Oral compositions for calculus retardation

An oral composition effective in inhibiting the formation of dental calculus without adversely affecting the tooth structure, dental enamel and silicate filling structure, comprising (1) from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of an anticalculus agent which would otherwise severely attack the silicate filling structure when used in combination with non-monofluorophosphate water-soluble fluorine sources, said agent being selected from the group consisting of those of the formulae:

• ##EQU6## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are either hydrogen or CH.sub.2 OH;
• n is an integer of from 3 to 10;
• R.sub.3 is either hydrogen, an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group containing from 2 to about 20 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, a phenylethenyl group, a benzyl group, a halogen atom, an amino group, a dimethylamino group, a diethylamino group, an N-hydroxy-N-ethylamino group, an acetylamino group, --CH.sub.2 COOH, --CH.sub.2 PO.sub.3 H.sub.2, --CH(PO.sub.3 H.sub.2) (OH) or --CH.sub.2 CH(PO.sub.3 H.sub.2).sub.2 ;
• and R.sub.4 is either hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, an amino group, a benzyl group, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, --CH.sub.2 COOH, --CH.sub.2 PO.sub.3 H.sub.2, or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 PO.sub.3 H.sub.2 ;
• ##EQU7## wherein n is an integer from 3 to 9;
• ##EQU8## wheren X and Y are each hydrogen or hydroxy;
• or an orally acceptable salt thereof selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal, ammonium and low molecular weight substituted ammonium salts;
• or the condensation products of ammonia and phosphorus pentoxide, having the formulae:
• ##EQU9## and mixtures thereof;
• and (2) as the essential fluorine source from about 0.2% to about 8% by weight of an orally acceptable monofluorophosphate, said composition containing no more than 300 ppm of any other water-soluble fluorine source, the pH of the composition being within the range of from about 6.0 to about 7.5.