Compositions for reducing elution of therapeutic agents from teeth

Claim 1

A dentifrice composition for substantially effectively coating previously fluoride-treated teeth and thereby reducing elution of said fluoride from said teeth, said composition comprising a fluoride-containing caries prophylactic agent provided that said agent is substantially free from polyvalent metal atoms; and at least about 0.05% by weight of an anionic water-dispersible, membrane-forming material which, when applied to the surface of said previously fluoride-treated teeth in an oral environment, complexes with the calcium of said teeth and forms a substantially continuous hydrophobic barrier thereon which substantially reduces the elution of said previously applied fluoride: alkali metal, ammonium and amine groups, and alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, alkaryl, and aralkyl groups each containing up to 20 carbon atoms; M is selected from hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium and amine groups; m is 1 or 2; g is an integer of from 1 to 10; k is 1 or 2; and q is 3-k; and R 6 CON(R 2 )R 3 COOM wherein R 2 , R 3 , and M are as defined above; R 5 is a hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 24 carbon atoms; and R 6 is a hydrocarbon group containing from 10 to 20 carbon atoms.