Colgate Wisp (waterless toothbrush)
I run across a lot of stuff at Fog Horn but when I came across Colgate’s Wisp, I said to myself, man I wish I had a few of these in my pack.
Folks that spend a large part of their lives moving about the countryside know, all too well, that basics like shaves and haircuts, and oral hygiene become secondary considerations. I remember times where my mouth literally felt like grunge; it’s a crappy feeling but there’s not much that can be done – Enter Colgate’s Wisp.
This tooth-brush requires no water for brushing or rinsing. It comes pre-seeded with a breath freshener, and at the opposite end of the brush, there’s a pick that actually does a decent job at removing mild calculus.
The active ingredient is Capric/caprylic triglycerid, which is a medium chain triglyceride with an indefinite shelf life.
Wisp appears to have no anti-bacterial properties but if you fill a pint-sized bottle with water and then add a cap of Clorox bleach to it, you’ll have the best mouthwash that you’ll ever come across. The solution is a broad spectrum prophylaxis that will keep your mouth free from bacteria and your gums looking great.
Wisp is not intended to substitute a normal brushing regimen but if you just can’t get it done, this little brush will help you feel like you’re alive again.
FOG HORN 
I like this one….I love disruptive technology in the consumer space because the big dogs need to scramble and usually some biz dev guy gets his butt fired for not paying attention. Then some small stock explodes and large cap companies must overpay. It happens regularly to the benefit of early investors. And this profitable phenomenon seems to be on the brink in Dental Care. . I don’t want to be William Addis and I don’t want to cause a riot because I like my house on the 16th Tee Box. I just think we should stop rubbing rags on our teeth….see below.
The toothbrush is one of mans’ purest inventions, and singularly has extended lives of men and women. William Addis of England is credited with creating the first mass-produced toothbrush in 1780. In 1770 he had been placed in jail for causing a riot. While in prison, he decided that the method for teeth brushing of the time – rubbing a rag on one’s teeth with soot and salt – could be improved. So he took a small animal bone, drilled small holes in it, obtained some bristles from a guard, tied them in tufts, then passed the bristles through the holes on the bone and glued them. He soon became very wealthy. Simple ideas converting to great margins.
Tooth powders for use with toothbrushes came into general use in the 19th century in Britain. Most were homemade, with chalk, pulverized brick, or salt as ingredients. An 1866 Home Encyclopedia recommended pulverized charcoal, and cautioned that many patented tooth powders that were commercially marketed did more harm than good. Recently, homemade tooth powders are made by mixing 3 parts baking soda (cleanser) thoroughly with 1 part salt (the abrasive). It seems it is time for modern dental care to make a step forward and it surely lies in the combination of brush and paste.
According to studies published by the American Dental Association- Liquid Dentifrice cleans teeth 35% better than pastes…so I went looking for a start-up company in my niche and found United Treatment Centers UTRM.PK and spent some time with the company. It seems that the “buy versus build” with Colgate and is in progress.
The right company can cause a disruptive technology to occur, and it is a classic “Give them the razor, then sell them blades forever” idea.
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