Why we started
BumblCo.
A registered Oral Health Therapist. A physiotherapist. And the kids who told them exactly what was missing.
BumblCo didn’t start in a boardroom. It started in a dental chair, with a five-year-old who refused to open his mouth — and a clinician who finally understood why. This is the story of how two founders and a clinic full of kids built a toothpaste company from the ground up.
How BumblCo came to be —
in five steps.
The Spark
Joe is a registered Oral Health Therapist in Melbourne. For years, he watched kids refuse to brush — not because they were being difficult, but because every toothpaste on the shelf was some version of mint. For most kids, it was unpleasant. For sensory-sensitive and neurodivergent children, it was unbearable. The ‘fruity’ alternatives still contained menthol. There was nothing on the market that was truly mint-free and actually tasted good. One evening, Joe brought this problem home. Over dinner, he told his wife Anne about the gap he kept seeing. Her response was simple: ‘Why don’t you create it?’ That night, she became his cofounder.
The Spark
Joe is a registered Oral Health Therapist in Melbourne. For years, he watched kids refuse to brush — not because they were being difficult, but because every toothpaste on the shelf was some version of mint. For most kids, it was unpleasant. For sensory-sensitive and neurodivergent children, it was unbearable. The ‘fruity’ alternatives still contained menthol. There was nothing on the market that was truly mint-free and actually tasted good. One evening, Joe brought this problem home. Over dinner, he told his wife Anne about the gap he kept seeing. Her response was simple: ‘Why don’t you create it?’ That night, she became his cofounder.
Built by Kids
Joe didn’t create what he thought would work. He asked the kids. Seven prototypes were developed and tested directly with his young patients. Every detail was surveyed — texture, flavour, smell, spiciness, look, taste. Each round of feedback changed the formula. The brand name itself came from a patient. While Joe was in clinic running taste tests and gathering data, Anne left her career as a physiotherapist to build the business behind the scenes — branding, operations, sourcing, designer briefs, regulatory paperwork. Joe brought the clinical expertise. Anne brought the operational backbone. The kids brought the honesty. Together, they built BumblCo.
Built by Kids
Joe didn’t create what he thought would work. He asked the kids. Seven prototypes were developed and tested directly with his young patients. Every detail was surveyed — texture, flavour, smell, spiciness, look, taste. Each round of feedback changed the formula. The brand name itself came from a patient. While Joe was in clinic running taste tests and gathering data, Anne left her career as a physiotherapist to build the business behind the scenes — branding, operations, sourcing, designer briefs, regulatory paperwork. Joe brought the clinical expertise. Anne brought the operational backbone. The kids brought the honesty. Together, they built BumblCo.
The Clinical Edge
Being an OHT meant Joe knew what didn’t belong in a children’s toothpaste. Out went SLS — the foaming agent that irritates young mouths. Out went PEGs, parabens, artificial colours, and unnecessary additives that have no business being in a product young children might swallow. In went 500 ppm sodium fluoride for full cavity protection, and three flavours that survived seven rounds of the toughest critics in the world. The tube, box, and cap are 100% recyclable — because teaching kids to care for their teeth should include caring for the world they grow up in.
- Fluoride 500 ppm
- Natural flavour
- 100% recyclable
- SLS
- PEGs & parabens
- Artificial colours
The Clinical Edge
Being an OHT meant Joe knew what didn’t belong in a children’s toothpaste. Out went SLS — the foaming agent that irritates young mouths. Out went PEGs, parabens, artificial colours, and unnecessary additives that have no business being in a product young children might swallow. In went 500 ppm sodium fluoride for full cavity protection, and three flavours that survived seven rounds of the toughest critics in the world. The tube, box, and cap are 100% recyclable — because teaching kids to care for their teeth should include caring for the world they grow up in.
- Fluoride 500 ppm
- Natural flavour
- 100% recyclable
- SLS
- PEGs & parabens
- Artificial colours
More Than Toothpaste
Every BumblCo tube is printed with the WINK Method — a brushing technique Joe developed in clinic over years of paediatric appointments. WINK stands for Where White meets Pink: the gumline, where most plaque builds up and most decay begins. It’s a child-friendly version of the Modified Bass Technique, the most effective plaque removal method in clinical literature. To our knowledge, BumblCo is the only toothpaste in the world that has removed the two-minute rule from its packaging and replaced it with a focus on technique. Because quality will always beat quantity.
More Than Toothpaste
Every BumblCo tube is printed with the WINK Method — a brushing technique Joe developed in clinic over years of paediatric appointments. WINK stands for Where White meets Pink: the gumline, where most plaque builds up and most decay begins. It’s a child-friendly version of the Modified Bass Technique, the most effective plaque removal method in clinical literature. To our knowledge, BumblCo is the only toothpaste in the world that has removed the two-minute rule from its packaging and replaced it with a focus on technique. Because quality will always beat quantity.
The Mission
BumblCo’s mission goes beyond toothpaste. When a child learns to brush properly at age two, they prevent the decay that leads to fillings. When they avoid fillings, they never endure the invasive treatment that creates dental anxiety. A single filling under general anaesthetic can cost a family $2,500 or more. The emotional cost is higher. A scared child becomes an anxious adult who avoids the dentist entirely. BumblCo stops that cycle before it starts. By giving kids a toothpaste they’ll actually use and a technique that actually works, we’re equipping families with the tools for lifelong oral health. Our slogan is Helping Healthy Habits — and we mean every word. We teach kids to brush properly. We teach them to recycle with 100% recyclable packaging. We remind them to turn off the tap while they brush, right there on the tube. BumblCo. We removed the rush from brush.
The Mission
BumblCo’s mission goes beyond toothpaste. When a child learns to brush properly at age two, they prevent the decay that leads to fillings. When they avoid fillings, they never endure the invasive treatment that creates dental anxiety. A single filling under general anaesthetic can cost a family $2,500 or more. The emotional cost is higher. A scared child becomes an anxious adult who avoids the dentist entirely. BumblCo stops that cycle before it starts. By giving kids a toothpaste they’ll actually use and a technique that actually works, we’re equipping families with the tools for lifelong oral health. Our slogan is Helping Healthy Habits — and we mean every word. We teach kids to brush properly. We teach them to recycle with 100% recyclable packaging. We remind them to turn off the tap while they brush, right there on the tube. BumblCo. We removed the rush from brush.
Three flavours. Zero mint.
We removed the rush from brush.
