Dr. Mark Thoreson has kept busy over the past seven months.
He crashed out of the Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge in December, but has continued to work and has made progress toward bringing his dental device to market.
Thoreson is the creator of the Inflatrix, a flexible, disposable, inflatable device for placing fillings on back teeth. He’s been developing it for more than 20 years, and earlier this year, he put his mouth where his mouth is, becoming the first patient ever to use Inflatrix during a procedure.
Dr. Mark Thoreson in his office holds an early model of his new device called the Inflatrix on Wednesday at Gillette. Thoreson is participating in a nationwide accelerator program for Inflatrix, a disposable inflatable tool for placing fillings in back teeth.
News Record Photo/Luke Johnson
His dentist, Dr. Daniel Morrison at Gillette Dental, agreed to put a filling in Thoreson’s mouth while he was using the appliance. The process was recorded and the 15-minute video is available on the Inflatrix website.
It worked well, but Thoreson said he found some “initial shortcomings” that have since been fixed, adding that it was “exciting” to be the first person to use the device he found.
Thoreson hopes to begin production of the Inflatrix device in the first quarter of 2025. He is currently working to get dentists across the country to test the product, as well as seek out people willing to invest in the company.
Manufacturing will take place at Gillette.
Thoreson is one of five participants in gBETA Wyoming, a startup accelerator program hosted by national venture capital firm gener8tor in partnership with Microsoft. It’s a free seven-week accelerator program designed to carve out a path for startups to pursue investment opportunities.
There were more than 35 applications for the program and five were selected based on growth potential and investor readiness. They receive intensive concierge coaching and access to a national network of mentors, clients, corporate partners and investors.
Thoreson said the program has been “fantastic” so far, and he’s learned a lot about patent law, intellectual property and how to better market himself not only to potential clients, but also to investors.
Dr. Mark Thoreson in his office shows how an early model of his new device called the Inflatrix works to separate teeth Wednesday at Gillette.
News Record Photo/Luke Johnson
Thoreson was one of two Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge participants accepted into the program, the other being Agricultural Innovations, started by Shondah and Randall Otwell of Oshoto.
Thoreson moved to Gillette from Oregon in early 2022. He has a background in dentistry and sales of dental services. There is very little innovation in the dental industry, particularly in this area, he said, and he believes it can disrupt the market in a big way.
According to the American Dental Association, more than 80 million back tooth fillings are completed each year, and Thoreson aims to use Inflatrix in at least a quarter of those, or 20 million.
The device slides between the teeth. It is connected to a syringe with a one-way valve that only lets water through. Once the syringe is empty, the device inflates with water and is held in place, eliminating the need for wedges or clamps.
The current system in use is “unforgiving,” Thoreson said. While it works, it’s uncomfortable for the patient, and it’s also “time and labor intensive.”
“Patients want three things: to do a really good job, to do it efficiently, and please don’t hurt me,” he said. “(Inflatrix) does all of that.”
Dr. Mark Thoreson’s office Wednesday in Gillette. Thoreson is participating in a nationwide accelerator program for its new device, a disposable inflatable tool for placing fillings on back teeth, called the Inflatrix.
News Record Photo/Luke Johnson
At the end of the gBETA program, startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at an event from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 2 in Casper.
Unlike the Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge, where Thoreson had 30 minutes to present, this showcase will only allow him five minutes.
“The challenge for me is to be concise, one or two sentences, that’s all I get,” he said. “I used to think there was no way I could edit myself because I have so much to say.”
His wife Christy guides him in this area and gBeta makes him do workouts to capture all the key points.
The application period for the 2024 Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge begins later this year. Thoreson said his experience in this program led him to start planning his day.
“You have a plan, you have a goal,” he said. “If there are a few people around you that you can call a group, that’s even better.”
One of the biggest things Thoreson has learned through gBeta so far is not to fixate on perfection.
“It’s very common for people to have this great idea, this great project that has all this huge potential, but they don’t let it go until it’s perfect,” he said. “Perfect is not possible and you may end up spending more money than you need to. If it works, don’t keep tinkering, you don’t need to fix the recipe if it’s already amazing.”
