Editing Crest (toothpaste)

{{Short description|Brand of oral hygiene products}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{infobox brand
| logo           = Crest logo.svg
| name           = Crest
| logo_caption   = Logo since 2005
| image          =
| type           = [[Toothpaste]]
| currentowner   = [[Procter & Gamble]]
| origin         = [[United States]]
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1955}}
| discontinued   =
| related        =
| markets        = Worldwide
| previousowners =
| trademarkregistrations =
| ambassador     =
| tagline        =
| website        = {{URL|http://www.crest.com/}}
}}

'''Crest''' is an American brand of [[toothpaste]] and other [[oral hygiene]] products made by American [[Multinational corporation|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).<ref>{{cite news |last=McKay |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bR8DAAAAMBAJ |title=Mr. Smale's White Coats |work=Cincinnati Magazine |date=June 1988 |access-date=2016-05-16 }}</ref> In [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Israel]], [[Sweden]], [[Finland]], [[Colombia]], [[Belgium]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Brazil]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Nigeria]], [[Greece]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Argentina]], P&G markets similar oral hygiene formulations under the [[Oral-B]] brand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/innovation/factsheet_OralBProExpert_final.pdf|title=Fact Sheet Oral-B Pro Expert|publisher=Procter & Gamble|access-date=June 10, 2017}}</ref>

==History==
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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://linkz2fun.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8760|title=Worlds Most Favorite Personal Care Brands|publisher=linkz2fun.com|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307060624/http://linkz2fun.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8760|archive-date=2016-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/July_JADA_Centennial_Commentary.ashx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518072346/http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/July_JADA_Centennial_Commentary.ashx |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |title=Pointing the way to better oral health |publisher=American Dental Association |format=PDF |access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCeAp7KI49c&list=PL1aAXFLOOJSOBm3XWavKREdUeB8bJpcoG |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/pCeAp7KI49c |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=P&G - Crest Toothpaste - The Fell Family - Vintage Commercial - 1950s|date=February 8, 2013|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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").<ref>Harry G. Day: ''Development of Chemistry at Indiana University in Bloomington 1829–1991'', Bloomington 1992, pp. 355, 463–71</ref><ref>[http://www.iupui.edu/spirit/innovation/ Indiana University homepage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218151421/http://www.iupui.edu/spirit/innovation/ |date=February 18, 2009 }} Accessed January 31, 2009</ref> 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),<ref>{{cite web
|title=ADA Seal Product Report
|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/309311608/ADA-Seal-Product-Report 
|access-date=2014-03-02
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/risingtide00davi| url-access=registration| quote=william a procter president.| title=Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble | publisher=Harvard Business Press | date=May 1, 2004 | access-date=2013-05-07 | first=Davis| last=Dyer | page=[https://archive.org/details/risingtide00davi/page/280 280]| isbn=978-1-59139-147-0|display-authors=etal}}</ref> 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 [[toothbrush]]es and tubes of Crest to not only ward off the Cavity Creeps, but to protect the wall as well. The team would encourage children at the end of each commercial to "watch treats and see your dentist" so they could fight cavities "like the Crest Team."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kntMAQAAIAAJ&q=cavity+creeps+crest | title=The Journal of the American Dental Association | date=1982 }}</ref>

From 2004 to 2010, Crest sold dental floss under the Crest Glide brand, which is now called [[Oral-B Glide]]. After [[Procter & Gamble]] bought [[Gillette]] (which owned [[Oral-B]]), marketing for both was done together under “Pro-Health”.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/pg-starts-to-market-crest-and-oral-b-together-idUSN19296944/ | title=P&G starts to market Crest and Oral-B together | work=Reuters | date=August 9, 2007 }}</ref>

== Manufacturing plants ==
Crest products are made in North America according to [[Procter & Gamble]].<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/crest-toothpaste-safe|title=Crest Toothpaste Safe|publisher=Procter & Gamble|access-date=2020-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131142230/https://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/crest-toothpaste-safe|archive-date=2018-01-31}}</ref> Their main manufacturing plant is located in [[Greensboro, NC]]. Some products are manufactured in [[Guanajuato, Guanajuato|Guanajuato, Mexico]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://open.sourcemap.com/maps/5812f2e3032e049d054170d2/things/5812f2e3032e049d054170d4|title=Mexico Plant - Guanajuato, Mexico|website=Open Sourcemap|language=en|access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref>

== Product line ==
Crest has also been associated with about twenty brands of dental care products, including [[toothpaste]], [[toothbrush]]es, [[mouthwash]], [[dental floss]], and a tooth-whitening product called [[Crest Whitestrips]].

