Mompreneurs: Dr. Bobbi Peterson Is Redefining Dental Care

Meet Dr. Bobbi Peterson—celebrity orthodontist and inventor of the Shark Tank-approved Big Mouth Toothbrush. She’s the latest guest on the Mompreneurs podcast, joining host Nancy Redd to share her journey as a successful orthodontist and now an inventor redefining oral care.

Dr. Bobbi’s orthodontic practice, Aces Braces, is a family affair. Her daughter, Barbie, is her right-hand woman, running offices in Philadelphia and Brooklyn as a full-time treatment coordinator. “When I opened my first practice in Brooklyn, she was my front desk person. She evolved all the way from working my front desk to being my treatment coordinator,” said Peterson. “I am showing her how to run everything efficiently and she’s doing an amazing job.”

The journey from HBCU graduate to mompreneur.

Growing up as the youngest of eight, the self-professed “science geek” always had a thing for the subject. She majored in biology at Drexel University and went on to attend dental school at Howard University.

Dr. Bobbi continued to excel, earning a spot in the highly selective orthodontic residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. But opening her own practice required an entirely different skill set—one that wasn’t covered in her training. “There’s no course that tells you how to start a practice,” she said.

Still, Peterson opened not one, but two practices. One in Philly and the other in Brooklyn, where she’s not just the boss—she’s the landlord too. “I am the only Black orthodontist in Brooklyn that owns a building—now that came with a lot of mistakes!” she laughed. “It was an amazing move because the tenants alone cover the mortgage. We make it work. I have a juice bar downstairs called Thirst RX.”

Dr. Bobbi’s Big Mouth Toothbrush is Shark Tank-approved.

By the time Dr. Bobbi appeared on Shark Tank, the mompreneur was already a successful orthodontist and business owner. Her business savvy helped propel her latest invention, the Big Mouth Toothbrush, to winning a deal on the popular TV pitch competition. “I knew how to execute because this is not my first business,” she said.

Peterson reflected on her journey from invention to Shark Tank—which, for her, was a remarkably smooth process. She launched the Big Mouth Toothbrush in January 2022. That same year, she pitched on the show, securing a deal with Barbara Corcoran. Once her episode aired in March 2023, the unique toothbrush “sold out within 24 hours.”

“If you can give someone else nine to five, you should be able to give yourself at least that many hours.“

Success didn’t come easy, but Peterson wasn’t afraid to learn from her mistakes. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said.

Mompreneurs: Dr. Bobbi Peterson — Source: Dr. Bobbi Peterson

She was a self-starter early on, so becoming her own boss was only natural. “I had an entrepreneurial mind before I was a mother.”

Her philosophy is simple: “If you can give someone else nine to five, you should be able to give yourself at least that many hours. Once you start working harder for yourself than you ever did for anyone else, that’s when you’re an entrepreneur.”

Speaking as a mother herself, Dr. Bobbi offered words of encouragement to aspiring mompreneurs: “There’s always a way. The biggest thing is that you’ve got to be motivated and can’t feel defeated. Being a mom, you already have the motivation—that should be your drive.”

Get the full conversation. Watch or listen to this episode of Mompreneurs above.

Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every week.

Every week, we celebrate beautiful Black entrepreneurs who are simultaneously amazing business moguls and awesome moms. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these mompreneurs share their life stories and inspiring advice. Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every Monday on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel. Or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.