Antibacterial antiplaque oral composition

An oral composition comprising in an orally acceptable vehicle an effective antiplaque amount of a substantially water insoluble noncationic antibacterial agent and an antibacterial-enhancing agent in an amount effective to enhance delivery of said antibacterial agent to, and the retention thereof on, oral surfaces, said antibacterial-enhancing agent comprising a synthetic cross-linked polymer having in a 1 wt.% aqueous solution an elastic or storage modulus G' and a viscous or loss modulus G' substantially independent of frequency in an applied frequency range of 0.1 to 100 radiants/sec., a G' minimum value of 5,000 dynes/sq. cm which varies less than 1 order of magnitude of its original value, and a ratio of G'/G' ranging from more than 0.05 to less than 1.