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 said first side, and a product thickness. The second side comprises an abrasive surface that is suitable for cleaning the top surface of a tongue within an oral cavity. The second side has a width and a length, the smallest of which is at least 1.6 times the product thickness. The product does not include a handle and the product does not include a combination of a soft confectionery with a hard confectionery. In some 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) including abrasive particles in the composition making up the second surface, or 3) a combination of a formed, uneven surface and abrasive particles. The confectionery product may be a hard confectionery, but may also be a chewing gum product.

1 . A method of removing bacteria from the top surface of a human tongue comprising:
 a) placing a confectionery product having a first side and a second side generally opposite to said first side, and a product thickness, in an oral cavity, the second side comprising an abrasive surface and having a width and a length, the smallest of which is at least 1.6 times the product thickness, with the abrasive surface contacting the top surface of the tongue, wherein the product does not include a handle and wherein the product does not include a combination of a soft confectionery with a hard confectionery; and   b) causing the abrasive surface of the 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product has an abrasive surface provided by one or more of:
 a) abrasive particles in the confectionery of which the product is formed, and 
 b) an uneven surface formed on the confectionery product. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface comprises surface features having at least one scraping edge. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the roof of the oral cavity holds the confectionery product stationary in the oral cavity while the tongue is scraped across the abrasive surface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product comprises a pressed tablet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product comprises abrasive particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface comprises a formed, uneven surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the formed, uneven surface comprises a confectionery material that also contains abrasive particles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface comprises a plurality of individual bumps protruding from the abrasive surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface is generally convex. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the product thickness is determined by forming an imaginary three dimensional box having three sets of two parallel sides, each side being at right angles to the other sides to which it is connected, two of the parallel sides being horizontal and considered as top and bottom sides, the sides each contacting the surface of the product and not intersecting the product, the product being oriented such that its center of gravity is a close as possible to the bottom side, the box having the smallest volume of any possible box meeting the forgoing criteria, the thickness being the smallest dimension of said box, and wherein the width and length of the second side are the other two dimensions of said box. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product includes one or more physiological cooling agents. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product includes one or more breath freshening agents. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6  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. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the abrasive particles are of a different color than the confectionery in which they are contained. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product comprises a hard confectionery product wherein:
 a) the first side comprises a domed shape, non-abrasive surface; and 
 b) the second side comprises an abrasive surface that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue within an oral cavity wherein
 i) the abrasive surface is generally convex, 
 ii) the abrasive surface comprises a formed, uneven surface, 
 iii) the confectionery forming the uneven surface also contains abrasive particles, and 
 iv) the abrasive surface comprises a plurality of individual bumps protruding from the abrasive surface; 
 
 c) wherein the product is generally elliptical in shape in plan view and has a size with no dimension greater than 25 mm and a product thickness of between about ⅛ and about ½ inch; and the smallest of the length and width of the second side is between about ¼ and about 1 inch; and 
 d) wherein the product comprises a pressed tablet and the confectionery product includes one or more fruit flavors. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the domed surface and abrasive surface are made from different compositions. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product is sugarless. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the confectionery product comprises
 a) a pressed tablet having two distinct layers, a first layer comprising a first hard confectionery composition and a second layer comprising a second hard confectionery composition; 
 b) the first composition formed so as to have a domed shape, non-abrasive surface; 
 c) the second composition being different than said first composition and the second composition having formed thereon an uneven, abrasive surface generally opposite said non-abrasive surface and that is suitable for scrubbing the top surface of a tongue within an oral cavity, wherein
 i) the abrasive surface is generally convex, 
 ii) the second composition contains abrasive particles, and 
 iii) the abrasive surface comprises a plurality of individual bumps protruding from the abrasive surface; 
 
 d) wherein the product is generally elliptical in shape in plan view and has a size with no dimension greater than 25 mm and a product thickness of between about ⅛ and about ½ inch; and the smallest of the length and width of the product is between about ¼ and about 1 inch; and 
 e) wherein the confectionery product includes one or more fruit flavors. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the first and second compositions are different in color from one another. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first composition is a generally white color.