‘Tis the season for gift-giving to show friends and family how much they mean to us. Since we know that many of you prefer to buy gifts that promote better oral hygiene, here are some Christmas gift ideas that would help your loved ones maintain their pearly whites.
- Electric toothbrushes
Rechargeable electric toothbrushes can help keep our teeth and gums healthier, especially for anyone who doesn’t spend enough time brushing or who has trouble using their hands to brush the hard-to-reach areas such as around the crowns and in the back of the mouth.
But if we don’t use them the right way, electric toothbrushes can hurt our gums and further damage any teeth that’s already fragile. We’ve found that it’s best to give these types of toothbrushes to people old enough to use them correctly.
- White wines
Which wine pairs best with teeth? Red or white? White wine is a better option as it doesn’t stain the teeth as much. Too much red wine can cause long-lasting discoloration and make our teeth look dull. So, if your loved ones won’t mind swapping reds for whites this holiday season, then give them white wine.
Another tip is to always sip on water or eat some food while drinking wine—even when drinking white wine—and that’s to help rinse the wine off your teeth and stimulate saliva to help protect your teeth from potential damage from the acid in the wine, which over time can affect the tooth enamel.
- Low-sugar, dark chocolates
Chocolates are popular at Christmas, yet they can be quite sugary and can cause tooth decay. The best option is dark chocolates that contain low sugar and a high amount of cocoa. Here’s why: the higher the sugar amount, the more plaque you’ll get on your teeth, which then leads to cavities, toothache, and possibly lose of teeth. So, the lower the sugar amount, the better for your smile.
That’s not all. One little-known fact is the cocoa in chocolate contains natural chemicals that help protect your teeth from sugar and starch damage. This means the more cocoa in the chocolate, the better.
If you want to avoid chocolates that could cause cavities and decay, it’s best to check the packaging this Christmas to make sure you’re choosing dark chocolates with less sugar and a higher amount of cacao.
- Teeth whitening kits for pearly whites
Give teeth whitening kits for a whiter smile! But wait…there are whitening pens, whitening toothpastes, and custom-fitted whitening trays—so which one should you get?
- Whitening pens are for quick touch-ups.
• Whitening toothpastes and gels remove stains gradually.
• Whitening strips are for flat surfaces only and don’t do so well between the teeth.
• Custom-fitted trays are best for targeting deeper stains and brightening your smile.
The custom-fitted trays are the only ones you can’t get from your local drug store. All these products are safe for use at home without causing sensitivity. You just need to choose the option that’s most practical for the intended user. However, they’d get better results from using custom trays, as these hold the gel better and give a wider and more consistent exposure to the entire mouth.
Let us know if you’d like to get some custom trays made as a Christmas gift for your loved ones.
- Water picks for stringless flossing
Water picks are perfect for anyone who wears braces, finds it hard to floss with strings or struggles to get around all their teeth with a toothbrush. While traditional flossing with a string scrapes on and between the teeth to remove plaque, a water flosser or water pick uses water pressure to help remove food caught between the teeth and below the gumline. Its long neck makes it a lot easier to reach where brushing and string flossing can’t reach.
A water pick is therefore not an alternative to traditional flossing and you’d ideally use it to flush out the food after flossing with strings. Users should still go to a dentist or dental hygienist for a regular professional clean.
- Sports mouth guards to prevent tooth fracture
Sports mouth guards help to protect our teeth from tooth fracture caused by sports injury. They’re popular with professional athletes as the first line of defence to protect their teeth during games and training, especially in contact sports such as football, hockey, wrestling and rugby. Sport guards are designed to cover your teeth from crown to roots to absorb the impact and prevent your teeth from breaking, chipping or getting knocked out.
While sports mouth guards can be bought semi-customized, it’s always better if you get them custom-made by a dental professional to ensure they fit the user comfortably.
- Night guards to stop teeth grinding
Night guards and clench guards are used to treat a wide range of symptoms. The most common being the uncontrolled clenching and grinding that we do in our sleep as well as when we’re awake. Left untreated, it can lead to further problems such as damage to your teeth, teeth becoming loose, long-lasting headaches, and pain in your jaw, neck and the surrounding muscles. Pretty much affecting anything that’s connected to your teeth and jaws.
Quality night guards or clench guards can stop the grinding and help prevent these symptoms. These types of guards would need to be custom fitted in order to work well, which is why we recommend that the patient comes in for us to customize some for them.
Prefer to cover their dental treatments instead?
Paying for dental treatment can be a challenge for some and possibly one of the reasons they avoid dentists. We can help you encourage your loved ones with an all-expenses paid appointment. All you need to do is ask our friendly team how you can pay for someone else, and we’ll ensure they’re taken care of when they visit.
Our articles are not intended to be a substitute for professional dental advice, diagnosis or treatment with your dentist, dental hygienist or other medical professional. We recommend to always contact our professional team if you or the person you care for has any concerns about their oral health.