Novel formulations for oral care - developing a fundamental understanding of the formulation factors and strategies to enhance the retention of oral care ingredients in the mouth.

Oral care has been widely recognised as a vital contributor to overall health. Modern oral care products including toothpastes, chewing gums and mouthwashes often provide a significant reduction in dental decay; they control plaque and prevent gum disease; they remove staining and restore the original teeth shade. The antibacterial ingredients and flavours present in these formulations prevent proliferation of certain bacteria in the mouth and help to keep the breath fresh. The performance of these formulations is often heavily dependent on the retention of main ingredients in the mouth over a prolonged period of time. The development of strategies helping to enhance the retention of oral care products in the mouth and of the methodologies to assess this retention is of significant interest to oral care industry. This project will be developing a fundamental understanding of the formulation factors and strategies to enhance the retention of oral care ingredients in the mouth.