the dental formulations in this invention comprise oral rinses ( e . g . mouthrinses or washes ), dentifrices , and oral gels having an effective concentration of phenolic compounds where the unpleasant taste of the phenolics is masked by the addition of citrus flavor oils , aromatics , oleo resins , extracts , or ingredients thereof . citrus flavors that may be employed in this invention include natural and synthetic citrus oils , for example , orange , grapefruit , lemon , mandarin orange , lime , mexican lime , tangerine , tangelo and blends thereof , as well as citrus aromatics , natural oleo resins , and extracts . examples of products with synthetic flavors include carrubba a9047 ( an orange flavor ) and noville an110099 ( a citrus mint flavor ). these flavors typically contain one or more citrus flavor ingredients including , for example , the following : d - limonene , l - limonene , dl - limonene , alpha - citral and beta - citral ( geranol ), α - terpinene , γ - terpinene , 2 - dodecanal , α - pinene , β - pinene , 2 - pentenal , cadiene , decylaldehyde , linalool , terpineol , linalyl esters , terpinyl acetate , citronellal , decanal , as well as c 8 to c 10 and c 12 aldehydes , acids , and esters found in citrus flavors , and mixtures thereof . either the natural or synthetic form of these ingredients could be used in the composition of the present invention . certain of these ingredients may provide a better masking effect of the phenolics in these compositions either alone or in combination with other citrus oil components . for example , terpenes found in citrus flavors may be particularly effective in masking the unpleasant phenolic taste found in these compositions . limonene is the most abundant terpene in citrus flavor and can be found at levels of approximately 90 - 95 % in citrus flavors . it is possible that this terpene could be an important contributor to the masking effect of unpleasant phenolics by citrus oils . one hypothetical mechanism for the masking ability of citrus oils is that the chemical structure of d - limonene and its isomers is similar to several of the phenolics ( e . g . thymol , menthol and eucalytol ). thus , limonene may act as an antagonist to phenolic compounds for taste receptors on the tongue . phenolics useful in the present invention include menthol , methyl salicylate , eucalyptol , thymol and triclosan , all of which have an antimicrobial activity . thymol and triclosan are generally considered to have the best antimicrobial activity . thymol is also an anthelmintic and an antiseptic . for oral rinses of the present invention , phenolics can be employed at concentrations of from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 0 . 5 weight %, preferably about 0 . 05 weight % to about 0 . 3 weight % of phenolic compounds selected from a group consisting of menthol , eucalyptol , methyl salicylate , thymol , triclosan , and mixtures thereof . for dentifrices and oral gels of the present invention , the aforementioned phenolic compounds can be useful at concentrations of from about 0 . 05 weight % to about 5 weight %, preferably about 0 . 25 weight % to about 3 weight %. the ratio of limonene to phenolic is preferably at least about 0 . 05 : 1 . humectants in dental products of the present invention impart to the mouth a moist and elegant feel and , if incorporated at sufficient concentration , may further inhibit the harshness of the phenolics in these compositions . some humectants , for example , can provide sweetness to the composition , as well . suitable humectants include edible polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin , sorbitol , propylene glycol , butylene glycol , xylitol and cyclodextrins , including their derivatives . a humectant generally is present in an amount ranging from about 0 . 1 weight % to about 30 weight % for oral rinses and from about 10 weight % to about 50 weight % for dentifrice and oral gel compositions . oral surfactants useful in the present invention include certain nonionic , anionic and amphoteric surfactants . the preferred oral surfactants include block co - polymers of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene such as the pluronics from basf . other oral surfactants include soluble alkyl sulfonates having 10 to 18 carbon atoms and sulfates of monoglycerides of fatty acids having 10 to 18 carbon atoms or sarcosinates ( including salts and derivatives ) such as sodium - n - lauroyl sarcosinate . amphoteric surfactants that can be used include betaines , sulfobetaines and amidobetaines such as the tego betaines from goldschmidt chemical corporation . mixtures of anionic , nonionic and amphoteric surfactants can be used . these ingredients are generally present from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 10 weight %, preferably from about 0 . 