Oral care composition

Abstract

An oral care composition including a base formulation, sodium bicarbonate, and nisin, wherein the oral care composition removes biofilm from a tooth surface more effectively than the base formulation with the sodium bicarbonate or the nisin alone.

Description

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to an oral care composition for at least toothpaste, mouthwash, gel, chewing gum, and lozenges.

SUMMARY

One embodiment discloses an oral care composition that aids in cleaning teeth including greater than 0.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate and greater than 0.0% by weight of nisin to more effectively remove biofilm from a tooth surface than either sodium bicarbonate or nisin alone.

Another embodiment discloses a method of treating teeth including applying an oral care composition to a tooth surface. The composition includes greater than 0.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate and greater than 0.0% by weight of nisin to more effectively remove biofilm from a tooth surface than either sodium bicarbonate or nisin alone.

Another embodiment discloses an oral care composition that aids in cleaning teeth, the oral care composition including at least 15% by weight sodium bicarbonate and at least 0.000375% by weight of nisin, wherein a ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is at least 500 to 1 and does not exceed 200,000 to 1.

Another embodiment discloses a method of treating teeth including applying an oral care composition to a tooth surface. The composition including at least 15% by weight sodium bicarbonate and at least 0.000375% by weight of nisin, wherein a ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is at least 500 to 1 and does not exceed 200,000 to 1.

An oral care composition including a base formulation, sodium bicarbonate, and nisin, wherein the oral care composition removes biofilm from a tooth surface more effectively than the base formulation with the sodium bicarbonate or the nisin alone.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 graphically shows the results of Experiment 1.

FIG. 2 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 10-13 include 0.0% by weight nisin and varying concentrations of sodium bicarbonate.

FIG. 3 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 14-22 include varying concentrations of nisin and 0.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate.

FIG. 4 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 23-32 include varying concentrations of nisin and 15.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate.

FIG. 5 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 33-42 include varying concentrations of nisin and 51.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate.

FIG. 6 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 43-52 include varying concentrations of nisin and 75.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate.

FIG. 7 graphically shows the results of Experiment 2 in which sample solution numbers 53-62 include varying concentrations of nisin and 90.0% by weight sodium bicarbonate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details set forth in the following description and the drawings.

Removing and preventing biofilm formation is the key to maintaining oral health. Biofilm can consist of multiple species of bacteria excreting a slimy glue-like substance that sticks to the surface of teeth. The most efficient measure to remove biofilm is mechanical scrubbing by a toothbrush. However, it is difficult to effectively mechanically scrub hard-to-reach areas, such as interproximal or gingival pocket spaces. One embodiment of an oral composition (e.g., a toothpaste, dentifrice, gel, mouthwash, lozenges, etc.) comprises sodium bicarbonate and nisin. Together, sodium bicarbonate and nisin remove plaque effectively. Sodium bicarbonate is widely used in oral care as anti-plaque (anti-biofilm) and anti-calculus component. Nisin has been used in oral care technology as a bactericide and has been used in food industry as a preservative for its antibacterial effect. Also, there are research reports to utilize Nisin in oral care to prevent or reduce biofilm. When used together in an oral care composition, sodium bicarbonate and nisin remove plaque more effectively than either of the two components alone.

The oral care composition may optionally include surfactants, soothing or desensitizing agents, flavoring agents, sweetening agents, humectant agents, coloring agents, additional polishing or abrasive materials, additional antimicrobial agents, binders or thickening agents, fluoride, preservatives, and water.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an oral care composition comprising a base formulation, sodium bicarbonate, and nisin, wherein the oral care composition removes biofilm from a tooth surface more effectively than the base formulation with the sodium bicarbonate or the nisin alone. The term “base formulation” refers to a formulation that includes at least one of the oral care ingredients described herein, but does not include sodium bicarbonate or nisin. For example, the base formulation may have the same composition as the oral care composition, except that sodium bicarbonate and nisin are absent in the base formulation. Under the same testing conditions, the oral care composition as described herein can achieve higher efficacy in removing biofilm from a tooth surface than the base formulation, the base formulation with sodium bicarbonate alone, and the base formulation with nisin alone.

Moreover, the oral care compositions discussed herein may be prepared by any suitable method.

Experiment 1

Experiment 1 treated laboratory-created biofilms with different samples of the oral care solutions as noted in Table 1.

