Newswise — FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – When Nova Southeastern University (NSU) forth-year dental student Deborah Luis leaves the house, she never worries about keeping her breath sweet or teeth clean because she’s always got a Fresh-Tip handy.
That’s because Luis created and patented Fresh-Tips, which are a one-time use, on-the-go miniature toothbrush and breath freshener duo. She came up with the idea three years ago after seeing a ball with rubber extensions and wondering if a take on the toy could become a great tooth cleaner.
From there, Fresh-Tips was born, complete with soft rubber bristles that clean the user’s teeth, gums and tongue while simultaneously freshening breath with a sugar-free, anti-cavity xylitol mint. Luis also wanted the product to be discreet, so the brush portion looks similar to a lollipop while the end of the handle also doubles as a toothpick.
To get Fresh-Tips started, Luis collaborated with colleagues in the dental and business management industries to engineer the product, patent it, manufacture it, market it and get it to the public.
Luis also had great success getting the word out about Fresh-Tips by entering the product in Wal-Mart’s “Get on the Shelf” contest. Although she didn’t win the contest, the opportunity did connect Luis to the corporation, which is now considering selling Fresh-Tips in its stores.
Luis said she ultimately created Fresh-Tips because oral hygiene is something that she is passionate about, and she wants to make her mark on the industry – starting right here in Fort Lauderdale with NSU’s College of Dental Medicine.
For more information, please visit www.freshtips.com.
About Nova Southeastern University: Located in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited Florida University dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 28,000 students and is the eighth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The University awards associate’s, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, specialist, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU was also awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010 for the University’s significant commitment to and demonstration of community engagement. For more information about NSU visit www.nova.edu.
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