Dr. Stephen Branam has been a pediatric dentist for more than thirty years. Dr. Branam has developed two new products.
One of them is an orthodontic pacifier that helps prevent jaw deformities. It looks a little different from a regular pacifier but it's used the same way.
Ninety percent of the pacifier product line comes from the Toledo area.
Branam Oral Health Technologies CEO Mick Janness says, "We're manufacturing the pacifiers here. We're sourcing the materials here. We're handling all the printing and packaging here. All the elements of bringing this product to market are being done within this area."
Dr. Branam has also developed gum, mints, mouthwash and toohpaste that are made with xylitol. It's a natural sugar that is digested in the stomach, not the mouth, so there is no sugar in the mouth which can increase bacteria levels. It's also good for diabetics because it's digested in the stomach.
The products were developed with the help of the Regional Growth Partnership. Branam received a $50,000 grant through the RGP and a $1 million investment from the RGP is also being used to launch Branam Oral Health Technologies.
Mike Bogdan is an investment analyst with Rocket Ventures. He says, "There are opportunities for us to support early on so we can help ferret out problems and down the road we can make an equity investment."
Production of the pacifier is set to begin next month. It will be on sale in Novemebr. The xylitol products will be on the market in the next several months.
