Gifts For Your Teeth:  At-Home Dental Products

The holidays are fast approaching, and you probably still have some people on your gift list whom you haven’t bought anything for yet. While unconventional, dental products can be perfect, practical gift ideas for just about everyone on your list.

Good oral hygiene habits help prevent the formation of plaque on your teeth, which can lead to cavities. If plaque is not removed regularly, it can harden into deposits called calculus, also known as tartar. Once that happens, it can only be removed by a professional dental cleaning.

Gift List

Here are some ideas:

• For a child, buy a toy bucket and fill it with tubes of children’s toothpaste, some child-sized brushes, small bars of soap, and a cartoon-character towel and washcloth set. These items will encourage them to brush their teeth when getting washed up in the morning and at night.
• Teens would benefit from an electric toothbrush and some plaque-disclosing tablets. These tablets are used after they brush, and their teeth will turn red where they missed some plaque. The red color is just food coloring that will brush away easily. Some plaque detectors use fluorescent dyes and illuminate under a UV light. How cool is that?
• Adults who travel would appreciate a gift bag filled with dental floss, some toothbrushes, some travel-sized toothpaste, and some travel-sized mouthwash or mouth rinses. For those who have trouble using dental floss, purchase interdental cleaning picks. They can also get between and around teeth.
• For that special person on your list, consider purchasing a Waterpik. It uses a sonic toothbrush with five brush heads and a water flosser with six tips for a superior clean. You can even use your favorite mouthwash with it.

Brushes, dental floss, interdental cleaning picks, and tongue scrapers also make great stocking stuffers for your own family.

When choosing a mouthwash or mouth rinse, think about who you are choosing it for. For example, fluoride rinses are ideal for children, because they coat their teeth with fluoride to prevent tooth decay and cavities. Antibacterial mouthwashes may be better suited for teens and adults, because they fight plaque and freshen breath.

So, this year, give the gift of a healthy, beautiful smile. Everyone will appreciate it. While you shop for others, don’t forget to take care of your own teeth as well. Make sure you have the right dental products for yourself, as well as scheduling appointments to have your teeth cleaned every 6 months.