INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — This month, our Rachel Bogle is taking us on weekly visits to local businesses around Indy where you can treat your kids, your friends and your pets.

However, all too often, people forget to treat themselves. So on today’s edition of “In Your Neighborhood” that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Located just off W. 86^th Street at 8660 Purdue Road is a little shop called TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth. Inside, you’ll find colorful treats that are as photogenic as they are delicious.

But the northwest side’s newest must-visit sweets shop has some very ironic roots because this sugary business was started by a pair of dental hygienists who believed Indianapolis was missing out on something special.

“Indy’s definitely missing the donut ice cream sandwiches,” said co-owner Taylor DeBruce. “Those kinds of specialty ice cream things…The fruity pebbles treat I haven’t seen anywhere in the Midwest.”

Four Things You Need to Know About TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth:

• Teejay’s Sweet Tooth is open Saturday’s from 1-9 p.m., Sundays from 2-8 p.m. and on weekdays from 6-9 p.m.
• In the ultimate irony, TeeJay’s is co-owned by two dental hygienists. Their mission in opening TeeJay’s was to bring unique, Instagram-worthy ice cream treats to the Circle City.
• They are Indy’s only home for donut ice cream sandwiches and Fruity Pebbles ice cream treats. You can also find traditional flavors as well as unique options like Graham Central, LemOreo, Cookie Monster and Daiquiri Ice Sorbet. They switch out flavors every couple weeks, so there’s always something new to try.
• They always keep gluten-free and dairy free options available. Plus, toppings like Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and the chocolate chips are also gluten-free.

So DeBruce and her co-owner, Jerome Tiah, figured if no one else is doing it, why not them?

Within six months of opening their doors last August, TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth had gained a perfect five-star Yelp review and plenty of fans who were looking for something pleasing to their taste buds and their news feed.

“You want to give people something that’s Instagram-worthy and I don’t think Indy had any ice cream that was really Instagram-worthy,” said DeBruce.

TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth is most known as Indy’s only home for donut ice cream sandwiches.

“It’s a glazed donut. It comes with two scoops of ice cream,” she explained. “You can top it with Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Crisp, Lucky Charms, any of your favorite cereals. Then we warm it in a special press and so you get the warm/cold à la mode feeling going on all in a sandwich.”

Their other unique specialty is the Fruity Pebbles Treat.

“It’s like your typical rice crispy treat but made with Fruity Pebbles. So it gives it kind of a fruitier flavor… People tend to top it with sprinkles and more Fruity Pebbles,” DeBruce noted.

Guests can also indulge in a milkshake with an edible rim.

“We put your topping of choice around the edge with icing,” DeBruce said. “Then you can kind of use it like a margarita.  You can lick it and you can take your milkshake.”

Or keep it a bit simpler with a couple scoops of ice cream. TeeJays offers both traditional favorites and non-traditional flavors.

“A couple of the most popular would be our LemOreo which is a lemon ice cream with Oreo and the Graham Central. It’s graham cracker ice cream with graham crackers and chocolate,” said DeBruce.

Other unique options include the bright blue kids’ favorite—fittingly named “Cookie Monster” and daiquiri ice sorbet.

“We try to keep at least one sorbet at all times for the gluten-free and the dairy-free people out there,” she explained. “We usually rotate that one with raspberry sorbet or any other sorbets that we might want to try.”

With demand for more gluten-free options, DeBruce said they are constantly looking to increase their offerings for those customers.  For now, they don’t have a gluten-free donut but they are working on gluten-free cones.

“Even the Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and the chocolate chips are gluten-free,” she said.

One factor adding to the novelty of TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth is their hours. They’re open Saturdays from 1-9 p.m., Sundays from 2—8 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. on weekdays.

“Both my partner and I are full-time dental hygienists still. So we have an 8-5 and we come here in the evening so feel free to come in the evening,” DeBruce said. “We’re always here, always ready to offer you something good.”

But with the world of dentistry and sugary treats at odds with one another, there was one question that we just had to ask:

How does it work having a career in the dental industry and owning an ice cream shop?

“Job security,” DeBruce said with a laugh. “It’s job security, you know?”

To see more photos and local reviews of TeeJay’s Sweet Tooth, check out their Yelp profile. You can also connect with them via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Looking for more ways to treat yourself? Check out some of these other top-rated hot spots also located on Indy’s northwest side:

• The Woodhouse Day Spa
• Sweet Things
• Schakolad Chocolate Factory
• Rejuve Salon Spa