First, a Streptococcus mutans (“S mutans”) solution was cultured in a brain heart infusion (“BHI”) medium overnight at 37 degrees Celsius and under anaerobic conditions. Then, the S mutans solution was diluted with the BHI medium with 0.5% sucrose to adjust the number of bacteria to 10⁸ cfu/ml. This step ensures that the S mutans concentration is consistent for each sample. Then, 200 μL of the resulting S mutans solution was injected into 96-well polystyrene microplates and cultured for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius under anaerobic conditions to form the biofilm. The biofilm in each of the wells was washed with phosphate-buffered saline (“PBS”) once. Then, the biofilms in each of the wells were exposed to respective sample solutions 1-9 listed below in Table 1 for 10 minutes, and then the exposed-biofilms were each washed with PBS three times. As shown in the table below, each of the samples has different concentrations of sodium bicarbonate and nisin. Finally, the wells of exposed-biofilm were dissolved with 200 μL 1N NaOH, and the efficacy of each solution to remove the biofilm in the respective well was measured using UV-vis spectrophotometric optical density at a wavelength of 550 nm (OD₅₅₀).

TABLE 1
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	1	0.000125	0.0	5.9
	2	0.001	0.0	0.2
	3	0.005	0.0	9.1
	4	0.01	0.0	3.2
	5	0	17.0	15
	6	0.000125	17.0	28.7
	7	0.001	17.0	23.5
	8	0.005	17.0	25.8
	9	0.01	17.0	19.4

As shown in Table 1, each of the samples has specified concentrations by weight of sodium bicarbonate and nisin. When the samples were applied to the biofilms, which a reduction of biofilm resulted. The percentage of biofilm removal represents the reduction of biofilm as a result of applying the samples to the biofilm. The results from Experiment 1 are presented in graphical form in FIG. 1, which shows that samples including both sodium bicarbonate and nisin are more effective at removing biofilm than the samples with only one of sodium bicarbonate and nisin.

Experiment 1 was carried out using an aqueous solution having the concentrations reported in Table 1. In actual oral care products using the disclosed combination, the concentrations may vary according to the specific oral care product. For example, when the oral care composition is a toothpaste, the concentrations of sodium bicarbonate and nisin reported in Table 1 may be increased because the toothpaste when used by a user will be diluted by saliva to about as much as ½ to ⅕. Alternatively, when the oral care composition is a gel or mouthwash, it may not be diluted as much during use as a toothpaste so the concentrations of sodium bicarbonate and nisin may remain closer to the concentrations reported in Table 1. Regardless of the type oral care composition, it is believed that the ratios between sodium bicarbonate and nisin will be similar to those shown in the experiment. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Experiment 2

Experiment 2 also treated laboratory-created biofilms with different samples of the oral care solutions as noted in Tables 2-7.

The experimental set up is the same as the experimental setup for Experiment 1, except for a few differences. First, a Streptococcus mutans (“S mutans”) solution was cultured in a brain heart infusion (“BHI”) medium overnight at 37 degrees Celsius and under anaerobic conditions. Then, the S mutans solution was diluted with the BHI medium with 0.5% sucrose to adjust the number of bacteria to 10⁸ cfu/ml. This step ensures that the S mutans concentration is consistent for each sample. Then, 200 μL of the resulting S mutans solution was injected into 96-well polystyrene microplates and cultured for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius under anaerobic conditions to form the biofilm. The biofilm in each of the wells was washed with deionized water (“DI”) once. Then, the sample solutions were diluted to ⅓ with DI water. This step mimics the dilution of the solution by a user's saliva, when in use. Then, the biofilms in each of the wells were exposed to respective sample solutions listed below in Tables 2-7 for 10 minutes, and then the exposed-biofilms were each washed with DI water three times. As shown in the Tables 2-7 below, each of the samples 10-62 has different concentrations of sodium bicarbonate and nisin. Finally, the wells of exposed-biofilm were dissolved with 200 μL 1N NaOH, and the efficacy of each solution to remove the biofilm in the respective well was measured using UV-vis spectrophotometric optical density at a wavelength of 550 nm (OD₅₅₀).

