The first toothpaste sold in metal tubes was Dr. Sheffield’s Creme Dentifrice , introduced by Connecticut dentist Dr. Washington Sheffield in 1892.

Quick Scoop

  • In the late 1800s, most tooth-cleaning products were powders or pastes sold in jars, which families dipped their brushes into.
  • Inspired by artists’ collapsible paint tubes seen in Paris by his son, Sheffield packed his Creme Dentifrice into a tin/lead collapsible metal tube in 1892, making it more sanitary and convenient.
  • This innovation is widely credited as the first commercial toothpaste in a metal tube , and it quickly influenced competitors like Colgate, which followed with its own tube-packaged dental cream a few years later.

In short: when you squeeze a modern toothpaste tube, you are copying Dr. Sheffield’s 19th‑century idea in metal.

TL;DR: Dr. Washington Sheffield’s Creme Dentifrice (1892) is generally regarded as the first toothpaste sold in collapsible metal tubes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.