Dan Meropol wants to revolutionise your morning routine. Cup of coffee then brush your teeth? Pah! So inefficient. Just rub the caffeine straight into your gums!

Seriously.

Meropol is the proud inventor of Power Toothpaste — what he says is the world's first caffeinated toothpaste. It "gives you a rush while you brush," the predictably clichéd slogan goes.

Power Toothpaste is launching on Indiegogo on Tuesday, starting at $12 per tube. The campaign is hoping to raise $42,500 altogether, with the first tubes shipping in April this year.

So, you're probably thinking — why? Why? "During my routine dental checkup, my dentist told me that my teeth looked great but that I hadn't been flossing enough," Meropol told me in an email. And not just him: "50% of Americans don't floss daily, and another 50% don't brush their teeth twice a day."

He continues: "The oral care experience is a drag. Nobody enjoys brushing their teeth. It's something we do because we are told we have to. I was speaking with my friend Ian about the problem, and he suggested a caffeinated toothpaste. I realised this new kind of toothpaste was something that could make brushing your teeth an exciting and irreplaceable part of the morning routine."

In short: Use Power Toothpaste to make cleaning your teeth more "exciting," save time, and get that important early-morning caffeine hit even faster.

I've been using Power Toothpaste in the mornings for the last week. It tastes minty, and tastes a little more bitter than mainstream toothpaste brands. It's not unpleasant though (and has an appealing mint-chocolate-y smell).

A millilitre of Power Toothpaste contains 106mg of caffeine, Meropol tells me, with a typical "dose" of toothpaste a little less than that. (One tube is enough for 90 brushes.) So you should expect around 80mg of caffeine per brushing, "similar to a cup of coffee" — though unless you swallow that you won't necessarily absorb all of it.

It isn't intended to replace caffeinated beverages altogether. "I don't expect people to completely eliminate coffee from their diets when they start brushing with Power," Meropol says. "Plenty of people love coffee, and drink it not only for the boost but for the taste and social aspects as well. Power Toothpaste merely offers a quicker-acting, more convenient alternative to those times in the day when coffee isn't the best or most realistic option."

It's classified as a "cosmetic" product — which means it's not fluoridated. This means it doesn't have the same tooth decay-preventing properties as "medical" toothpastes, but is otherwise effective at dealing with plaque, Merepol says.

During tests, I thought I could feel it. But I was so self-conscious when brushing, I couldn't shake the worry I was second-guessing myself, and any effects were just placebo.

Seeking a second opinion, I had our intern have a go to see how he felt. The verdict: There's definitely a "discernible buzz."

It's unlikely to appeal to everyone, however. "I’m not really sure why a buzz is something you’d want from the thing that is meant to keep your teeth white," our intern said.