Title
Promotional Letter from Oral B Company – Automatic Oral Hygiene Kit
Author
Author: Dr. Charles F. McKhann, M.D., Chairman of the Board
Date: October 24, 1966
Publisher: Oral B Company, Division of Chemway Corp.
Discovered Inside: Principles of Internal Medicine, Fourth Edition (Volume I)
Image
Description
This original marketing letter, dated October 24, 1966, was issued by the Oral B Company to promote its newly released Automatic Oral Hygiene Kit—an early electric toothbrush. The letter was addressed to physicians (not just dentists), underscoring a mid-20th century push to position oral health as integral to systemic health.
Written by Charles F. McKhann, M.D., then Chairman of the Board of Oral B and a physician himself, the letter outlines the device’s value in “gentle stimulation of the gingival tissue without injury.” It promises delivery by the holiday season, cites professional adoption by “over 50,000 dentists,” and offers a professional pricing discount of $9.95 (retail $21.95).
This piece was discovered folded inside Volume I of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (1962), suggesting it was sent directly to physicians and may have remained untouched for decades.
Condition
One-page typewritten letter
Faint original fold lines; some staining near left margin
Signature appears machine-reproduced but clean
No envelope present; likely removed directly from within the Harrison textbook
Gallery
Historical context
In the mid-20th century, the connection between oral hygiene and systemic health was gaining ground. Oral B, founded in 1950 by California periodontist Dr. Robert Hutson, became one of the first companies to aggressively market electric toothbrushes not just to dentists, but directly to physicians.
By 1966, Oral B was part of Chemway Corp., and the letter reflects a growing marketing strategy that blurred the lines between clinical tools and consumer health devices. Physicians were seen as trusted intermediaries for promoting home-use technology to patients—particularly products that addressed chronic disease prevention, like gum disease and heart health.
Dr. Charles F. McKhann, a physician-executive, served as the figurehead for this campaign and would go on to advocate for broader public health and wellness initiatives.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
The letter boasts that over 50,000 dentists had already accepted the offer within the past year.
The professional price was $9.95—about $93 in today’s dollars. The retail price was $21.95 (equivalent to ~$205).
The letter humorously misspells “principles” as “principals”—a typographic slip in an otherwise polished document.
The phrasing “money back guarantee” and “shipped immediately” reflects a classic mid-century direct marketing tone, blending medical formality with retail urgency.
No envelope was found, suggesting it was removed from its mailing and stored intentionally by the original physician-owner.
Excerpt
“We are now convinced that a unit which offers more than a toothbrush and embodies the best principals of Oral Hygiene is a definite aid to proper home dental care.”
— Charles F. McKhann, M.D.
Why it is in the Cabinet
This letter is a compelling snapshot of the evolving relationship between physicians, product manufacturers, and preventive medicine in the post-war era. It reflects the growing commercialization of health devices and the expanding role of the physician as both clinician and consumer influencer.
Its discovery inside a physician’s textbook suggests it was deliberately preserved—either out of interest, curiosity, or intention to act. Regardless, it now serves as a preserved example of medical marketing ephemera from a transformative time in American healthcare.
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