TABLE 2
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	10	0.0	15.0	7.3
	11	0.0	51.0	14.7
	12	0.0	75.0	16.0
	13	0.0	90.0	19.9

TABLE 3
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	14	0.00015	0.0	1
	15	0.000375	0.0	0.9
	16	0.0015	0.0	−0.2
	17	0.003	0.0	−0.5
	18	0.015	0.0	−0.4
	19	0.03	0.0	0.3
	20	0.09	0.0	−0.8
	21	0.15	0.0	−1.1
	22	0.3	0.0	−0.4

TABLE 4
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	23	0.0	15.0	7.3
	24	0.00015	15.0	7.7
	25	0.000375	15.0	13.1
	26	0.0015	15.0	17.2
	27	0.003	15.0	19.6
	28	0.015	15.0	18.0
	29	0.03	15.0	16.3
	30	0.09	15.0	16.6
	31	0.15	15.0	13.8
	32	0.3	15.0	14.5

TABLE 5
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	33	0.0	51.0	14.7
	34	0.00015	51.0	12.5
	35	0.000375	51.0	19.1
	36	0.0015	51.0	19.0
	37	0.003	51.0	25.3
	38	0.015	51.0	23.0
	39	0.03	51.0	24.2
	40	0.09	51.0	24.0
	41	0.15	51.0	21.6
	42	0.3	51.0	19.3

TABLE 6
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	43	0.0	75.0	16.0
	44	0.00015	75.0	20.1
	45	0.000375	75.0	19.4
	46	0.0015	75.0	18.8
	47	0.003	75.0	19.2
	48	0.015	75.0	26.0
	49	0.03	75.0	20.3
	50	0.09	75.0	18.0
	51	0.15	75.0	16.7
	52	0.3	75.0	16.4

TABLE 7
	Concentration in Aqueous Solution
			Sodium	Biofilm
	Sample	Nisin	Bicarbonate	Removal
	#	(% by weight)	(% by weight)	(%)
	53	0.0	90.0	19.9
	54	0.00015	90.0	19.3
	55	0.000375	90.0	18.7
	56	0.0015	90.0	19.8
	57	0.003	90.0	24.3
	58	0.015	90.0	24.2
	59	0.03	90.0	20.0
	60	0.09	90.0	21.4
	61	0.15	90.0	20.1
	62	0.3	90.0	16.5

As shown in Tables 2-7, each of the samples has specified concentrations by weight of sodium bicarbonate and nisin. When the samples were applied to the biofilms, a reduction of biofilm resulted. The percentage of biofilm removal represents the reduction of biofilm as a result of applying the samples to the biofilm. The results from Experiment 2 are presented in graphical form in FIGS. 2-7. As shown in FIGS. 4-7, the samples including both sodium bicarbonate and nisin are more effective at removing biofilm than the samples with only one of sodium bicarbonate and nisin. In particular, enhanced results may be observed when the nisin concentration ranges from 0.000375% and 0.03% by weight and the sodium bicarbonate concentration ranges from 15% to 90% by weight, when the nisin concentration ranges 0.0015% and 0.015% by weight and the sodium bicarbonate concentration ranges from 15% to 75% by weight, and when the nisin concentration ranges from 0.003% and 0.015% by weight and the sodium bicarbonate concentration ranges from 15% to 75% by weight. In one preferred embodiment, the nisin concentration may be 0.003% by weight and the sodium bicarbonate concentration may be 51% by weight.

Experiment 2 was carried out using an aqueous solution having the concentrations reported in Tables 2-7. In actual oral care products using the disclosed combination, the concentrations may vary according to the specific oral care product. Regardless of the type oral care composition, it is believed that the ratios between sodium bicarbonate and nisin will be similar to those shown in the experiment. That is, the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin may range from a ratio of 500 to 1 (e.g., 15% by weight sodium bicarbonate to 0.03% by weight nisin) to a ratio of 200,000 to 1 (e.g., 75% by weight sodium bicarbonate to 0.000375% by weight nisin). More specifically, the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin may range from 1000 to 1 to 25000 to 1, from 2500 to 1 to 17000 to 1, or from 3400 to 1 to 17000 to 1. In one embodiment, for example, the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin may be 5000 to 1. In another embodiment, for example, the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin may be 3400 to 1.

Exemplary formulations for a toothpaste are given in the tables below.

