About: Sozodont

Sozodont was a popular brand of oral hygiene product from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Created in 1859 by druggist Roswell van Buskirk (circa 1824–1902) of New Jersey, it derived its name from the Greek sozo, meaning "to save", and dontia, meaning "teeth". Sozodont was later manufactured by the firm Hall & Ruckel of New York, New York, and London, England. Known as Van Buskirk's Fragrant Sozodont, or Van Buskirk's Fragrant and Antiseptic Sozodont, the product was dispensed from a glass bottle through a metal sprinkler and, as illustrated advertisements show, could be applied to the teeth using a toothbrush. The product made strong use of advertising as a marketing tool and by the late nineteenth century was an established household word.