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Royal advertising toothpaste pot lids

British Dental Journal volume 236, pages 552–555 (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Royal patronage is not something new. Engraved images of British royalty were used by early toothpaste manufacturers, dentists and perfumiers to convey royal endorsement to boost their product sales in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Packaged in high-quality ceramic pots, these toothpastes and powders promoted cleaning, beautifying and preserving the teeth and gums. These fascinating containers, sealed with a transfer-printed lid, feature inventive designs and typefaces and highlight sophisticated manufacturing and marketing skills to entice consumers. Many have been re-discovered from the excavation of former rubbish tips and are often the only tangible evidence of long defunct businesses that elected to use this latest form of packaging.

Key points

  • Presents the perceived value of royal patronage to early dental-related products.

  • Shows the evolution of packaging for premium dental products over a century, from 1830 to 1930.

  • Provides a glimpse into the marketing methods employed by dentists and chemists to raise brand awareness during the Victorian era.

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References

  1. Pynn B R, Brauer H U, Wanner L. German toothpaste pot lids - ein begehrtes Sammlerobjeht. ZWR Das Deutsche Zahnärzteblatt 2017; 126: 633-636.

  2. Pynn B R, Lastovica, E, Evans, L, Hagen H F. South Africa advertising pot lids. SADJ 2019; 74: 129132.

  3. Swanson Jr B Z, Gelbier S. British royal portraits used by advertisers on early toothpaste pot lids. Br Dent J 1986; 160: 255-258.

  4. Pynn B R, Houghton B, Richardson N, Swanson B Z Jr. A century of advertising toothpaste pot lids: 1830-1930. J Hist Dent 2020; 68: 121-126.

  5. Lippert F. An introduction to toothpaste - its purpose, history, and ingredients. Monogr Oral Sci 2013; 23: 1-14.

  6. Houghton R J, Layden J, Taylor P. Historical Guide to Advertising Pot Lids. Houghton, Layden & Taylor, 2018.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chief of Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

    Bruce R. Pynn

  2. Historian, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, UK

    Bob Houghton

  3. Historian, Chester, UK

    Jim Layden

  4. Historian and Retired Dentist, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Ben Z. Swanson Jr

Authors
  1. Bruce R. Pynn
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  2. Bob Houghton
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  3. Jim Layden
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  4. Ben Z. Swanson Jr
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Contributions

Bruce R. Pynn, Bob Houghton, Jim Layden and Ben Z. Swanson Jr all took a very active role in the idea, writing, editing and photo composition of the article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce R. Pynn.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Cite this article

Pynn, B., Houghton, B., Layden, J. et al. Royal advertising toothpaste pot lids. Br Dent J 236, 552–555 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7226-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7226-x

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