3 ANTIQUE 'FASTEETH' DENTAL POWDER TINS ~ BINGHAMTON, NY ~ TRIAL SIZE
This week on Ebay we are offering these 3 different early 'Fasteeth' trial sized Denture Adhesive tins.
There are 3 different vintage Dental tins in this lot. They are from the 1930's up thru the late 1960s and show the progression of their packaging over the years.
They are all smaller, trial size. Two of the three still have their original caps, which are often missing. They are all in decent condition.
These small tins display well and would look great in any Medical or Dental collectibles collection.
They would be of interest to vintage Medical tin collectors, Dentists, Dental Hygiene techs, or just about anyone who thinks that they are cool.
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'Fasteeth', a novel powdered alkalinized denture adhesive was first formulated and created in 1927 in Albany, New York. It was trademarked in January 1928 and by 1930 was being made by the Clark-Cleveland Company based out of nearby Binghamton, NY.
Carleton A. Cleveland and John C. Clark formed the Clark-Cleveland Company in Binghamton, NY on May 14, 1930 to manufacture dentures and denture adhesives, but soon expanded into other toiletries and pharmaceuticals.
During the war, they made industrial products for the war effort.
The Company made 'Fasteeth' denture adhesive, and several other products, for many years.
In 1969, the Clark-Cleveland Company was acquired by the Richardson-Merrell Company, becoming the Clark-Richardson Company, and part of Richardson-Merrell's large Vicks division.
The Company remained in Binghamton until about 1971.
The 'Fasteeth' name was acquired by Proctor & Gamble and was made, in ever dwindling amounts, until it ceased production around 2008.
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There are three vintage Fasteeth sample tins in this lot.
All three have the same classic Blue and White design, with their trademark Blue Triangle with the white dot at the top. It's reportedly meant to represent a sharp, white, clean tooth. It's a striking design.
These tins are all the same size; about 2 1/2" Tall, and slightly over 1 1/2" wide. They are smaller 'ample' sized containers, meant to be given out by Dentists and Pharmacists as a way of promoting the Adhesive.
The oldest tin in this group of three is a very early one. It has more of a Blue and Cream color and has it's original metal cap.
The 'spout' is smooth, before they introduced the snap-on cap in the 40s and the screw on caps in the 1950's. The original metal cap, which often fell off, is still present.
The 'Fasteeth' trademark on this early version says it is 'registered' in the US Patent office, but it doesn't have a registration mark yet. The 'Fasteeth' name was trademarked and registered in 1928.
The product is called "Alkaline Denture Powder" and made by 'Clark-Cleveland Inc' in Binghamton NY. It has the older 'Good Housekeeping Institute' logo printed on one side.
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The tin missing it's cap is the next oldest. It's also called "Alkaline Denture Powder" but now the 'Fasteeth' name has a registered trademark 'R' next to it. It no longer says that the Karaya gum used is a 'natural blend', but 'N.F.' instead, whatever that means.
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The third tin was made by the Vicks Chemical Company, making it from after the 1969 merger, but it still has the Clark-Cleveland Company logo, making it from before 1971 when that company closed.
It's now called "Denture Adhesive Powder", no longer just 'Denture Powder." It has the same basic design as the other two tins, but now has a white plastic screw-down cap.
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The name 'Denture Powder' was an earlier term, used before the product was generally referred to as 'Denture Adhesive'. The earliest Denture adhesives were all in powder form, before creams and other adhesive materials were introduced.
2 of these early tins use the term 'Denture Powder.'
The backs of all three of these tins have the instructions printed on them, but note that the backs are all different. The backs say that 'Fasteeth' contains 'Karaya' Gums and Sodium Borate.
These tins were made between the 1930s and the 1960's.
This series of 3 tins show the changes to "Fasteeth' Denture powder thru it's history over the years and display great when lined up next to each other.
All 3 tins are in quite nice condition. Note that the oldest one has some wear to the lithography on the shoulder of the tin, but the other two look fantastic.
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THE HISTORY OF DENTURES AND DENTURE "ADHESIVES"
Early Dentures were not "false Teeth" at all. They were often real teeth, taken from other humans or even animals.
The earliest record of dentures is from around the 7th century BC, when the Etruscans of Italy created some of the first true dentures. They used gold wire and gold bands to connect human and other animal teeth together to fashion sets of replacement teeth.
Ancient Egyptians were also known to use false teeth, made from bone wrapped in gold wire.
The first known records of wooden dentures being used were in 16th century Japan. Japanese craftsmen took a 'mold' of the patient's mouth, with beeswax, and then carved an exact set of teeth, from wood, to match. The Japanese also carved beautiful early false teeth from stone.
