Product type | Toothpaste |
---|---|
Owner | Procter & Gamble |
Country | U.S., Canada |
Introduced | 1955 |
Markets | Worldwide |
Website | www |
Crest is a brand of toothpaste and oral hygiene products made by Procter & Gamble in the United States and sold worldwide. In many countries in Europe, such as Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia and Romania, it is sold as Blend-A-Med, the name of an established German toothpaste acquired by P&G in 1987 (formerly Blendax GmbH, located in Mainz, Germany). In France, Sweden, Finland, Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, Nigeria and Colombia, P&G markets similar formulations under the Oral-B brand.
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". The composition of the toothpaste had been developed by Drs. 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"). The active ingredient of Crest was changed in 1981 to sodium monofluorophosphate, or "Fluoristat". Today Crest toothpastes use sodium fluoride, or "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) as well as by equivalent dental associations in other countries.