Aqueous slurries useful for cleaning the tongue and throat and methods related thereto

Abstract

Aqueous slurries, capable of cleaning the tongue and throat of a patient when used by an individual for personal hygiene or used on another warm-blooded animal, combine finely-divided charcoal, water, and a biocide. Also disclosed are methods for cleaning areas of the tongue and throat in need thereof. The methods use the disclosed aqueous slurries, as well as apparatus, devices, and tools for contacting the areas to be cleaned with the aqueous slurry and for removing unwanted material from the areas cleaned, as well as from the oral cavity, generally. The disclosed methods can be safely practiced for personal oral hygiene, or on another. Further, kits are disclosed that are useful for such cleaning in providing a contained quantity of a disclosed aqueous slurry or contained quantities of the components thereof, as well as apparatus, devices and tools for effectively preparing and using the same for the above purposes.

1 . An aqueous slurry, useful for cleaning the tongue and throat in the oral cavity of a patient, comprising: 
 finely-divided charcoal:    water; and    a biocide,    wherein the water and biocide provide, and are components of, a liquid portion of the aqueous slurry, and the aqueous slurry is formed by mixing the finely-divided charcoal with the liquid portion.    
     
     
         2 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of the finely-divided charcoal to the liquid portion ranges from about 1:5 to about 1:1 by weight.  
     
     
         3 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is selected from chlorine dioxide, cetyl pyridinium, zinc chloride, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is selected from alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 4  wherein the biocide is alcohol.  
     
     
         6 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 5  wherein the alcohol is present in an amount ranging from about 25% to about 70% by volume of the liquid portion.  
     
     
         7 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 6  wherein the alcohol is provided by a mouthrinse.  
     
     
         8 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 7  wherein the mouthrinse is selected from Listerine®, Scope®, Plax®, Act®, or Cepacol®.  
     
     
         9 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is hydrogen peroxide.  
     
     
         10 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is a mixture of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.  
     
     
         11 . The aqueous slurry of  claim 1  wherein the finely-divided charcoal is activated charcoal powder.  
     
     
         12 - 30 . (canceled)