Alumni Entrepreneurship

September 10, 2026 | Claire Hall

UConn Dentist Develops Customizable Toothbrush to Encourage Kids to Brush Better, Longer

'What was a little hobby is now a full-fledged business'

Dr. Dante Paolino and Dr. Zachary Gelber, in blue medical scrubs, each holding a Build-a-Brush toothbrush.

Dr. Dante Paolino and Dr. Zachary Gelber (courtesy of Babsy).

When his patients’ parents would tell Dr. Dante Paolino that they had trouble coaxing their children to brush their teeth, he was admittedly a bit judgmental.

Then he and his wife had their own children, and the pediatric dentist’s whole perspective changed.

“My kids employed some classic stalling tactics, like throwing themselves on the floor, pursing their lips or locking their mouth shut, running away, pushing the toothbrush out of their mouth with their tongue, or shaking their head back and forth while trying to brush,’’ Paolino says. “They tried literally anything they could do to avoid getting the job done.’’

New Toothbrush Is One of Five Startups Competing in the Wolff New Venture Competition

Paolino, a three-time UConn alum, and fellow dentist Dr. Zachary Gelber, came up with the idea of creating Build-A-Brush, a customizable toothbrush, with detachable blocks on the handle, that allows children to personalize their brushing experience, and hopefully become enthusiastic about dental health. They operate under the corporate name Babsy. Kits sell for about $25.

Babsy is one of five UConn-affiliated startups competing in the Wolff New Venture Competition on Oct. 13 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Now in its 11th year, the event is hosted by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI). The competition will award more than $150,000 in prize money, including $40,000 for the first-place finisher.

Paolino attended CCEI’s Summer Accelerator, a bootcamp for promising entrepreneurs.

A child's toothbrush surrounded by detachable elements that can be added to or subtracted from the brush.
The customizable brush encourages play and creativity (courtesy of Babsy).

“We learned so much through the program,’’ he says. “My business partner and I are both dentists, not business experts, and I think the biggest thing we learned was that there is a great deal of important information that we didn’t know.’’

Through the program, they found a better way to set up their business, explored financial decisions in greater depth, evaluated their true costs and gained knowledge about customer acquisition.

Three-Time Husky from a True-Blue Family

Paolino graduated with his UConn bachelor’s degree in biology, in the Honors program, in 2011; a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree in 2015; and from an advanced pediatric residency program in 2019.

He comes from a True-Blue family. His wife, Dr. Isabella Paolino, DDS, is a faculty member at the UConn School of Dental Medicine; his parents met at UConn, and his sister and brother-in-law are alumni. His children, ages 5 and 3, who attend pre-school at UConn Health in Farmington, tell strangers that they “go to UConn,’’ Paolino says, laughing.

Paolino says he’s always had an entrepreneurial side and wanted to own his own dental practice. He thinks the Build-A-Brush has been successful because of the dental and pediatric expertise he and his business partner brought to the project.

“This has been a fun side project. What was a little hobby is now a full-fledged business,’’ he says. As they grow the business, they are seeking new retail opportunities and are exploring creating an electric toothbrush as well.

Currently the company is selling directly to consumers, and sales have exceeded expectations, with more than $50,000 in revenue in the first year. Paolino and Gelber found that Build-A-Brush is most popular as a holiday gift, but there has also been interest from toy stores and, surprisingly, from candy shops.

CCEI Gave the Startup A ‘Road Map’ for Success

Paolino attended the Wolff competition last year, as an audience member, and told friends that he wanted to enter the competition in 2026.

“I can’t believe I’m here. I’m so excited,’’ he says. “We are so lucky and appreciative. Many people with startups are missing so much vital information about how to develop their companies. CCEI has given us a roadmap and that’s vital because I don’t have time to figure it all out on my own. Winning the competition would be incredible, but just being a finalist is an amazing experience.’’

 

 

The Wolff New Venture Competition will be held on Oct. 13 at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford from 5 to 9 p.m. The event is free to attend and all are welcome. Pre-registration is required at https://luma.com/i2690pqa. Event Judges will include alumni Ashley Kalinauskas (Torigen), Zachary Cohen (The Junkluggers) and Rob Hughes (Republic Systems Inc.) 

The Wolff New Venture Competition is supported by the generosity of the Wolff Family as well as wiggin(x), Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina LLP, Sardilli Produce and Dairy Co., Prime Materials Recovery Inc., Big Bang, Baystate Financial, Webster Bank, Mark and Jamie Summers, Putnam Plastics, Eric Marziali, Bob and Linda Delisle, Dick and Carol Stewart and Event Resources.