Crest Toothpaste has a total of eight product lines:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crest.com/en-us/products/compare/crest-toothpaste|title=Crest Toothpaste Collection|website=crest.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-13}}</ref>

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

==Crest Pro-Health mouthwash side effects==
===Tooth staining===
Crest Pro-Health mouthwash contains [[cetylpyridinium chloride]] which is known to cause [[Tooth discoloration|tooth staining]] in approximately 3 percent of users.<ref>{{cite news |first= Lisa Biank |last=Fasig |date=2007-04-09 |publisher=[[Cincinnati Business Courier]] |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/04/09/story3.html?market=cincinnati&year=2007&month=04&day=09&slug=story3.html&module=default&controller=stories&action=render |title=P&G hopes rinse effect won't wash away sales |quote=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.}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Crest |access-date=2016-06-06 |title=Does Crest Pro-Health Rinse stain teeth brown? |url=http://news.crest.com/faq-item/health-rinse/does-crest-pro-health-rinse-stain-teeth-brown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306020259/http://news.crest.com/faq-item/health-rinse/does-crest-pro-health-rinse-stain-teeth-brown |archive-date=2016-03-06 |quote=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.}}</ref> Crest stated that because of the low incidence of staining, there was no need to label Pro-Health mouthwash as a potential tooth stainer.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sewell |first=Dan |date=2008-05-07 |title=P&G's Pro-Health rinse draws complaints |url=http://abc11.com/archive/6129499/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630111606/http://abc11.com/archive/6129499/ |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |publisher=WTVD-TV |agency=Associated Press |quote=Brinker said P&G doesn't see a need for a warning label because the number of those affected is very small. |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> However, after numerous complaints<ref>{{cite news |title=Crest rinse fights off customer complaints |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=2008-05-07 |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-05-07-crest-rinse_N.htm |quote=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.}}</ref> and a federal class-action lawsuit,<ref>{{cite news|last=White |first=Ed |date=2009-08-06 |title=Mich. lawyer sues, claims mouthwash stained teeth |work=San Diego Union-Tribute |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2009/aug/06/mi-mouthwash-brown-teeth-080609/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806061433/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2009/aug/06/mi-mouthwash-brown-teeth-080609/ |archive-date=August 6, 2016 |quote=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. |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> which was later dismissed,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=305224 |title=Mouthwash staining lawsuit dismissed |date=2010-07-26 |publisher=DrBicuspid.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623153103/http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=305224 |archive-date=June 23, 2016 |quote=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 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> the mouthwash now contains a label warning consumers of its potential to stain teeth.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Darcy |last1=Wintonyk |first2=Lynda |last2=Steele |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV British Columbia]] |date=2012-10-12 |title=Consumers spitting mad after mouthwash turns teeth brown |url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/consumers-spitting-mad-after-mouthwash-turns-teeth-brown-1.993571 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606105706/http://bc.ctvnews.ca/consumers-spitting-mad-after-mouthwash-turns-teeth-brown-1.993571 |archive-date=June 6, 2016 |quote=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. |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>

===Reducing premature birth===
The use of Crest Pro-Health mouthwash during pregnancy has been shown to be associated with a decrease in [[preterm birth]]s, presumably because the mouthwash reduces the severity of periodontal disease, which is directly linked to preterm births.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mouthwashing moms less likely to have a preemie |last=Grens |first=Kerry |date=2011-07-28 |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mouthwashing-moms-less-likely-have-pr-idUSTRE76R62620110728 |quote=Pregnant women with gum disease, also called periodontal disease, are known to have more preemies than women with healthy gums.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jeffcoat |first1=Marjorie |last2=Parry |first2=Samuel |last3=Gerlach |first3=Robert W. |last4=Doyle |first4=Matthew J. |title=Use of alcohol-free antimicrobial mouth rinse is associated with decreased incidence of preterm birth in a high-risk population |date=October 2011 |journal=[[American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology]] |volume=205 |issue=4 |pages=382.e1–382.e6 |doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2011.07.016 |pmid=22083060 |url=http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2811%2900917-3/abstract|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Timeline==
* 1955, Crest with [[Fluoristan]] was launched in a number of test markets in the United States.<ref name="Procter">{{cite web |url=http://news.crest.com/about/history |title=History |publisher=Procter & Gamble |access-date=2016-05-18 }}</ref>
* In January 1956, Crest was launched nationally.<ref name="Procter" />
* In 1976, the [[American Chemical Society]] named Crest with fluoride one of the greatest discoveries in the past 100 years.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Stephen P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FyVaAAAAYAAJ |title=America's greatest brands |volume=2 |publisher=American Brands Council |year=2003 |page=46 |isbn=9780970686015 |access-date=2016-05-18 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Companies}}
*[[Crest Whitestrips]]
*[[List of toothpaste brands]]
*[[Index of oral health and dental articles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080615135557/http://www.pg.com/company/who_we_are/crest_history.jhtml Product details and history of Crest toothpaste]—from its manufacturer, [[Procter & Gamble]], via the [[Wayback Machine]]
* [http://news.pg.com/blog/birth-icon-crest Birth of an Icon: CREST] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723035007/http://news.pg.com/blog/birth-icon-crest |date=2017-07-23 }}—P&G's current history page
* [http://www.crest.com/ Crest brand website]

{{Procter & Gamble}}

[[Category:Brands of toothpaste]]
[[Category:Procter & Gamble brands]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1955]]