Jenkins was for a long time ignored by dental historians despite his high achievements in dentistry. He published 32 scientific articles about improving aesthetic tooth restoration with porcelain fillings, methods that were partly patented.
Introduction of the rubber dam in Germany Jenkins had his first success introducing the
rubber dam in Germany, two years after it had been developed 1864 by the New York dentist
Sanford Christie Barnum. The rubber dam is an elastic band, which isolates the tooth to be treated from the oral cavity especially against liquids and saliva. Originally it was used to keep the working area dry because at that time there was no dental suction apparatus.
Development of porcelain masses Jenkins developed and improved porcelain enamel, thus making a composition of porcelain paste into porcelain inlays, dental crowns and bridges and the associated processing equipment. It was helpful living close to
Sächsische Porzellanmanufaktur Dresden (Saxon Porcelain Manufactory in Dresden). He also developed steel drills, which were coated with diamond dust, to create a smooth cavity. The porcelain inlays opened for the first time the possibility to produce tooth-colored anterior restorations and thus initiated the era of
esthetic dentistry. At that time fillings were usually made of gold in the anterior region. For the production and distribution of "Jenkins Porcelain Enamel" he founded the manufactory
Klewe & Co. His personal friend, a certain Samuel Langhorne Clemens bought the manufacturing and distribution rights for the US market. This man became known by his pseudonym as the writer
Mark Twain. The name´s origin is Greek
Kolyo nosos (κωλύω νόσος), meaning "disease prevention". Numerous attempts to produce the toothpaste by pharmacists in Europe were uneconomic. After returning to the US, he continued experimenting with
Harry Ward Foote (1875-1942), professor of chemistry at
Sheffield Chemical Laboratory of
Yale University. After 17 years of development of Kolynos and clinical trials Jenkins retired and transferred the production and distribution to his son
Leonard A. Jenkins, who brought the first toothpaste tubes on the market on April 13, 1908. Within a few years the company expanded in North America, Latin America, Europe and the Far East. A branch operation opened in 1909 in London. In 1937 Kolynos was produced in 22 countries and sold in 88 countries. In recent times Kolynos is widespread mainly in South America and in Hungary.
Colgate-Palmolive took over the product of
American Home Products in 1995 at a cost of one billion US dollars. == Selected publications ==