Willo Delivers a New Way for Children to Clean Their Teeth

NEW YORK, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Willo, the company delivering the future of oral hygiene, today announced the general availability of the first oral-care robot for children—a device that was named one of TIME's 2020 Best Inventions of the Year. This automated system safely and consistently cleans teeth in an entirely new way, and cuts down on user error. That makes it perfect for children, who struggle to reach every tooth when brushing on their own. Willo is the ideal, easy way to help them develop healthy oral-care routines for life. The engineers and dental professionals behind Willo didn't set out to make a better toothbrush—they decided to reinvent the concept entirely.

Dentists and Dental Hygienists around the world see patients with issues that could easily be avoided with better brushing. But the traditional solution—a technique refresher, a free pack of floss, and a patient's promise to be more consistent—does little to fix the underlying issue of user error that can lead to decay and gum problems. And for kids, a lack of dexterity may mean it's difficult, even impossible, to brush via a dentist's recommended technique. But after 7 years of research and development, a team of 33—which includes dental professionals, mechanical engineers, and designers in France and the U.S.—created Willo. This device was intended to deconstruct and completely reinvent how we approach oral hygiene at home, by offering a fully automated experience. Willo has filed 50 patents for its technology thus far, with 30 already granted.

Recognized by TIME as a best invention of 2020 ^[1], Willo has achieved outstanding results in user testing. Most recently, the oral care robot ran its latest large-scale test with families. When it was tested in-home with real families, kids rated Willo 4.7 out of a possible 5, and 8 out of 10 parents said Willo improved their daily lives.

"Willo's innovative approach to Oral Care will immensely benefit parents and children, our initial focus," says Joel Berg DDS, Chief Dental Officer and former President of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). "Parents see oral hygiene as a struggle for two main reasons: compliance—making sure kids actually brush—and efficacy, since kids aren't always good at brushing their own teeth. Willo addresses these challenges and more, by offering an automated experience that optimizes efficacy, and gives parents access to their children's brushing data through the Willo app."

Willo was intended to help children improve their brushing experiences and develop healthy routines. But they can share it with siblings, too: Each user has a personal "smart ring" that attaches to the device's handle—the ring syncs with the user's profile on Willo's app, recording brushing data, and preferences. When it's time to clean, one touch of a button causes water and mint-flavored rinse solution to flow through the gently vibrating mouthpiece, reaching every tooth. For children, it's a fun, no-fuss process they'll look forward to completing twice daily. And for parents, it offers peace of mind—especially since they can track their children's progress through the app.

"Willo is a completely new take on oral care that's changing the way people around the world clean their teeth," says Ilan Abehassera, Willo's co-founder and President. "We're on a mission to bring the same level of repeatable teeth cleaning to everyone," says Hugo de Gentile, Willo co-founder, and CEO. "I'm proud of the results we've helped families achieve, and I'm excited to give people access to the best way to clean your teeth at home."

"Willo has reimagined oral care by delivering a new technology that optimizes toothbrushing technique," said Wen Hsieh, Partner at Kleiner Perkins. "We're proud investors in Willo since their product will forever transform the effectiveness and ease with which children—then later adults and the elderly—attend to oral hygiene."

Willo has raised $17M in total funding from investors Kleiner Perkins, BPI, and Incite (the fund of Matt Rogers, Nest's Co-Founder and former CTO).

Willo is available in wide-release starting today, at www.willo.com. (MSRP: $199 and a $13/month subscription that includes a new mouthpiece and rinse pods, progress tracking via mobile app for parents, and customized onboarding from one of our in-house dental hygienists.)

About Willo

Willo is delivering the future of personalized oral hygiene at home. The company's first oral-care robot safely and consistently cleans teeth in an entirely new way. Willo is already loved by families with an NPS score of 70. Founded in 2014 in France, Willo is backed by Kleiner Perkins, Incite Ventures, BPI, The Refiners, and SpringRock Ventures.

Press Contact :
Ilan Abehassera
Co-Founder and President 
[email protected]

¹ TIME (2020) The Best Innovations of 2020 - Retrieved from https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/5911379/willo

Related Images

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Willo Hero Shot

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Willo and a child

Related Video

https://youtu.be/NQGJAOzQVJo 

SOURCE Willo