they started putting fluoride in toothpaste in the 1890s.
when did they start putting fluoride in toothpaste?
the 1890s
fluoride was first added to toothpastes in the 1890s. tanagra, containing calcium fluoride as the active ingredient, was sold by karl f. toellner company, of bremen, germany, based upon the early work of chemist albert deninger. an analogous invention by roy cross, of kansas city, missouri, was initially criticized by the american dental association (ada) in 1937. fluoride toothpastes developed in the 1950s received the ada's approval. to develop the first ada-approved fluoride toothpaste, procter & gamble started a research program in the early 1940s. in 1950, procter & gamble developed a joint research project team headed by dr. joseph muhler at indiana university to study new toothpaste with fluoride. in 1955, procter & gamble's crest launched its first clinically proven fluoride-containing toothpaste. on august 1, 1960, the ada reported that "crest has been shown to be an effective anticavity (decay preventative) dentifrice that can be of significant value when used in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care."
toothpaste
calcium, as found in food such as milk and green vegetables, is often recommended to protect against dental caries. fluoride helps prevent decay of a tooth by binding to the hydroxyapatite crystals in enamel. streptococcus mutans is the leading cause of tooth decay. low concentration fluoride ions act as bacteriostatic therapeutic agent and high concentration fluoride ions are bactericidal. the incorporated fluorine makes enamel more resistant to demineralization and, thus, resistant to decay. fluoride can be found in either topical or systemic form. topical fluoride is more highly recommended than systemic intake to protect the surface of the teeth. topical fluoride is used in toothpaste, mouthwash and fluoride varnish. standard fluoride toothpaste (1,000–1,500 ppm) is more effective than low fluoride toothpaste (< 600ppm) to prevent dental caries. after brushing with fluoride toothpaste, rinsing should be avoided and the excess spat out. many dental professionals include application of topical fluoride solutions as part of routine visits and recommend the use of xylitol and amorphous calcium phosphate products. silver diamine fluoride may work better than fluoride varnish to prevent cavities. systemic fluoride is found as lozenges, tablets, drops and water fluoridation. these are ingested orally to provide fluoride systemically. water fluoridation has been shown to be beneficial to prevent tooth decay, especially in low social economical areas, where other forms of fluoride is not available. however, a cochrane systematic review found no evidence to suggest that taking fluoride systemically daily in pregnant women was effective in preventing dental decay in their offspring.
tooth decay