It’s a product that is changing the way families approach the subject of dental hygiene in children.
Now, a husband-and-wife team from Rockland is getting the chance to showcase their My Friend Toothy brand to the hard-nosed jury on the hit Canadian television series Dragons’ Den.
“We are very excited. It’s been pretty surreal,” said Keith Lanctot, speaking about his and his wife Stacey Laviolette’s reaction to being selected to appear on Dragons’ Den. “We’ve been out there, business as usual, coming up with new ways to expand the brand and let as many people as possible know we’re out there.”
Laviolette is the creator of My Friend Toothy, a series of books and other products designed to turn the chore of brushing and flossing teeth into an engaging activity for the whole family. While she has pitched to Dragons’ Den before, what makes this time different—and more special—is that her husband, Keith, is now on the journey with her.
She had pitched to Dragons’ Den before but had never made it to the point of appearing on television.
Together, they are attending trade shows and doing everything they can to spread the word about My Friend Toothy, taking into account feedback from previous attempts. They’ve partnered with schools, dental offices and other organizations to share their message of making dental hygiene fun and informative for the entire family.
“We know the value we bring with our brand,” said Laviolette. “It’s generational—everyone has teeth—and from experience, it’s not always fun trying to get your kids to brush theirs.”
Laviolette and Lanctot struggled to get their own children to brush their teeth and have since launched books and other products designed to make brushing a fun, informative and educational experience for both kids and adults.
Their daughter, Piper, developed tooth decay and required several dental surgeries—an ordeal that not only affected her mental health, but was also difficult for her parents to process.
“We have so many ideas on how to take My Friend Toothy to the next level,” said Laviolette. “We’re just at the tip of the iceberg.”
My Friend Toothy is expected to be featured on Dragons’ Den later this fall. Their episode will be filmed between May 10 and May 12.
For more information, visit MyFriendToothy.com.
Editor’s Note: A printed version of this story stated the My Friend Toothy episode of Dragons’ Den will be featured in May. In fact, the team’s episode will be filmed between May 10 and May 12, and will air some time this fall. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