TABLE 8
	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-
	paste	paste	paste	paste	paste
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	1	2	3	4	5
70% Sorbitol	25	25	25	25	25
Silica	10	5	3	3	3
Hydroxyethyl	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Cellulose
Xanthan Gum	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Sodium	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Lauryl Sulfate
Titanium	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Oxide
Sodium	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Saccharin
Methyl p-	1	1	1	1	1
hydroxy-
benzoate
Sodium	40	45	50	55	55
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.003	0.03	0.003	0.001	0.005
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 9
	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-
	paste	paste	paste	paste	paste
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	6	7	8	9	10
70% Sorbitol	10	10	10	10	10
Silica	10	7	7	5	3
Crystalline	15	15	15	15	15
cellulose
Lauryl	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Glucoside
Titanium	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Oxide
Sodium	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Saccharin
Methyl p-	1	1	1	1	1
hydroxybenzoate
Sodium	40	45	50	55	60
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.003	0.05	0.015	0.001	0.003
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 10
	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-
	paste	paste	paste	paste	paste
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	11	12	13	14	15
Glycerin	20	20	20	20	20
Calcium	10	10	10	5	3
Carbonate
Hydroxyethyl	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Cellulose
Xanthan	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
Gum
Cocamidopropyl	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
betaine
Sodium	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Saccharin
Methyl p-	1	1	1	1	1
hydroxybenzoate
Sodium	40	40	45	55	70
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.001	0.05	0.002	0.002	0.003
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 11
	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-
	paste	paste	paste	paste	paste
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	16	17	18	19	20
Glycerin	20	20	20	20	20
Silica	30	10	5	5	5
Xanthan Gum	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
PEG-60	1	1	1	1	1
hydrogenated
castor oil
Alkyl	1	1	1	1	1
Glycoside
(C8~16)
Titanium Oxide	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Sodium	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Saccharin
Methyl p-	1	1	1	1	1
hydroxy-
benzoate
Sodium	30	45	55	60	60
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.003	0.003	0.03	0.001	0.05
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 12
		Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-	Tooth-
		paste	paste	paste	paste
		Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
		lation	lation	lation	lation
	Element	21	22	23	24
	Glycerin	20	18	15	15
	Calcium	15	10	5	3
	Carbonate
	Xanthan Gum	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9
	Cocamidopropyl	1	1	1	1
	betaine
	Sodium	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Saccharin
	Methyl p-	1	1	1	1
	hydroxy-
	benzoate
	Sodium	40	45	55	60
	Bicarbonate
	Nisin	0.01	0.04	0.04	0.01
	Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

Exemplary formulations for a gel are given in the tables below.

TABLE 13
	Gel	Gel	Gel	Gel
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	1	2	3	4
Hydroxypropylmethyl	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Cellulose
Glycerin	10	10	10	10
Sorbitol	5	5	5	5
Propylene glycol	4	4	4	4
Sodium Bicarbonate	45	45	50	55
Nisin	0.003	0.03	0.001	0.02
Flavor	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 14
	Gel	Gel	Gel	Gel
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	5	6	7	8
Xanthan Gum	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Glycerin	25	25	25	25
Propylene glycol	2	2	2	2
Sodium Bicarbonate	45	50	55	55
Nisin	0.005	0.05	0.0001	0.003
Flavor	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

TABLE 15
	Gel	Gel	Gel	Gel
	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-	Formu-
	lation	lation	lation	lation
Element	9	10	11	12
Agar	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Gelatin	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Glycerin	10	10	10	10
Propylene Glycol	2	2	2	2
Sodium Saccharin	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01
Sodium Bicarbonate	40	40	60	60
Nisin	0.003	0.04	0.003	0.04
Flavor	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Water	Balance	Balance	Balance	Balance

Exemplary formulations for an oral tablet for a denture cleanser are given in the tables below.

TABLE 16
Element	Tablet Formulation 1	Tablet Formulation 2
Sodium Carbonate	20	20
Sodium Perborate	10	10
Anhydrous Citric Acid	7	7
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate	5	5
Sodium Edetate	1	1
Sodium Bicarbonate	45	50
Nisin	0.002	0.001
Magnesium Stearate	11.998	6.999

Exemplary formulations for a chewable oral cleansing tablet are given in the tables below.

