MOUTH RINSE COMPOSITIONS INCLUDING CHEMICALLY MODIFIED SILICA OR SILICATE MATERIALS FOR SUSTAINED DELIVERY TO TOOTH SURFACES

Novel mouth rinse (i.e., mouthwash) compositions that permit delivery of silica or silicate materials to the surface of teeth through common mouth rinsing procedures are provided. Such compositions must exhibit proper suspension of the silica or silicate materials (in particulate form) to prevent settling during storage while simultaneously providing proper mouth rinsing properties. Such silica or silicate materials may themselves exhibit any number of therapeutic or aesthetic benefits as long as such materials are easily transferred through mouth rinsing and exhibit proper affinity for deposit on target teeth upon contact therewith. Such silica or silicate materials should exhibit, in one embodiment, certain ionic charge levels as well as sufficiently small particle sizes to permit effective static attraction and eventual accumulation on target tooth surfaces. Methods of utilizing such mouthwashes for breath freshening and/or cleaning, as well as silica or silicate material tooth accumulation, are encompassed within this invention as well.