Crest (toothpaste)

Crest
Logo since 2005
Product typeToothpaste
OwnerProcter & Gamble
CountryUnited States
Introduced1955; 69 years ago (1955)
MarketsWorldwide
Websitewww.crest.com

Crest is an American brand of toothpaste and other oral hygiene products made by American multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G) and sold worldwide. In many countries in Europe, such as Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Estonia and Lithuania, it is sold as Blend-A-Med, the name of an established German toothpaste acquired by P&G in 1987 (formerly Blendax GmbH).[1] In France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Sweden, Finland, Colombia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, Nigeria, Greece, Uruguay and Argentina, P&G markets similar toothpaste formulations under the Oral-B brand.[2]

History

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Crest was introduced in the United States as "Fluoristan" in 1954, as it contained stannous fluoride. In 1955, the name of the product was changed to "Crest with Fluoristan."[3][4][5] The composition of the toothpaste had been developed by Joseph C. Muhler, Harry Day, and William H. Nebergall at Indiana University, and was patented by Nebergall. Procter & Gamble paid royalties from use of the patent and thus financed a new dental research institute at this university ("The House that Crest built").[6][7] The active ingredient of Crest was changed in 1981 to sodium fluoride, or "Fluoristat," which it uses today as "Dentifrice with Fluoristat"; Crest Pro-Health uses stannous fluoride again and an abrasive whitener together called "Polyfluorite." Crest is accepted by the American Dental Association (ADA),[8][9] as well as by equivalent dental associations in other countries.

One notable ad campaign from the brand was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, written and produced by Gregory Sinnott and designed by comic book artist Herb Trimpe, where animated ads featured the "Cavity Creeps," a group of grey-colored, rocky humanoid creatures bent on destroying the city of "Toothopolis" (essentially an island city protected by an enormous wall of teeth), with their signature battle cry "We make holes in teeth!" They were defeated time and again by the "Crest Team," a group of people dressed in Crest-themed jumpsuits, who wielded giant toothbrushes and tubes of Crest to not only ward off the Cavity Creeps, but to protect the wall as well. The team would encourage kids at the end of each commercial to "watch treats and see your dentist" so they could fight cavities "like the Crest Team." From 2004 to 2010, Crest sold dental floss under the Crest Glide brand, which is now called Oral-B Glide. The original logo for Crest was designed by Donald Deskey. In 2014, Crest Fresh and White were introduced as a replacement for the discontinued Gleem brand.[citation needed]

Manufacturing plants

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Crest products are made in North America according to Procter & Gamble.[10] Their main manufacturing plant is located in Greensboro, NC. Some products are manufactured in Guanajuato, Mexico.[11]

Product line

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Crest has also been associated with about twenty brands of dental care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, and a tooth-whitening product called Crest Whitestrips.

Crest Toothpaste has a total of eight product lines:[12]

  • Gum Health
  • 3D White
  • Kid's Crest
  • Pro-Health
  • Sensitivity
  • Enamel
  • Clean + Fresh
  • Future-Proof

Crest Pro-Health mouthwash side effects

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Tooth staining

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Crest Pro-Health mouthwash contains cetylpyridinium chloride which is known to cause tooth staining in approximately 3 percent of users.[13] Crest has noted that this staining is actually an indication that the product is working as intended, as the stains are a result of bacteria dying on the teeth.[14] Crest stated that because of the low incidence of staining, there was no need to label Pro-Health mouthwash as a potential tooth stainer.[15] However, after numerous complaints[16] and a federal class-action lawsuit,[17] which was later dismissed,[18] the mouthwash now contains a label warning consumers of its potential to stain teeth.[19]

Reducing premature birth

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The use of Crest Pro-Health mouthwash during pregnancy has been shown to be associated with a decrease in preterm births, presumably because the mouthwash reduces the severity of periodontal disease, which is directly linked to preterm births.[20][21]

