How it works.

Built for ages 1 to 4, the years when brushing is newest and the fight is loudest.

  1. 01

    Hand it over.

    At brushing time, give it to your toddler. The grip is sized for small fists.

  2. 02

    They chew.

    Chewing does the scrubbing, so they’re in charge and nobody gets pinned down.

  3. 03

    You check, then cheer.

    Take a quick look when they’re done. That’s your whole job.

Still deciding: whether Twigglies replaces the toothbrush in the earliest years or works alongside it. Parents in our research sessions are helping us answer that.

Cross-section of a tooth and gum, with soft frayed bristles like a chewed miswak, angled about 45 degrees toward the gumlinegumtoothchew~45°

Why chewing cleans.

Chew the end of a miswak and it frays into soft, brush-like fibers.1 Twigglies borrows that idea for small mouths.

  • Frayed like a miswak.

    Soft silicone bristles fan out the way a chewed miswak frays into fibers.

  • Angled to the gumline.

    Each bristle tilts about 45 degrees toward the gums, the angle dentists recommend for a toothbrush.4

  • Every chew is a pass.

    Biting down drags the bristle tips along the tooth. Letting go springs them back for the next one.

Nature’s original toothbrush.

Researchers credit the miswak’s cleaning power to two things working together: the scrubbing action of its fibers, and natural compounds released as it’s chewed.1 Chewing also gets saliva flowing, which helps protect teeth.1 In clinical studies, the miswak cleaned as well as a toothbrush, and sometimes better.12

Salvadora persica trees growing in a rocky desert valley under a blue sky
The Salvadora persica, or “toothbrush tree.” Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A miswak stick with a frayed, brush-like tip on a white background
A miswak, its tip chewed into bristles.
Silica
A natural, gentle abrasive that helps scrub away plaque and stains.1
Fluoride
Helps fight tooth decay and rebuild enamel.1
Tannins
Linked to less plaque and less gum inflammation.1
Benzyl isothiocyanate
The root’s main antibacterial compound.1

These are properties of the miswak twig itself. Twigglies is designed in food-grade silicone and doesn’t contain miswak. The bristle design above is how we’re building Twigglies, not a tested result: bristle angles and cleaning performance will be tested with prototypes before launch.

Render of the Twigglies brush: an orange handle with a raccoon head on one end, bumpy grip sections and a short bristle tip on the other

A raccoon in their corner.

A raccoon head to grab onto. Bumpy rings that give small fists something to hold. A short bristle tip at the other end.

  • Raccoon head
  • Bumpy grip
  • Bristle tip

Concept render. Final design may change.

Get in their corner.

Join the families waiting for Twigglies, and be first to hear when it’s ready.

63 families already waiting

Sources

  1. Haque MM, Alsareii SA. A review of the therapeutic effects of using miswak (Salvadora persica) on oral health. Saudi Medical Journal. 2015;36(5):530–543. doi:10.15537/smj.2015.5.10785
  2. Al-Otaibi M, et al. Comparative effect of chewing sticks and toothbrushing on plaque removal and gingival health. Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry. 2003;1(4):301–307.
  3. American Dental Association. Brushing your teeth. MouthHealthy. mouthhealthy.org