All of these early examples of 'Dentures' were usually reserved for Kings, Queens and other high ranking officials.
The rise of making dentures for everyday people started in the 1700s.
As world trade in spices, fruit, molasses, and sugar spread to Europe, people, like today, developed a 'sweet tooth,' leading to much more tooth decay and tooth damage than had previously been seen.
Techniques for fixing or 'saving' teeth were not developed yet, and if a tooth was a problem, a local 'Barber', 'Surgeon' or a Buddy would just pull it out. This led to many people missing teeth.
In those days, it was 'normal' to loose your teeth, and few people kept a full set into their 60's, which was considered 'old age' back then.
As medical care, nutrition, and sanitation improved, people started to live longer. More people needed 'new' replacement false teeth and 'dentures' started to became more popular.
In the early 18th Century, "Dentists" started experimenting on using animal teeth, human teeth and ivory for making dentures. Many different materials and techniques were used, and it's a fascinating history.
In 1728, a French physician named Pierre Fauchard created fine dentures using a metal frame and animal bones.
Ivory, taken from the tusks of animals, was one of the earliest replacements for natural teeth.
Ivory was a natural substance, and like natural teeth, they tended to wear and decay. Ivory also looked strange, but at least it gave people their smiles back.
Towards the end of the 18th Century, human teeth became available as replacements, but the base plate of dentures was still often made of Ivory, with 'used' human teeth fitted in.
At the start of the 1800's, the very best dentures were human teeth, set into an Ivory or wooden base.
France invented Porcelain for art, ceramics and dinnerware in the late 1700s. It was hard, shiny, white and durable and soon was made into artificial teeth.
Alexis Duchâteau is credited for creating the first porcelain dentures in the late 1700s that did a pretty good job.
Early Porcelain teeth were sharp, uncomfortable, and tended to chip & crack. Improvements in the strength, color and texture of Porcelain were quickly developed and Porcelain dentures soon replaced the old Bone, Ivory and Human teeth versions.
Porcelain caps, veneers and bridges are still used today for many Dental cosmetic applications.
By the 1820's, Samuel Stockton began famous for manufacturing dentures that used high-quality porcelain and gold, but they were expensive and were for the rich and famous.
Normal, middle class folks still sought out dentures made from 'used' human teeth and there was a huge underground market for Human teeth.
People obtained them from robbing graves, dead relatives, servants, slaves, and even selling their own teeth for a quick buck. Dentists of the time had a lucrative side business selling teeth that they pulled. This demand for human teeth led to better and more humane ways to extract people's teeth, as the better the condition, the more value they had.
Most of these 'used' teeth were not the best quality, or in the best condition, and early Dentures were more for 'bling' and show, rather than a functional set of teeth used for eating.
In those days, Wars were often raging across Europe, and many teeth unfortunately came from dead soldiers.
The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was a turning point for making better dentures. The death of nearly 50,000 men at Waterloo suddenly made human teeth common and cheap. Plus they were often from young men, so were of decent quality.
Much better dentures were soon made and “Waterloo Teeth” became all the rage in France and Britain, among people who could afford them.
The supply of 'Battlefield' teeth continued throughout the 1800's.
In America, some skilled craftsmen carved new sets of teeth out hardwoods. They were popular in America for a while until being replaced by natural human or ceramic and porcelain versions.
Most people have heard the famous (false) legend of George Washington's Wooden teeth. George Washington did have horrible teeth and many dental issues, but he actually had the wealth and connections to get 'quality' false teeth made for him.
In the 1760's Washington had the famous American Physician Dr. John Baker make him a 'partial' set of Ivory dentures.
For his inauguration in 1789, Washington had New York Physician Dr. John Greenwood make him an almost full set of teeth from Hippo ivory. The President had one good tooth left, which was used to 'anchor' his new set of teeth in place.
In 1860's America, the Civil War offered a huge supply of Human Teeth for dentures, just like Waterloo did 50 years earlier in Europe.
In 1843, Charles Goodyear discovered a way to make flexible rubber. Charles’s brother Nelson called this new substance 'Vulcanite' and patented it in 1851.
The new rubber had a zillion uses, but it made an excellent, durable, light, comfortable base for implanting 'used' human or false teeth. Rubber or Vulcanite dentures took off and became quite popular.
Now, everyday, middle class people could buy and wear false teeth, not just the powerful and wealthy.
Over the years, many different materials were tried to make Dentures. The challenge was to make them durable, comfortable and affordable. Rubber, vulcanite, celluloid, and bakelite were tried.
Eventually Acrylic and early plastic resins were developed that made Dentures both affordable and durable.
For many years, Acrylic resins were the standard for denture plates and the 'teeth' were made of early synthetic plastics and resins.
