Oral hygiene compositions and polymers active therein

Claim 1

Process for preventing or inhibiting the adherent deposition of cariogenic or other oral bacteria and plaque formed therefrom on teeth, which process comprises applying to the teeth an oral hygiene composition comprising an effective among of at least one polymer has a molecular weight of at least about 5000 and units of general structure A ##STR32## and one or more repeating units of general structure B ##STR33## wherein X, which in the repeating units of structure A may be the same or different, and Y, which is the repeating units of structure B may be the same or different, are unsubstituted hydrocarbyl residues or residues substituted with groups such as hydroxy, alkoxy and halogen provided that the desired properties of the polymer are not adversely effected by such substituents, said residues providing a backbone for the polymer; R 1 , which in the same repeating unit of structure B (when n or q is 2 or more) or in different repeating units of structure B may be the same or different, is hydrogen or methyl; R 2 , which in the same repeating unit of structure B (when n or q is 2 or more) or in different repeating units of structure B may be the same or different, is hydrogen or methyl; except that R 1 and R 2 in a single unit (CHR 1 CHR 2 O) cannot both be methyl; R 3 , which in the same repeating unit of structure B (when q is 2 or more) or in different repeating units of structure B may be the same or different, is hydrogen, or a lower alkyl group containing up to 5 carbon atoms, or an acyl groups derived from an alkanoic acid having up to 5 carbon atoms; n is a number of from 1 to 60; p is a number of from 1 to 4, and q is a number of from 1 to 4; and wherein each (CH 2 H) group is joined via an intermediary or intermediaries L to the hydrocarbon residue X, and in cases where p is 2 to 4 may be joined by 1 to the same or different carbon atoms of x; and wherein L represents one or more intermediaries, and wherein L may be the same or different in the repeating units of structure A and is selected from one or more direct links and one or more groups of atoms each group providing a chain of one or more atoms for linking a (Co 2 H) group with X, except that more than two (CO 2 H) groups cannot be directly linked to the same carbon atom in X; and wherein each (CHR 1 CHR 2 O) n group is joined via an intermediary or intermediaries M to the hydrocarbyl residue Y, and in cases where q is 2 to 4 may be joined to the same or different carbon atoms of Y; and wherein M represents one or more intermediaries, and wherein M may be the same ox different in the repeating units of structure B and is selected from one or more direct links and one or more groups of atoms each group providing a chain of one or more atoms for lining a (CHR 1 CHR 2 O) n group with Y, except that more than two (CHR 1 CHR 2 O) groups cannot be directly linked to the same carbon atom in Y; and wherein the ratio of the member of --CO 2 H groups to the number of --CHR 1 CHR 2 O-- groups is within the range of from 1:20 to 20:1; and said composition also comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle for said polymer.