TABLE 17
Element	Tablet Formulation 3	Tablet Formulation 4
Xylitol	40	40
Aspartame	0.01	0.01
Sodium Bicarbonate	45	50
Nisin	0.001	0.005
Magnesium Stearate	14.989	9.985

TABLE 18
Element	Tablet Formulation 5	Tablet Formulation 6
Anhydrous Citric Acid	10	10
Sodium Lauryl	1	1
Sulfoacetate
Sodium Bicarbonate	50	55
Nisin	0.005	0.01
Sorbitol	38.995	33.99

Exemplary formulations for an effervescent tablet for gargling are given in the table below.

Element	Tablet Formulation 7	Tablet Formulation 8
Anhydrous Sodium	13	13
Sulfate
Dibasic Sodium	10	10
Phosphate
Polyethylene Glycol	3	3
Sodium	0.1	0.1
Monofluorophosphate
Sodium Bicarbonate	50	55
Nisin	0.01	0.004
Sorbitol	23.89	18.896

Exemplary formulations for a chewing gum are given in the tables below.

TABLE 19
	Chewing Gum	Chewing Gum	Chewing Gum
Element	Formulation 1	Formulation 2	Formulation 3
Gum base	20	20	20
Reduced	28	23	23
Palatinose
Sodium	45	55	55
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.004	0.002	0.03
Xylitol	6.896	1.898	1.87
Flavor	0.1	0.1	0.1

TABLE 20
	Chewing Gum	Chewing Gum	Chewing Gum
Element	Formulation 4	Formulation 5	Formulation 6
Gum base	25	25	20
Erythritol	10	10	10
Sodium	45	45	55
Bicarbonate
Nisin	0.001	0.02	0.005
Maltitol	12	12	12
Xylitol	7.899	7.88	2.895
Flavor	0.1	0.1	0.1

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An oral care composition that aids in cleaning teeth, the oral care composition comprising: between 15% by weight and 75% by weight sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% by weight and 0.09% by weight of nisin, wherein a ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is at least 500 to 1 and does not exceed 200,000 to 1.

2. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 51% and 75% by weight of sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% and 0.03% by weight of nisin.

3. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 15% and 51% by weight of sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% and 0.03% by weight of nisin.

4. The oral care composition of claim 1, the composition comprises between 0.000375% and 0.03% by weight of nisin.

5. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 0.0015% and 0.015% by weight of nisin.

6. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 0.003% and 0.015% by weight of nisin.

7. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the nisin concentration is 0.003% by weight and the sodium bicarbonate concentration is 51% by weight.

8. The oral care composition of claim 1, wherein the oral care composition includes one or more of surfactants, soothing agents, desensitizing agents, flavoring agents, sweetening agents, humectant agents, coloring agents, polishing material, abrasive materials, antimicrobial agents, binders, thickening agents, fluoride, preservatives, and water.

9. A method of treating teeth comprising: applying an oral care composition to a tooth surface, the composition includes between 15% by weight and 75% by weight sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% by weight and 0.09% by weight of nisin, wherein a ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is at least 500 to 1 and does not exceed 200,000 to 1.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the composition comprises between 15% and 75% by weight of sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% and 0.05% by weight of nisin.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the composition comprises between 0.000375% and 0.03% by weight of nisin.

12. An oral care composition comprising a base formulation, sodium bicarbonate, and nisin, wherein the oral care composition removes biofilm from a tooth surface more effectively than the base formulation with the sodium bicarbonate or the nisin alone, wherein the oral care compositions includes between 15% by weight and 75% by weight sodium bicarbonate and between 0.000375% by weight and 0.05% by weight of nisin, wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is at least 500 to 1 and wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin does not exceed 200,000 to 1.

13. The oral care composition of claim 12, wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin ranges from 1000 to 1 to 25000 to 1.

14. The oral care composition of claim 12, wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin ranges from 2500 to 1 to 17000 to 1.

15. The oral care composition of claim 12, wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin ranges from 3400 to 1 to 17000 to 1.

16. The oral care composition of claim 12, wherein the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to nisin is 3400 to 1.

17. The oral care composition of claim 12, wherein the oral care composition includes one or more of surfactants, soothing agents, desensitizing agents, flavoring agents, sweetening agents, humectant agents, coloring agents, polishing material, abrasive materials, antimicrobial agents, binders, thickening agents, fluoride, preservatives, and water.