns and about 2000 microns.  
   
   
       47 . The product of  claim 46  wherein the abrasive particles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of crystalline sugars, crystalline polyols, solid matrices of carbohydrates, solid matrices of polyols, extruded carbohydrates, extruded polyols, granular food acids, granular inorganic salts and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       48 . The product of  claim 46  wherein the abrasive particles are of a different color than the material in which they are contained.  
   
   
       49 . The product of  claim 46  wherein the abrasive particles also carry a flavor.  
   
   
       50 - 55 . (canceled)  
   
   
       56 . The product of  claim 1  further comprising a coating layer covering at least a portion of the product, the coating layer containing flavoring agents at a level higher than any flavoring agents in the remainder of the product.  
   
   
       57 . The product of  claim 1  which is sugarless.  
   
   
       58 - 60 . (canceled)  
   
   
       61 . The product of  claim 1  having an oval shape.  
   
   
       62 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive scrubbing surface comprises a formed, uneven surface.  
   
   
       63 . The product of  claim 62  wherein the formed, uneven surface has a washboard shape.  
   
   
       64 - 67 . (canceled)  
   
   
       68 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface is. generally concave except for the features making it abrasive.  
   
   
       69 - 70 . (canceled)  
   
   
       71 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface is provided by a plurality of generally parallel ridges extending generally perpendicular from one side of the product.  
   
   
       72 . (canceled)  
   
   
       73 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the product is generally triangular in plan view.  
   
   
       74 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the shape of the product is generally elliptical in its major cross-section.  
   
   
       75 . (canceled)  
   
   
       76 . The product of  claim 1  further comprising a mint flavor.  
   
   
       77 . The product of  claim 1  further comprising one or more anti-microbial agents.  
   
   
       78 . The product of  claim 77  wherein the anti-microbial agent is selected from the group consisting of cardamom oil, magnolia bark extract, cranberry, geraniol, cinnamaldehyde, peppermint, triclosan, chlorhexidine, cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       79 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises one or more physiological cooling agents.  
   
   
       80 . The product of  claim 79  wherein the physiological cooling agent is selected from the group consisting of menthol, N-2,3-trimethyl-2-isopropyl butanamide, 3-l-menthoxypropane-1,2-diol, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide, menthane ketals, menthyl succinate, isopulegol, menthyl glutarate and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       81 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises one or more breath freshening agents.  
   
   
       82 . The product of  claim 81  wherein the breath freshening agent is selected from the group consisting of salts of zinc, salts of copper, polyphenols, mushroom extracts and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       83 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises one or more breath freshening and mouth odor masking flavors.  
   
   
       84 . The product of  claim 83  wherein the breath freshening and mouth odor masking flavor is selected from the group consisting of cinnamon, mint, wintergreen, fruit flavors and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       85 . The product of  claim 1  wherein the product comprises one or more dental active agents.  
   
   
       86 . The product of  claim 85  wherein the dental active agent is selected from the group consisting of tooth whiteners, fluoride, stain removers, calcium salts, phosphate salts and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       87 - 100 . (canceled)  
   
   
       101 . A method of removing bacteria from the top surface of a human tongue comprising: 
 a) placing a hard confectionery product having a first side and a second side generally opposite to said first side in an oral cavity, the first side comprising a domed, non-abrasive surface, and the second side comprising an abrasive surface, with the abrasive surface contacting the top surface of the tongue, wherein the product does not include a handle; and    b) causing the abrasive surface of the hard confectionery product to be scraped across the top surface of the tongue while the oral cavity is closed to thereby loosen bacteria on the top surface of the tongue.    
   
   
       102 - 109 . (canceled)