Muhler, Joseph Charles, 1923-....

Joseph Charles Muhler was an assistant professor of chemistry at Indiana University from 1951 to 1972, and research professor of dental science and director of the School of Dentistry's Dental Research Institute from 1972 until his retirement in 1984. Muhler was the leader of the team that developed the original formula for Crest toothpaste in the 1950s, and his interests included that of preventative dentistry and its practices.

Born December 22, 1923 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Joseph Charles Muhler attended Indiana University from 1942 until 1944 when he was drafted into the Navy. After World War II, he returned to Indiana University through support of the Navy as a dental student. In 1948, he received his D.D.S. followed by a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1951. He joined the IU chemistry faculty in 1951 as an assistant professor and in 1978 was named research professor of dental science and director of the School of Dentistry’s Dental Research Institute, where he remained until retirement in 1984. A proponent of the practice of preventative dentistry, Dr. Muhler assisted in the development of the first preventative dentistry program at Indiana University.

Dr. Muhler, teamed with IU professors Harry Day and William Nebergall, to develop the original formula for Crest toothpaste in the 1950s. Dr. Muhler began the development of the product in 1945 and continued his research throughout graduate school. Dentists of that period believed that fluorides, specifically sodium fluoride, were the solution to tooth decay. Dr. Muhler researched over 150 fluoride compounds and eventually proved stannous fluoride was the most effective compound in hardening tooth enamel and protecting it. Impressed with Dr. Muhler’s research, Procter and Gamble underwrote the research in 1949.

Through clinical field tests on Bloomington, Indiana school children, the effectiveness of stannous fluoride was proven, and the Indiana University Foundation received a patent for the product. Licensed to Procter and Gamble, the product was branded as Crest and was distributed nationally in 1956. In 1960 the American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Therapeutics endorsed Crest as an effective preventative measure against tooth decay. Dr. Muhler, Dr. Day, and Dr. Nebergall received royalties from the sales of Crest and designated that a percentage of the royalties would be received by the IU Foundation.

Beyond the accomplishment of the development of Crest, Dr. Muhler’s had extensive book chapters, books, and textbooks on dentistry related subjects. Significant books include Fifty-Two Pearls and Their Environment and A Textbook of Biochemistry for Dental Students. Beyond his association with Indiana University, Dr. Muhler held numerous consultant positions with major companies such as Coca-Cola and S.C. Johnson and Sons, as well as with the various branches of the United States military. Muhler claimed to hold over 800 patents nationally and internationally. Dr. Muhler died on December 24, 1996.