Drought Is A ''Turn-Off'' For South Carolina Third Grader

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 25 Feb 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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For nine-year-old Katie Stagliano of Summerville, South Carolina, being green is as easy as turning off the water while you brush your teeth.

The third grader at Pinewood Preparatory School has captured first prize in a national toothbrush design contest sponsored by Dr. Fresh (http://www.drfresh.com/dentalinventor08_winner.asp), maker of fun kid's oral care products, in celebration of February's National Children's Dental Health Month. Katie's winning idea is a talking "tree" brush with a brown handle and green bristles that reminds users to turn off the water while brushing so they can save up to eight gallons of water each time.

In the contest, entitled "Be A Dental Inventor," kids were asked to design a toothbrush they thought would motivate their peers to brush thoroughly and regularly. Dr. Fresh is a Buena Park, California-based company known for its bright and sparkly, best-selling FireFly toothbrushes that light up and flash to encourage longer brushing.

"We've always believed that dental hygiene can and should be fun for children. Katie's talking toothbrush encourages kids to keep on brushing and to help preserve the environment," says Dr. Fresh. "The contest proves once again that kids have the brightest and most inspiring ideas."

"If every kid who brushed their teeth with my brush turned off the water, think of the millions of gallons of water we could save!" says Katie, who stipulates that the toothbrush be made of recyclable materials. Katie got her idea for the toothbrush while doing research for a school report on droughts. Her research included visiting lakes in her area that are completely dried up.

Green begets green. For her winning design, Katie will receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond, as well as an all-expense paid trip with a parent to the Disneyland Resort. While there, she will also meet with the design team at the Dr. Fresh headquarters in nearby Buena Park. Two runners-up - Kendall Caya, 7, of San Antonio, Texas, and Adam Carr, 9, of Tampa, Florida will each receive $250 U.S. Savings Bonds.

Kendall, a second grader at San Antonio's St. George Episcopal School designed a "mystery brush" that counts brushing minutes with each use. After 100 minutes of brushing, the user can unlock a prize hidden inside the toothbrush handle. As a bonus, the "mystery brush" comes with chewable tablets that show where more brushing is needed.

Adam, a home schooled fourth grader, designed a "mood toothbrush" with a sad face that turns into a happy face when the user has brushed thoroughly. "I think this toothbrush would 'mood-ivate' kids to brush better," he says.

Dr. Fresh manufactures a host of popular and affordable oral care and personal health products, including Fire Fly, the number one selling children's toothbrush in the nation.

http://www.drfresh.com