So-long bedtime brushing battles: dentist, dad, and West Hartford resident Dr. Dante Paolino creates customizable toothbrush kids actually want to use.

By Melissa Cole

A trip to the dentist isn’t exactly a favorite outing for most kids (or plenty of adults), so imagine his family’s surprise when Dante Paolino announced at age 5 that a career in dentistry is how he imagined his future.

“My mom still jokes about it, that I actually did it,” Paolino said. “I was probably 5 years old, and I said, ‘I want to be a dentist.’”

Dr. Dante Paolino’s inspiration was his own childhood dentist, whose practice was in his home. “You know those old-school dental offices,” Paolino said. “I loved that experience, and I never had cavities.”

Paolino grew up in Woodbury, attended UConn as an undergraduate and then fulfilled his dream of going to the UConn School of Dental Medicine. After a residency, he became a pediatric dentist and now practices at Pediatric Dental Associates on Main Street in Manchester. He met his wife, now a professor at the dental school, while they were students there. The couple has two young children and settled in West Hartford in 2020.

“West Hartford is such a Hallmark town,” Paolino said. “Going to school in Farmington, we were always coming over to West Hartford to hang out. My wife and I were just dating at that time, and as we got further in our relationship, we always said, ‘We’ve got to live in West Hartford. It’s the best.’”

“Even just walking around on a day like this, it’s so beautiful,” he added. “The schools are so good, and the community is so welcoming.”

Early in his career, parents would often ask him the trick to getting their child to brush willingly, instead of it being a constant battle. Paolino would offer advice, but it wasn’t until he had children of his own, now 3 and 5, that he truly understood what those parents were talking about.

“Until I had my own kids, I didn’t realize how annoying it is,” he said. “It’s hard to get some kids to brush their teeth. Some kids are great about it, and some are horrible, and mine were pretty horrible.”

That’s what sparked an idea: a toothbrush kids would actually look forward to using, day in and day out. He teamed up with one of his best friends from residency, Dr. Zach Gelber, a Florida dentist who was also a new parent and understood the struggle. Together they brainstormed prototypes, met with designers and marketing experts, and eventually landed on a build-your-own toothbrush.

Founders of Babsy. Dr. Zachary Gelber of FL (Left) and Dr. Dante Paolino (Right). Courtesy photo

“We were inspired by LEGO and by Crocs, which have those little Jibbitz charms,” he said. “So we thought, why don’t we make a customizable toothbrush?”

Their company, Babsy, is just about a year old. In that time, they’ve sold roughly $50,000 worth of Build a Brush toothbrushes, and they recently took second place at the Wolff New Venture Competition, held Oct. 13 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

Babsy Starter Kit for Boys. Courtesy photo

Paolino says many customers buy the $25 set as a gift. It comes in bright packaging with a variety of customizable, kid-friendly pieces that children can swap out daily to match their mood.

The idea is simple: when kids design their own toothbrush, brushing becomes fun. Instead of a daily struggle, it turns into something both kids and parents look forward to.

The dream is to partner with Disney and other licensed-character brands, and to expand Babsy beyond toothbrushes. They recently noticed that one of their orders came from a major toothpaste company, so they’re following up to see whether it could lead to something bigger. In the meantime, feedback has been positive, and kids across the country are enjoying their Babsy brushes, along with Paolino’s own kids, right here in West Hartford.

Babsy Build-A-Brush Starter Kit. Courtesy Photo

“Our Instagram has a ton of testimonials from kids opening it and playing with it. It’s great, because they really do enjoy it,” Paolino said. “My son is always fighting brushing his teeth, so I’ll ask him, ‘Do you want to build a new toothbrush?’ He instantly says yes, puts it in his mouth and starts brushing.”

To learn more about the product, and to order visit: https://www.brushbabsy.com/

You can also find the Build A Brush on Amazon.

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