A Dentist Mom Put Willo to the Test
When Dr. Astrid Gonzalez, DDS, a dentist at Tiny Teeth of Tally and a mom herself, wanted to see how well her son's teeth were actually getting clean, she didn't just ask whether he had brushed. She checked.
After a full day of cake and candy on his birthday, Dr. Gonzalez used a plaque-disclosing product on her son's teeth. Plaque-disclosing products temporarily color plaque, making areas that may have been missed easier to see.
She checked his teeth before brushing. Then her son brushed with Willo, and she checked again.
Here's what she saw before and after he brushed with Willo:
In Dr. Gonzalez's at-home demonstration, the visible purple plaque shown before brushing was removed from the areas pictured after her son used Willo.
But what Dr. Gonzalez told us afterward went beyond what she saw on his teeth. As both a dentist and a mom, she also sees value in what Willo changes about the brushing routine itself.
“My kid loves this! And it honestly saves me so much time and headache. This product helps maintain the relationship I have with my kids because it’s one less thing I have to do to them! I also think it’s perfect for combination with SDF/elevate products and/or a xylitol regimen.”
That perspective matters because Dr. Gonzalez is looking at Willo through two lenses at once: as a dental professional thinking about oral care, and as a parent thinking about what actually has to happen at home every morning and night.
How can you tell if your child is brushing their teeth well?
Knowing that your child brushed doesn't necessarily tell you how effectively they cleaned their teeth. Kids can brush and still rush, miss areas or use inconsistent technique.
Parents can occasionally check brushing effectiveness with a plaque-disclosing product, observe their child's brushing and talk with their dentist about areas where plaque tends to accumulate.
Plaque-disclosing products temporarily stain plaque so it becomes easier to see. Depending on the product, disclosed plaque may appear purple, pink, red or another color.
That's what Dr. Gonzalez used with her son. She wasn't simply checking whether brushing happened. She was checking what brushing left behind.
Can a child know how to brush and still not brush well?
Yes. Knowing how to brush and consistently brushing effectively are two different things.
Younger kids may still be developing the dexterity needed to thoroughly move a traditional toothbrush around every area of the mouth. Older kids may be perfectly capable of brushing on their own but still rush, stop early, get distracted or miss areas.
That's why there is an important difference between asking, “Did you brush your teeth?” and asking, “Did your teeth actually get clean?”
A child can truthfully say they brushed without a parent necessarily knowing how well that brushing went.
How is Willo different from a regular toothbrush for kids?
Traditional manual and electric toothbrushes rely heavily on the child to move the toothbrush around the mouth correctly and consistently. Willo powers the brushing motion, reducing how much the clean depends on the child's brushing technique.
That matters because kids don't perform every routine exactly the same way every day. They get tired. They rush. They get distracted. They're still developing.
Willo was designed for that reality.
In clinical testing, Willo has been shown to remove up to 7x more plaque than manual brushing in hard-to-reach areas.
Dr. Gonzalez's photos show her own real-world experience with her son. The clinical result comes from separate controlled research. Together, they answer two different questions: what did one dentist mom observe at home, and what has Willo demonstrated in clinical testing?
For Dr. Gonzalez, the benefit goes beyond what she saw in the before-and-after photos. It's also being able to give her child more ownership of brushing while having one less thing she has to step in and do herself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child is brushing their teeth properly?
Knowing that your child brushed doesn't necessarily tell you how effectively they cleaned their teeth. Parents can observe brushing, occasionally use a plaque-disclosing product to identify missed areas, and ask their child's dental professional about brushing effectiveness and supervision.
What is a plaque-disclosing product?
A plaque-disclosing product temporarily colors plaque on the teeth, making buildup easier to see. It can help parents and kids identify areas that may have been missed during brushing.
Can kids still miss spots if they brush for two minutes?
Yes. Brushing duration is only one part of effective brushing. A child can brush for two minutes and still clean some areas more thoroughly than others.
Does Willo require traditional brushing technique?
Willo is designed to reduce reliance on traditional brushing technique by powering the brushing motion rather than depending on the child to manually perform all of the brushing movements.
Expert featured in this article
Dr. Astrid Gonzalez, DDS
Dr. Astrid Gonzalez is a dentist, mom, Willo parent, and dentist at Tiny Teeth of Tally. The plaque-disclosing images and observations shared in this article come from her experience using a plaque-disclosing product with her own son after he brushed with Willo.
Dr. Gonzalez earned her DDS from New York University College of Dentistry and completed her General Practice Residency at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. Her education also includes a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard University’s Pre-Med Post-Baccalaureate program.
She is affiliated with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the Florida Dental Association.
