Nonabrasive gel formulations of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) polymer dental plaque barriers

An oral hygiene composition for preventing the deposition of bacterial plaque on teeth, which comprises water, at least about 5% by weight of a humectant selected from the group consisting of glycerol and sorbitol, at least about 16% by weight of a gelling agent selected from the group consisting of the block copolymers of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene wherein the polyoxypropylene component has a molecular weight in the range of from about 3,000 to about 4,000 and the polyoxyethylene comprises between about 25 and about 80 mole % of said copolymer, and from about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of a plaque barrier agent, which is a sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) polymer having repeating units selected from the group consisting of structure (A), ##STR15## and structure (B), ##STR16## wherein Ar.sub.1 and Ar.sub.2 are each selected from ##STR17## provided further that Ar.sub.2 also can comprise one or more spacing units selected from --Ar.sub.4 --SO.sub.2 --Ar.sub.4 -- and Ar.sub.4 --SO.sub.2 --Ar.sub.4 --SO.sub.2 --Ar.sub.4 --, each Ar.sub.4 in said spacing units being separately selected from:

• ##STR18## Ar.sub.3 is selected from Ar.sub.4 and:
• ##STR19## where Y is selected from lower alkylene having 1-5 carbon atoms, lower alkylidine having 2-5 carbon atoms, ##STR20## O, S, and SO.sub.2 ;
• subscript c being an integer selected from 0, 1, and 2, the average quotient obtained by dividing the sum of the c's within each of repeating units (A) and (B) by the number of aromatic groups in said repeating unit being at least about 0.2;
• and M is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, aluminum, hydrogen, ammonium, and substituted ammonium ions derived from pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines.