The Truth Behind Our Kids' Oral Health

I had so many questions as a new mother—from how to keep my baby comfortable while feeding, to how to put her to sleep. Last on my mind was her oral health, since she didn’t have any teeth!

Then her first solid foods were vegetables and not sweets. We brought her to her first dentist appointment when she was four years old, but we may have waited too long. The dentist told us she had 7 cavities!

What did we miss with her oral health, already by the age of 4?

What are the most important things for early oral health?

I’ve since spent time with professionals in the oral care community. Here’s what matters most for kids:

1) Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste as soon as they are able to spit it out.

2) Get sealants. Maybe you already know about them. If so, good! Sealants are so effective at cavity prevention that most insurances cover them completely. 50% of kids get medical insurance from CHIP and medicare. But only 30% of of these kids who do go to the dentist get sealants. Why aren’t dentists automatically giving sealants when they are such a help preventing cavities? There is no downside to them.

3) If your child does not drink fluoridated water, then ask for a regular fluoride treatment at the dentist once a year.

Next, I’ll be publishing 10 lessons on Caring for Kids Oral Health so you can learn from our mistakes. Here’s to healthy teeth, beautiful smiles, and relieved parents!

This Land has Turtles

Photo: John Hibben, Puyallup WA

Every day we receive orders for the Two Minute Turtle Timer from around the USA. Most of the orders come from American towns I’ve never heard of. I have wanted to get to know our vast country better but I’m not someone who loves long drives, so, I’ve begun exploring the various towns online where we send our Turtle Timers, to you!

Over the course of the election of 2020, our family focused on the US map—the states and counties—to discern our voting habits. Now I’m seeing the country in a new, important way—by ‘visiting’ the varied destinations of the Turtle Timers. To share my experience with you, am posting the name of town of a customer who bought the Two Minute Turtle Timer. The town is:

Puyallup WA.

Do you know the town? From photographs I found, it is beautiful and the majestic Mt Rainier watches over it.

I learned the city's name comes from the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans and means "the generous people". Puyallup is also home to the Washington State Fair, the state's largest fair.

But every part of our country, I’m learning, has a complex history.  When I took a closer look at Puyallup’s past, I read that it was the site of a Japanese internment camp in World War II—Camp Harmony.

 The full scope of our nation’s past includes tragic missteps, as well as triumphs by our communities over inhumanity and natural challenges.  I will continue to travel with the Turtle Timer to become better-acquainted with our fascinating, evolving homeland, America.

This Turtle Timer is for ALL Ages!

If you thought the Two Minute Turtle Timer was a toothbrush timer for kids you would be correct. Because it’s cute and introduces kids to the difficult concept of brushing 2 full minutes. And the Turtle Timer gives children a visual guide where to brush their teeth while they are learning, so it teaches kids in a playful way and the Turtle Timer helps them feel pride in their new independence.

If you thought the Two Minute Turtle Timer was a toothbrush timer for teenagers you would be correct. The original turtle timer has the cool turtle shaped circuit board. Teens’ gear is often an extension of themselves as they discover who they are — cool and unique. That the Turtle Timer is tactile helps for teenagers’ fidgety hands.

If you thought the Two Minute Turtle Timer was a toothbrush timer for adults you would be correct ,also! Grown-ups want to brush in the way we know we’re supposed to! We have seen all too well the consequences of not brushing consistently. But at the end of the work day, we’re tired! A quiet, visual guide to remind us where to brush and how long, without a phone or expensive toothbrush, is welcome! The Turtle Timer helps adults shift into a relaxing bedtime routine.

So…good news! It’s one stop shopping for all ages with the Two Minute Turtle Timer. Each age will have their own reasons to enjoy their unique toothbrush turtle timer that’s just for them!

Help Your Friends AND Help Us, Invent Boston!

Dear Friends of the Two Minute Turtle Timer,

YOU are the reason we are here! We, Invent Boston, invent for YOU! And we can do this thanks to you and others like you who took the leap, tried and like the Two Minute Turtle Timer!

Do you have friends with children? We need your help in reaching those who haven’t heard how the Turtle makes vital tooth-care fun and regular. Your friends and family know you and trust your advice.

You know something they do not, but may wish they did——the Two Minute Turtle Timer exists! It works, helps kids brush teeth and makes toothbrushing go more smoothly!

But the Two Minute Turtle Timer is not like a new bike or stroller where friends get to see it outside or in use. Yets, that’s why we buy many things we do—we see it used by friends. But Two Minute Turtle Timer is tucked away at home in our bathroom. These days there aren’t even kids’ sleep-overs. So people will never see your Turtle Timer! But, a word from you can keep the Turtle in steady progress until we reopen our homes again.

The challenge:

IF you like your Two Minute Turtle Timer, please tell a friend about it. You know how to do it— on social media, in a text, on zoom. However you tell your friends, they’ll be glad to hear what’s new, what you like and learn a new tactic for toothbrushing.

This helps them AND helps us!

Thanks for being part of the Turtle Timer Team…. texters, talkers, tik tokers, troubadours. If you text or post please send a photo of yours to vberman@inventboston.com.

Slow and steady, Virginia and the Two Minute Turtle Timer Team

12 Steps to Start-Up. Step #3: Envision the Future

STEP 3: ENVISION the Future

What if you DO succeed? What will your new garden look like?  

After 2 years watching what grew in our yard, I saw the ArborVitae trees, daylilies and hosta thrived, and an old quince hung in there. We’d inherited hardy survivors, including plenty of invasive weeds.  

Now, we began to envision our new garden. We wanted it to include: 

1. perennials blooming throughout the growing season

2. a safe and imaginative place to play and grow 

3. vegetable plants to eat

What would you like to have in your garden?

Envision. For the business, I imagined where I wanted to be in 10-15 years. 

In the beginning, but before I knew exactly what I was building, people asked me for my business plan. Making a business plan was daunting with so many questions still to answer. Even though I’d made them as part of my job, it was not easy figuring out for me...how many customers I’d need, the cost of getting them, how many products at what prices, and the distribution systems. 

I knew I wanted the start-up: 

1. to have a strong team 

2. to make new products and help people live more fully, healthier days

3. to fit my lifestyle

But that’s not a business plan!  What would success feel and look like? What would I be selling? Where and how would we distribute our products?  How large would we like to grow? How to build a brand?  How to fund it?  What does success mean for you and your start-up?  What tools have helped you to brainstorm in the past?

So I started out where I could picture myself selling a product I loved.  I could easily imagine selling by going door-to-door.  How do you see yourself reaching new customers?

I asked myself these questions: What would I say to a potential customer so they’d open the door for me and then buy? How much would it cost to do that?  Which neighborhoods would I choose to go to and why? And then, how to replicate that process across many communities?  How many items would I need to sell to make it profitable to keep going and what type of sales team shall I need?  A rough business plan began to take shape in my mind. Note: the US Small Business Association has helpful templates for writing business plans.