These days, when it comes to headlines about ways young entrepreneurs, most seem to be talking about a new app or new social media. But one recent Brown University graduate has created what he hopes is market-disrupting technology…for the oral care category.
 
Dan Meropol has created Power toothpaste, which has most of the ingredients one expects in toothpaste (aside from fluoride), but one specific ingredient that you wouldn’t: caffeine.
 
Power toothpaste delivers the benefits of caffeine much faster than a cup of Joe. In fact, unlike coffee, which takes up to an hour to fully absorb through the stomach, Power toothpaste begins immediately, absorbing through the gums and mouth, providing a quick boost of energy before you’re even finished brushing.
 
The idea came after a dental visit in which Meropol’s dentist gave it to him straight.
 
“I had a regular dental checkup during which my dentist told me I hadn't been flossing enough. I did some research and found that Americans in general have abysmal oral hygiene habits. Half of Americans don't brush twice a day,” said Meropol.
 
“I began thinking about how I could change this, and spoke with my friend Ian, who had been thinking about how awful his mornings are. He immediately suggested caffeinated toothpaste. I took the idea and ran with it, and many months of development later, we are ready to launch,” Meropol told Happi, a week before his Power Toothpaste was set to launch officially on Indiegogo.

Starting Jan. 19, consumers can place pre-orders for Power toothpaste on Indiegogo.  Those pre-orders will enable Meropol to commence his first large production run.

A single tube of Power Toothpaste starts at $12 with free shipping, and there are numerous early-bird specials and significant bulk discounts available, according to the start-up.
 
As can be expected, there were bumps along the way as Meropol set off to get Power toothpaste from an idea on paper to the production line at a contract manufacturer.
 
“I must have reached out to most of the major toothpaste contract manufacturers in the US. Because we had no previous experience here, this was a rate-limiting step and a huge learning experience,” Meropol said. “We eventually found a manufacturer with great domain expertise and low minimum order quantities, and partnering with them has been a boon to our development process.”
 
Even though oral care isn’t as cutting edge as say, developing the newest app, “it's been exciting building this business, to say the least,” Meropol said.
 
“Traditional oral care is seen as a chore, and as something people do because they feel they're supposed to and not because they want to. It's been a great experience bringing a product to market that makes people look forward to brushing their teeth, and incentivizes proper oral hygiene.” 
 
The question is whether or not Power toothpaste will catch on with consumers.
 
So far, Meropol has used the power of social media to spread the word about Power toothpaste—and those early numbers would have any start-up smiling.
 
More than 30,000 interested people signed up on the brand’s website over the past couple of months, according to Meropol.
 
“So many people have reached out to us, asking when our product will become available and (they are) excited about our launch.”