Dr. Bobbi Peterson is the face behind Big Mouth Toothbrush -The World’s First ever Black Female Owned Toothbrush Company.
With eyes on the black community and the belief that everyone should have access to better dental care and a better life, top celebrity orthodontist Dr. Bobbi Peterson, a second-generation HBCU grad founded of her own practice- Aces Braces, New York City, which offers quality comprehensive orthodontic services to address various types of malocclusions and alignment issues, powering different customized treatment plans to treat specific needs, helping clients smile confidently. She also launched her own line of electric toothbrushes called Big Mouth Toothbrush.
Driven by the motto, “Bigger Is Better,” Peterson, not only the first Black woman to design an electric toothbrush, but also the first woman to ever to do so is on a mission to bring to fore the importance of oral health.
On her line of electric toothbrushes that she says are “very untraditional” and are “guaranteed to be a spa in your mouth.”
Dr. Peterson also leverages on her experience to better her community by teaching others, students inclusive about the importance of oral health care through hands-on training, internships, free orthodontic evaluations, and more.
On her inspiration for Big Mouth, she tells Black Enterprise:
“The inspiration behind the Big Mouth design came from my family! I am the youngest of 7, but I’m the loudest; I have the biggest mouth. My mom nicknamed me “Mighty Mouth” when I was a toddler.
I am the daughter of a dentist so oral care has been ingrained in me as an essential component of good overall health. I am also the daughter of a nurse educator so identifying holistic health challenges and developing healthy solutions for the community comes naturally to me. I love to help people feel better about themselves.
A few years back I was a brand ambassador for what was the only Black-owned manual toothbrush company. There are a few more now, but at that time I wanted to collab with the owner on a possible partnership for an electric toothbrush. I did not discuss my design or features with him; I just floated the idea. But this guy told me that an electronic toothbrush couldn’t be successful with me as the lead ambassador of the brand. I very politely told him that I was dissociating myself from his company and about a year later I decided to launch my own product designed for the people I was already serving.”
On legacy she aims to leave behind:
legacy would you like to leave to the future generations of Black dentists and entrepreneurs?
“Besides being a dope, well-rounded, extremely vibrant character, I hope that future generations will be inspired to believe in themselves. My father was a dentist, so it wasn’t a stretch for me to think that I could be a dentist. But we need girls, boys, poor folks, people of color, and everybody to believe that they can be a professional in this space. Good oral health care must be as culturally inclusive as possible in order for it to be effective going forward I want young people to believe in themselves enough to think and dream big! I want them to serve their communities and try to do something to make the world a better place.”
