Downtown in Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Development of Fluoride Toothpaste
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 2023
1. Development of Fluoride Toothpaste Marker
IU faculty members Harry Day, Joseph Muhler, and William Nebergall created a fluoride toothpaste, contributing to reductions in tooth decay around the world. As a dental student in 1945, Muhler tested fluoride compounds on the solubility of tooth enamel, determining that stannous fluoride was the most effective at remineralizing tooth enamel. After obtaining his DDS in 1948, Muhler worked with IU chemistry professors Harry Day and William Nebergall to refine a stannous fluoride dentifrice as he completed a PhD in chemistry in 1951. After his appointment to the School of Dentistry faculty in 1952, Muhler's team conducted controlled studies of Bloomington school children and their families in the early 1950s, demonstrating a 50% reduction in tooth decay using a stannous fluoride toothpaste. Patents were acquired, and Procter & Gamble paid royalties for an exclusive contract to use stannous fluoride in its Crest toothpaste, the world's first fluoride toothpaste, launched in 1955.
Erected 2020 by Indiana University.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1955.
Location. 39° 46.458′ N, 86° 10.777′ W. Marker is in Indianapolis, Indiana, in Marion County. It is
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Indiana's Mazzini (within shouting distance of this marker); The College Inn Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert W. Long Hospital (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Coleman Hall (about 400 feet away); Mill Race Site (about 400 feet away); The Plague Cemetery (about 700 feet away); Wilson House Site (about 800 feet away); Emerson Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Indianapolis.
Also see . . .
1. Creators of Crest. National Inventors Hall of Fame writeup on Muhler and Nebergall, who were posthumously inducted in 2019 Includes links to more-detailed biographies of both men. (Submitted on August 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Squeeze a little science onto your toothbrush. Ames National Laboratory website entry (Submitted on December 30, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 2023
2. Development of Fluoride Toothpaste Marker
Mid-Century Press via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
3. Early Crest Advertisment
Proctor & Gamble launched Crest with an advertising campaign featuring Norman Rockwell portraits of children holding dental exam results and proudly reporting: "Look, Mom no cavities!"
Credits. This page was last revised on December 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 484 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