01 weight % to 1 weight % for oral rinses and from about 0 . 5 weight % to about 2 weight % for dentifrices and oral gels . the orally acceptable carrier of the invention generally includes mixtures of water and ethanol for oral rinses , although the carrier can be alcohol - free , especially in dentifrices and oral gels . for oral rinses , the amount of water can range up to about 25 weight %. the amount of alcohol for oral rinses ranges from about 0 weight % to about 25 weight %, preferably from about 0 weight % to about 15 weight %. for oral gels and dentifrices , the amount of water ranges from about 0 weight % to about 60 weight %, preferably from about 0 wt % to about 40 weight %. the oral rinse compositions are usually stable so as to be substantially clear and substantially free of precipitation , flocculation , or crystal formation at about room temperature ( about 25 ° c .) as well as at low temperatures of at least about 5 ° c . for at least about 1 week . the low temperature stability of these compositions is determined by cooling the compositions to about 5 ° c ., storing for at least seven days and determining whether any precipitate , crystallized or flocculated material is formed in the clear compositions ( solutions and oral gels ). for dentifrice and oral gel compositions , abrasives may also be added . suitable abrasives include precipitated silica or silica gels which have an average particle size ranging from about 0 . 1 to about 50 microns . preferred silica abrasives include those marketed under the tradename “ sylodent ” or “ syloid ” by the w . r . grace & amp ; co . and those marketed under the tradename “ zeodent ” by the j . m . huber corp . other suitable abrasives , having a suitable particle size as described above , include β - phase calcium pyrophosphate , alumina and calcium carbonate . the amount of abrasive in a dentifrice composition ranges up to about 60 weight %, preferably from about 10 weight % to about 40 weight %. oral rinse , dentifrice , and oral gel compositions of the present invention may also contain a suitable fluoride source . typical sources include soluble salts of the fluoride ion ( e . g . sodium fluoride , potassium fluoride , stannous fluoride , stannous fluorozirconate ) or , soluble salts of the monofluorophosphate ion ( e . g . sodium monofluorophosphate ). the preferred fluoride source is sodium fluoride . the fluoride ion source should provide from about 50 ppm to about 2 , 500 ppm fluoride , preferably from about 250 ppm to about 1500 ppm for dentifrice and oral gel compositions , and from about 50 ppm to about 250 ppm fluoride for oral rinses . antiplaque agents can also be optionally added to the compositions of the present invention . these include cetyl pyridinium chloride and related quatemary salts such as chlorhexidine , zinc salts such as zinc chloride , stannous salts such as stannous chloride , or stannous fluoride and peroxygens such as hydrogen peroxide , carbamide peroxide , sodium percarbonate , magnesium perphthalate or sodium perborate . these optional antiplaque agents are generally present at levels ranging from about 0 weight % to about 5 weight %. anticalculus agents can also be optionally added to the compositions of the present invention . these include tetra - alkali metal pyrophosphate salts and zinc salts , such as zinc chloride . these optional anticalculus agents are generally present at levels ranging from about 0 weight % to about 5 weight % for pyrophosphate salts and from about 0 weight % to about 3 weight % for zinc salts . in compositions of the present invention , preservatives may be used , especially in non - alcohol or low alcohol compositions . these include benzoic acid , sodium benzoate , methylparaben , propylparaben , sorbic acid and potassium sorbate . these preservative agents are generally present at levels ranging from about 0 weight % to about 2 weight %. in compositions relating to the invention , buffering systems may be used to stabilize the ph in the product . the ph of the oral rinse , dentifrice , and oral gel compositions can range from about 3 . 5 to about 8 . 