Toothpick - Online dental ecosystem MENA
Toothpick is an innovative mobile app transforming dental supply procurement in Dubai, Lebanon, Qatar and Egypt. It offers dentists and clinics an intuitive, user-friendly platform to order supplies, backed by tailored pricing, flexible payment options, and super fast delivery.
Toothpick
2020
Health-tech
1 year
Casestudy
Challenge
Dentists across Lebanon, UAE, and Egypt face common pain points:
Inefficient procurement—managing multiple suppliers via phone calls or WhatsApp.
Delays & shortages due to lack of centralized inventory visibility.
No streamlined payment options—often cash on delivery, causing reconciliation issues.
Limited access to competitive pricing and bulk discounts.
Solution
Toothpick’s platform addresses these pain points with:
Centralized Marketplace: Access to verified dental suppliers and products in one place.
Flexible Payments: Card, wallet, cash on delivery, and “Buy Now, Pay Later” options.
Faster Fulfillment: Same-day delivery in select regions.
Bulk Order Discounts: Tailored pricing for large clinics and hospitals.
Tracking & Reorder Tools: Inventory visibility and quick reordering.
Throughout my time at toothpick, I conducted 15+ interviews and mapped the procurement journey for dentists.
Key insights:
Dentists spend 5–8 hours/week managing orders and supplier communication.
92%
expressed frustration with inconsistent delivery times.
68%
said they lose revenue due to delayed or missing supplies.
87%
preferred a mobile-first experience with integrated payments.
About the project
Toothpick is a mobile-first procurement platform designed for dentists and dental clinics in Lebanon, UAE, and Egypt.
It solves the inefficiencies of fragmented supply chains by centralizing sourcing, ordering, and payments into one intuitive app, ensuring clinics get high-quality supplies faster, at competitive prices, with flexible payment options.
Process
Research & Discovery: I conducted user 15+ interviews, plenty of usability tests to understand how dentists operate, what their pain-points are, and what opportunity is available for us to tackle.
I also analyzed over 8 competitive products from the US, Europe and the Middle east to understand what they're offering, their unique value props, what they're doing wrong and where we can find opportunity.
Key insights I focused on:
How do dentists manage procurement.
How much time and effort is spent negotiating suppliers, getting products and stocking.
How is stock managed.
How are dentists managing their schedules, and staying on top of their work.
Research conducted: I spoke to more than 20 people from within the dental industry from different backgrounds and experiences.
Dentists (general practitioners, specialists)
Clinic procurement managers
Dental equipment suppliers & distributors
Administrative staff involved in ordering and management
Some of the results in a nutshell:
Procurement is fragmented and time-consuming
Average clinic works with 5–8 different suppliers via phone calls, WhatsApp, or email.
Order confirmations are often delayed, leading to uncertainty.
Delivery times are unpredictable
72% reported frequent delays, especially for specialty consumables.
Some clinics over-order to avoid stock-outs, tying up cash flow.
Payments create friction
65% still rely heavily on cash on delivery specifically in Lebanon, complicating accounting.
30% said they’ve experienced disputes over payment reconciliation.
Lack of price transparency
68% said bulk orders don’t guarantee the best price; discounts vary by negotiation skills.
Price lists are often outdated or incomplete.
Inventory visibility is almost non-existent
Clinics typically track stock manually or via spreadsheets and physical inspection, which leads to errors.
Reorders are often reactive rather than planned.
High openness to digital solutions
81% were interested in a single platform to view inventory, place orders, and track deliveries.
74% valued same-day delivery for urgent needs.
69% wanted integrated BNPL or installment payment options to manage cash flow.