Timeline

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  • 1955, Crest with Fluoristan was launched in a number of test markets in the United States.[22]
  • In January 1956, Crest was launched nationally.[22]
  • In 1960, the American Dental Association issued a report confirming that toothpaste is effective in preventing tooth decay.[22]
  • In 1976, the American Chemical Society named Crest with fluoride one of the greatest discoveries in the past 100 years.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ McKay, Robert (June 1988). "Mr. Smale's White Coats". Cincinnati Magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  2. ^ "Fact Sheet Oral-B Pro Expert" (PDF). Procter & Gamble. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  3. ^ "Worlds Most Favorite Personal Care Brands". linkz2fun.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
  4. ^ "Pointing the way to better oral health" (PDF). American Dental Association. Retrieved June 3, 2019.[dead link]
  5. ^ P&G - Crest Toothpaste - The Fell Family - Vintage Commercial - 1950s. February 8, 2013. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Harry G. Day: Development of Chemistry at Indiana University in Bloomington 1829–1991, Bloomington 1992, pp. 355, 463–71
  7. ^ Indiana University homepage Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Accessed January 31, 2009
  8. ^ "ADA Seal Product Report". Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  9. ^ Dyer, Davis; et al. (May 1, 2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble. Harvard Business Press. p. 280. ISBN 978-1-59139-147-0. Retrieved May 7, 2013. william a procter president.
  10. ^ "Crest Toothpaste Safe" (Press release). Procter & Gamble. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  11. ^ "Mexico Plant - Guanajuato, Mexico". Open Sourcemap. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  12. ^ "Crest Toothpaste Collection". crest.com. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Fasig, Lisa Biank (April 9, 2007). "P&G hopes rinse effect won't wash away sales". Cincinnati Business Courier. The company's Crest Pro-Health Rinse, launched with much promise in April 2005, is discoloring the teeth of about 3 percent of its users, the company said because it is doing its job.
  14. ^ "Does Crest Pro-Health Rinse stain teeth brown?". Crest. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016. Tooth discoloration could actually be one indication, in some people, that the product is working: after the rinse kills germs in your mouth, the dead germs can collect on the tooth surface and create the appearance of a brown stain.
  15. ^ Sewell, Dan (May 7, 2008). "P&G's Pro-Health rinse draws complaints". WTVD-TV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Brinker said P&G doesn't see a need for a warning label because the number of those affected is very small.
  16. ^ "Crest rinse fights off customer complaints". USA Today. May 7, 2008. But NBC's Today show reported Wednesday that the complaints have led to a consumer lawsuit alleging fraud and to further study by the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the product.
  17. ^ White, Ed (August 6, 2009). "Mich. lawyer sues, claims mouthwash stained teeth". San Diego Union-Tribute. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Rossman's lawsuit seeks class-action status. It accuses P&G of violating the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by not putting a warning on the label.
  18. ^ "Mouthwash staining lawsuit dismissed". DrBicuspid.com. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against Procter and Gamble charging that the company's Crest Pro-Health mouthwash causes staining and browning of teeth
  19. ^ Wintonyk, Darcy; Steele, Lynda (October 12, 2012). "Consumers spitting mad after mouthwash turns teeth brown". CTV British Columbia. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. The product does have a small print warning on the back label that reads: 'In some cases, antimicrobial rinses may cause surface staining to teeth,' but consumers have complained the warning label is buried in the product information.
  20. ^ Grens, Kerry (July 28, 2011). "Mouthwashing moms less likely to have a preemie". Reuters. Pregnant women with gum disease, also called periodontal disease, are known to have more preemies than women with healthy gums.
  21. ^ Jeffcoat, Marjorie; Parry, Samuel; Gerlach, Robert W.; Doyle, Matthew J. (October 2011). "Use of alcohol-free antimicrobial mouth rinse is associated with decreased incidence of preterm birth in a high-risk population". American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 205 (4): 382.e1–382.e6. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2011.07.016. PMID 22083060.
  22. ^ a b c "History". Procter & Gamble. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  23. ^ Smith, Stephen P. (2003). America's greatest brands. Vol. 2. American Brands Council. p. 46. ISBN 9780970686015. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
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