Although 'modern' technology allowed good dentures to be made, early false teeth or dentures had issues with fit, attachment, comfort, and durability.
Quality dentures could be made, but keeping them 'anchored' in place, in order to eat, was always an issue.
Simple denture powders had been around for some time, but by the post-war 1940's, the race to find a 'better' dental adhesives took off. Dental researchers tried to find new ways to get dentures to 'stick' in people's mouths.
In 1949, Oskar Hagger, a Swiss Dental chemist, developed a method for bonding the acrylic resins used to make denture plates to dentin, the material teeth are made of.
His invention was called "Cavity Seal" introduced in 1951, and was the first 'adhesive' for modern Acrylic dentures.
One of the early ways to 'anchor' dentures was to chemically 'etch' teeth to create a better surface for dentures to stick to. Some nasty chemicals were used in early denture products to 'etch' the teeth to create better adhesion. Other products used chemicals that bound to the Calcium in teeth.
The first 'adhesives' were 'powders' sprinkled on the dentures to make them sticky, absorbent, and stay in place.
Moisture was always a problem, leading to breaking down the adhesion, so "powdered" adhesives were popular to help dry the mouth and gums. Organic material and natural acids in the mouth were also a problem, breaking down adhesion. This led to 'Alkaline' adhesives.
Two of these early powdered 'Fasteeth' tins mention that they are "Alkaline."
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The Post-war years led to 'modern' plastics, nylon, and acrylic resins being used to make dentures, but as more people could afford dentures, issues continued with proper fit and comfort. Dentures often 'shifted', dropped out of position, and got out of alignment.
A whole new market developed for ways to keep dentures in place. Dental adhesive powders, pastes, creams, liners, and adhesive pads soon emerged. It seems like everybody had a better material, a better idea, or a 'magic' ingredient to make dentures stay in position.
The race to develop new dental-adhesive products took off at an incredible pace. There was an explosion of products to help keep dentures 'anchored', and collecting all the various different products is a popular area of Dental memorabilia collecting.
These 3 'Fasteeth' tins are a terrific example of early products used to keep unruly dentures anchored in place.
The first 'adhesives' were 'powders', like these examples, sprinkled on the dentures to make them sticky, absorbent, and stay in place.
Soon, artificial flavors, breath freshening ingredients, dental hygiene additives, and all sorts of things were added to make one maker's product stand out against the others. The variety seems endless.
Some of the early 'adhesives' worked well, but contained chemicals that were making people sick.
Petrochemicals, artificial colors, scents, artificial flavors, preservatives, zinc or other harmful materials.
Zinc was a main ingredient of many early adhesives and it's neurotoxicity wasn't well understood. Dentures in the 40's and 50's were often 'plastic' and solvents like benzene were added to adhesives to make them 'stick' to the plastic better.
People's bones and jaws naturally changed shape with age, and rather than getting 'new' dentures made, people often just added more and more 'glue', leading to poisonings, digestive problems, bone loss and other health issues.
Eventually products that contained minimal chemicals, no zinc, no dyes, and no artificial flavorings were developed and those became market the leaders, leading to the decline of hundreds of smaller dental adhesive manufacturers.
Modern adhesives are typically some sort of waterproof thermoplastic that molds to your mouth and gums for a perfect fit. Today, the market is dominated by "Poligrip" and "Fixodent" products, and you rarely see any other products on Pharmacy shelves, unlike during the 40's an 50's.
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Luckily, due to advances in healthcare, Dental hygiene and preventative Dentistry, fewer people need dentures today.
Today, as any Dentist will tell you, a well-made, proper set of Denures requires little or no 'fixing' or 'adhesive' but that wasn't always the case. The history of dentures and their 'adhesives' is fascinating and an interesting area to collect.
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These are very interesting, cool, collectible tins. They would be of interest to Dentists, as well as Medical tin, Oral Hygiene or Personal Hygiene collectors.
Perfect for those who enjoy collecting vintage Medical and Dental items, or those who have an interest in the history of dentistry.
Don't miss your chance to own these cool, unique, rare pieces of Dental history.
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Several of these tins still contain some of the original old Dental Adhesive Powder.
NOTE: My Medical tins, bottles, containers and other items are being sold as vintage collectibles to enhance your collection of historical medical memorabilia and are not intended for use, consumption, or any other purpose other than display.
Any contents that violate Ebay policies will be destroyed before shipping. If 'original contents' are important to you, please contact me before the auction ends.
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Shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $3.33 for these 3 tins.
If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love collecting and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any items that I personally would not want in my collection.
My descriptions and grading are fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,500 happy and satisfied EBay customers, with 100% positive feedback, over the years and I have been buying/selling on ebay for over 25 years, so please bid with confidence!
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far. -- JOHN