# Sozodont

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**Sozodont** was a popular brand of [oral hygiene](/source/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](/source/New_Jersey),[1] it derived its name from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) *sozo*, meaning "to preserve, keep safe", and the stem *odont-*, meaning "[tooth, teeth](/source/Tooth,_teeth)". Sozodont was later manufactured by the firm Hall & Ruckel of [New York](/source/New_York_City), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), and [London](/source/London), [England](/source/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](/source/Toothbrush). The product made strong use of advertising as a marketing tool and by the late nineteenth century was an established household word.

## Ingredients

According to an 1889 issue of the journal *American Druggist*, Sozodont was made from a liquid and powder mixture. The powder contained [orris root](/source/Orris_root), [carbonate of calcium](/source/Calcium_carbonate), and [magnesia](/source/Magnesium_oxide). The liquid contained [castile soap](/source/Castile_soap) (soap made exclusively from [vegetable oil](/source/Vegetable_oil)), [glycerin](/source/Glycerin), sizeable portions of [water](/source/Water) and [alcohol](/source/Ethanol), and, for flavoring, a small quantity of oil of [peppermint](/source/Peppermint), [clover](/source/Clover), [cinnamon](/source/Cinnamon), and [star anise](/source/Star_anise), as well as, for coloring, [cochineal](/source/Cochineal) (a dye made from an insect of the same name).[2]

## Advertising claims

Its manufacturers claimed that Sozodont would clean and preserve the teeth and harden the [gums](/source/Gums), as well as "impart a delightfully refreshing taste and feeling to the mouth." In addition, claimed promotional material, "it prevents the accumulation of [tartar](/source/Calculus_(dental)) on the teeth and arrests the progress of decay."

Furthermore, cartons of the product maintained that, in addition to the above, Sozodont was "Recommended by many of the most prominent [physicians](/source/Physicians), [chemists](/source/Dispensing_chemist) [i.e., [pharmacists](/source/Pharmacists)], [dentists](/source/Dentists), and scientific gentlemen of all sections of the country."

Only a year after the discovery of X-rays in 1895, Sozodont used the scientific breakthrough to bolster its sales, noting in an advertisement, “Dr. Van Buskirk applies the [Röntgen rays](/source/X-ray) [X-rays] in his dental practice and find that those habitually using Sozodont have perfect teeth, hard gums, and sweet breath."[3]

## Decline in popularity

Sozodont fell out of favor with consumers in the early twentieth century amid concerns about [side effects](/source/Adverse_effect_(medicine)) of its usage. As early as 1880, however, one dentist complained, "I will testify to what is so well known to most dentists, viz., that it [Sozodont] destroys the color of the teeth, turning them to a decidedly dark-yellow."[4] At the turn of the 20th century, another dentist echoed this complaint, stating that "The liquid of Sozodont . . . is far too [alkaline](/source/Alkaline) for general use, and would in time destroy the [enamel](/source/Tooth_enamel) of the teeth and make them yellow."[5]

## References

1. Roswell Van Buskirk obituary, *American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record* (1902).

1. ["Questions & Answers: Sozodont,"](https://books.google.com/books?id=jdIAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA138&dq=sozodont+alcohol). *American Druggist*. July 1889. Retrieved 2007-07-17.

1. Kate Flint (2000). '**The Victorians and the Visual Imagination'**. Cambridge University. p. 31.

1. ["Journalistic"](https://books.google.com/books?id=giACAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA174&dq=sozodont+yellow). *The Missouri Dental Journal*. 1880. Retrieved 2007-07-17.

1. ["Dentifrices Discussion"](https://books.google.com/books?id=giACAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA174&dq=sozodont+yellow). *The Dental Cosmos*. 1900. Retrieved 2007-07-17.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sozodont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sozodont) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sozodont?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.