Seng Woo Teong started Dbruz to revolutionise the country’s dental care industry… one electric toothbrush at a time
In partnership with DBRUZ
When the Covid-19 pandemic reached Malaysia and the country went into a three-month lockdown, many probably took the opportunity to rest and catch up on our reading or backlog of Netflix programmes.
Not Seng Woo Teong.
This 33-year-old entrepreneur from Perak, who already runs his own construction company, was inspired to start a new business during the Movement Control Order (MCO). Having used a sonic toothbrush for over a year, Teong realised how effective it was and was surprised to discover it was not yet a popular product in Malaysia.
“Compared to people from other more developed countries, Malaysians tend to think an electric toothbrush is not necessary and a regular toothbrush is good enough for daily use,” Teong shares. “However, research has shown that about 30% of adults in Malaysia were found to have oral health problems that affected their quality of life, such as problems with social interactions and pain when eating or drinking. Not only that, up to 75% of schoolchildren have dental cavities.”
This is why Teong, together with his team, is on a mission to introduce the importance of good dental hygiene to the people of Malaysia. “We believe that everyone should have good dental health, and we aim to provide the best dental care products at minimal costs,” he adds.
Below, he shares more about his company DBRUZ and his vision for how it can transform dental healthcare in Malaysia.
How and why did you start this company?
I started using a sonic toothbrush last year, which cost me over RM800. The product is undeniably good but the price is prohibitive for many people. At the other end of the spectrum, you have sonic toothbrushes that are being sold at a very cheap price. These products are usually not up to standard in terms of quality and effectiveness. Because I believe oral care is the foundation of good health, I decided to start a company to produce a high-quality sonic toothbrush that is affordable for everyone.
What misconceptions do people have about sonic toothbrushes?
Some people ask why they need to pay over RM100 for an electric toothbrush when they can get a manual toothbrush for just RM10. I usually explain to customers that they only need to pay as low as RM139 to get a DBRUZ sonic toothbrush, which comes with two brush heads. Each brush head can be used for up to three months. After six months, they just need to buy the replacement brush head at RM15 each. This works out to an average monthly cost of just RM5.
By raising awareness about the importance of oral hygiene, we hope to convince more people that electric toothbrushes are more effective at cleaning teeth and gums than a manual toothbrush. We have been getting more customers who have seen the efficacy of electric toothbrushes and are buying our products for their friends and family.
Tell us about your best-selling product.
Our best-selling product is the DBRUZ sonic electric toothbrush, which is able to brush your teeth up to 41,000 times per minute, with a battery life that lasts longer than other top brands in the market. With one charge, DBRUZ is able to operate up to 220 days (one to two times of usage per day). Most other brands are only able to last up to three weeks. Our sonic toothbrushes also come with five brushing modes, and wireless charging capabilities.
Another thing that sets us apart from other sonic toothbrush brands is that we offer personalisation services, too. Customers can engrave their name or meaningful words on their DBRUZ toothbrush to make each toothbrush extra unique.
What can customers look forward to in the near future?
We believe that good oral hygiene starts from a young age, so we are currently working on a sonic toothbrush tailored for children, which we hope to launch in the first quarter of 2021.
For more information about DBRUZ, visit its website here.
