Denture adhesive composition

Abstract

A denture adhesive composition contains a denture adhesive and a pharmacologically acceptable carrier in which the denture adhesive is a salt of a copolymer of maleic acid or anhydride and a 1 to 5 carbon atom alkyl vinyl ether having a specific viscosity of at least 4.0. The denture adhesive composition is used to adhere a denture to the oral mucosa.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A denture adhesive composition comprising a pharmacologically acceptable carrier and an effective adhesion amount of a salt of a copolymer of maleic acid or anhydride and a 1 to 5 carbon atom alkyl vinyl ether, wherein said .[.salt.]. .Iadd.copolymer .Iaddend.has a specific viscosity of at least about 4.0. 
     
     
       2. The denture adhesive of claim 1, in which the specific viscosity is at least about 4.5. 
     
     
       3. The denture adhesive composition of claim 2, in which the carboxylic acid groups of said copolymer are not completely neutralized. 
     
     
       4. The denture adhesive composition of claim 3, in which the alkyl moiety is methyl. 
     
     
       5. The denture adhesive composition of claim 4, in which the salt cation comprises a metal selected from Groups IA, IIA and IIB of the Periodic Table. 
     
     
       6. The denture adhesive composition of claim 4, in which the salt cation is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       7. The denture adhesive composition of claim 6, in the form of a cream. 
     
     
       8. The denture adhesive composition of claim 7, in which the denture adhesive is a mixed sodium/calcium salt of the copolymer of maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether and the amount thereof is from about 15% to about 55%. 
     
     
       9. The denture adhesive composition of claim 6, in the form of a powder. 
     
     
       10. The denture adhesive composition of claim 9 in which the denture adhesive is a mixed salt of the copolymer of maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether and the amount thereof is from about 15% to about 55%. 
     
     
       11. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in which the carboxylic acid groups of said copolymer are not completely neutralized. 
     
     
       12. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in which the alkyl moiety is methyl. 
     
     
       13. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in which the salt cation comprises an alkali metal. 
     
     
       14. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in which the salt cation is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       15. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in which the amount of denture adhesive is from about 17% to about 48%. 
     
     
       16. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in the form of a cream. 
     
     
       17. The denture adhesive composition of claim 16 in which the amount of denture adhesive is about 30%. 
     
     
       18. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 in the form of a powder. 
     
     
       19. The denture adhesive composition of claim 18 in which the amount of denture adhesive is about 50%. 
     
     
       20. The denture adhesive composition of claim 1 containing from about 10% to about 30% of a carboxymethyl cellulose gum. 
     
     
       21. The denture adhesive composition of claim 20 wherein the gum is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and the amount thereof is about 15-53%. 
     
     
       22. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 1. 
     
     
       23. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 2. 
     
     
       24. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 3. 
     
     
       25. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 8. 
     
     
       26. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 10. 
     
     
       27. A method of adhering a denture to the oval mucosa by employing a denture adhesive composition utilizing the denture adhesive composition of claim 20.