Key Takeaways:
· Babsy is a customizable toothbrush brand that turns a daily chore into a creative, confidence-building experience.
· The packaging channels an arts-and-crafts aesthetic, made to look like a creative kit rather than a sterile healthcare product.
· In a broader healthcare context, Babsy reflects the growing trend toward personalized wellness products.
When pediatric dentists Dr. Zach Gelber and Dr. Dante set out to tackle one of parenting’s most universal struggles—getting kids to brush their teeth—they weren’t thinking about sleek tech or digital reminders. Instead they were thinking about empowerment and self-expression. Together with Jordan Diatlo, founder and creative director of Leadoff Studio, they created Babsy, a customizable toothbrush brand that turns a daily chore into a creative, confidence-building experience.
During their pediatric dental residencies, Dr. Gelber and his co-founder noticed a recurring theme: nearly every parent asked the same question—how do we motivate our kids to brush their teeth, how do we get them to want to? Gelber said it didn’t matter what age the kids were, it was a still common problem.
The dentists saw firsthand how children gravitated toward products that reflected their personalities, from Crocs with collectible charms to T-shirts with beloved characters. It was that observation sparked an idea. “We wanted to put the power in kids’ hands,” says Gelber. “Instead of brushing being a battle, what if it became something they built and owned?”
This concept led to Babsy’s “Build-A-Brush” system—an interactive toothbrush that allows children to assemble and personalize their own brush using colorful, interchangeable parts.
Designed for Play and Purpose
To bring their vision to life, the Babsy team turned to Leadoff Studio, a New York-based industrial design firm known for consumer products that blend function and emotion. From the outset, Diatlo and his team understood that the key was to merge playfulness with professional credibility.
“Parents expect something safe, effective, and dentist-approved,” says Diatlo. “Kids, on the other hand, want fun, color, and creativity. Our job was to design a product that spoke to both.”
The resulting design channels an arts-and-crafts aesthetic, with packaging that looks like a creative kit rather than a sterile healthcare product. The outer box is made of natural cardboard and includes a “Created by Dentists” badge displayed prominently—a subtle but crucial reassurance for parents that playtime doesn’t come at the expense of performance.
Then inside, the brush components are neatly arranged in an organized and intuitive layout—a moment of calm before what Diatlo calls “the explosion of color and fun” once kids start assembling.
“From day one we really wanted to make it an intuitive product. We wanted it to be something that the second you open the box, kids know what it is and are wanting to take it out of the box and start using it right away,” says Gelber.
The packaging layout helps children instantly recognize what to do. The illustrated instructions use simple visuals rather than heavy text, allowing even toddlers to follow along. “It’s meant to be so straightforward that a three-year-old could figure it out,” says Diatlo.
Engineering for Imagination
Gelber, Dante, and Diatlo didn’t just rely on lab testing to see if the new toothbrush resonated with kids, they used their own children as early product testers. Early testing included prototypes—3D-printed in plain white plastic, which became hot commodities in their households.
“When I gave my kids a bag of test parts, they started fighting over who got which pieces,” Diatlo recalls. “That’s when I knew we had something special.” Even without colors or graphics, the tactile and modular design engaged kids immediately.
Gelber echoes that sentiment. “It was exciting to see how much ownership they took over the process. Even younger kids who couldn’t assemble it completely still felt proud choosing the pieces they liked.”
As successful as the "testing" was, the modular design posed unique manufacturing challenges for the company.
“One challenge was creating a standardized box that would fit all of the different bits in the expansion packs. So, you know, for example, this one has the sphere shape, the cylinder shape, and the spiral shape. That was the first challenge, just figuring out the manufacturing,” says Diatlo.
Each interchangeable piece—some with ears, spirals, or distinct shapes—had to fit into standardized packaging while staying cost-effective for production. Leadoff Studio solved this by developing custom inserts and mold groupings, creating a scalable system that allows Babsy to expand its lineup with new refill packs and designs.
Personalization Meets Preventive Care
In a broader healthcare context, Babsy reflects the growing trend toward personalized wellness products. From tailor-made supplements to smart wearables, consumers increasingly want healthcare items that reflect their identities and lifestyles. Babsy extends that idea to children’s oral care, through an act of self-expression that hopefully leads to a desire to use the product.
“It’s all about self-expression and motivation,” says Gelber. “If a child feels that their toothbrush represents who they are—even if that changes from a love for pizza one day to mermaids the next—they’re more likely to use it.”
The original goal of this project was to increase adherence, essentially to get kids to want to brush their teeth more.
“We were trying to figure out how to increase the efficacy through actually tapping into the motivations of a child and figuring out what the child is actually driven by. In this case, the self-confidence building and the sense of their self,” says Diatlo.
Babsy’s innovation lies in reframing a mundane task into a meaningful ritual. By merging design thinking with pediatric insight, the brand bridges the gap between healthcare and creativity.
“It’s not just a tool for a chore,” says Diatlo. “It’s an object of joy—something kids are excited to use. And if that excitement leads to better brushing habits, then we’ve achieved what we set out to do.”
Currently available through Babsy’s direct-to-consumer website and social platforms such as TikTok Shop, the brand plans to expand into retail in the near future. “There’s a growing appetite for healthcare products that feel personal and fun," says Gelber.
