What is "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, its name hails 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.