5 . typical buffering systems include , but are not limited to , citrate , benzoate , gluconate and phosphate . buffering systems are present in concentrations from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 1 weight %. thickening agents or binders are an optional component of the compositions . typical thickening include , xanthan gum , carragenan , carboxyvinyl polymers , carbomers , cellulose gums such as carboxymethyl cellulose , cellulose derivatives such as hydroxyethylcellulose and silicas . thickeners are usually present in the compositions from about 0 weight % to 2 weight % in oral rinses , in which xanthan gum is the preferred thickener . in dentifrices and oral gels , silica - based thickeners can be used at concentrations from about 0 weight % to about 20 weight %. “ sylox ” or “ sylodent ” by w . r . grace & amp ; co . are the tradename of the preferred silica - based thickener . orally acceptable sweetening agents such as saccharin , lactose , maltose , aspartame , sodium cyclamate , and polydextrose can be added to the compositions . sweetening agents generally are present in an amount ranging from about 0 . 001 to about 5 weight % for oral rinse , dentifrice and oral gel compositions . orally acceptable coloring agents generally are present in an amount ranging from about 0 weight % to about 0 . 01 weight %. the following dental rinse was formulated : sodium citrate , citric acid , sodium saccharin , sorbitol solution 70 % and dye were dissolved in water , at room temperature ( which is generally between about 20 and 25 ° c . ), using a mixer with high - lift blade rotating at approximately 200 - 300 rpm to give a clear aqueous solution . poloxamer 407 , benzoic acid , menthol , thymol , methyl salicylate , eucalyptol and d - limonene were added to the 190 ° alcohol to give a clear alcoholic solution . the alcoholic phase was added slowly to the aqueous phase which was continually agitated until the addition was complete . the resulting orange product was mixed for a further 30 minutes . the solution had a ph of approximately 4 . 0 . the following dental rinse was formulated : sodium citrate , citric acid , sodium saccharin , sorbitol solution 70 %, hydroxypropyl β - cyclodextrin and dyes were dissolved in water , at room temperature , using a mixer with high - lift blade rotating at approximately 200 - 300 rpm to give a clear aqueous solution . poloxamer 407 , benzoic acid , menthol , thymol , methyl salicylate , eucalyptol and flavor were added to the 190 ° alcohol to give a clear alcoholic solution . the alcoholic phase was added slowly to the aqueous phase which was continually agitated until the addition was complete . the resulting orange product was mixed for a further 30 minutes . the solution had a ph of approximately 4 . 0 . the following dental rinse was formulated . sodium citrate , citric acid , sodium saccharin , sorbitol solution 70 %, sodium lauryl sulfate and dye were dissolved in water using a mixer with high - lift blade rotating at approximately 200 - 300 rpm to give a clear aqueous solution . poloxamer 407 , benzoic acid , triclosan ( irgacare mp - ciba geigy ) and flavor were added to the 190 ° alcohol to give a clear alcoholic solution . the alcoholic phase was added slowly to the aqueous phase which was continually agitated until the addition was complete . the resulting orange product was mixed for a further 30 minutes . the solution had a ph of approximately 4 . 0 . a oral gel dentifrice was formulated by dispersing the carboxymethyl cellulose in the glycerin and polyethylene glycol using a hobart mixer . the naf was dissolved separately in the water . the remainder of the water and sorbitol were added to the naf / water solution and mixed for 25 minutes . sodium saccharin and hydroxypropyl β - cyclodextrin were then added and mixed for another 10 minutes . separately the phenolics were mixed together , i . e . eucalyptol , methyl salicylate , thymol and menthol , to make a phenolic phase and the flavor was added to the phenolic phase . the sylodent 750 , sylodent 15 , and dyes were added to the cellulose / sorbitol / cyclodextrin / water phase . then the phenolic phase , sodium lauryl sulfate and xantham gum were added and mixed thoroughly for 30 minutes . the resulting opacified orange oral gel was deaerated to remove air bubbles .
an oral rinse , dentifrice , or oral gel composition comprising : a ) about 0 . 01 weight % to about 5 weight % of a citrus flavor , citrus flavor ingredient , or mixtures thereof ; b ) about 0 . 01 weight % to about 5 weight % of a phenolic , said phenolic selected from the group consisting of menthol , eucalyptol , methyl salicylate , thymol , triclosan , and mixtures thereof ; and c ) an orally acceptable carrier . the claimed composition is useful in retarding the development of plaque , treating gingivitis , and reducing the viable population of micro - organisms in the oral cavity of a mammal .