The holiday season is here again! As you gear up for the holidays, it’s time to start making your list and checking it twice. Often, it’s easy to find the one or two big gifts that your child wants, but you also have to fill those stockings! Stockings are perfect for filling with lots of small gifts that your child wouldn’t otherwise expect. And what’s better than giving your child the gift of a happy, healthy smile?
Don’t let your child’s oral hygiene habits fall by the wayside this holiday season. Make sure to add these dental stocking stuffers to your shopping list for a fun way to promote healthy teeth this Christmas and keep your child’s teeth in great shape for their next routine check up.
A Fun, New Toothbrush
It might be an obvious dental stocking stuffer, but the right toothbrush can be just as exciting as a new toy for your child. There are so many options out there — take some time to shop around and find one that your child will truly love.
For younger children, find a brush that features one of their favorite cartoon characters like Dora the Explorer or SpongeBob Squarepants. Make sure you pick out a brush that has soft bristles since younger children have sensitive gums. It’s also best to pick a brush that has an easy-to-hold handle, especially for tiny hands.
Older children will be excited to get an electric toothbrush in their favorite color — it makes brushing easier and more effective. Since electric toothbrushes are usually automatically timed, they’re a simple way to ensure that your child is brushing for a full two minutes. Older children may appreciate the added features that come with electric toothbrushes, such as settings for whitening or sensitivity.
Tooth-Friendly Snacks
There are sweet treats all around during the holidays, and they often find their way into your child’s gifts as well. For healthy stocking stuffers, try giving your child treats that their teeth with love, too. If you want to indulge your child with some candy, go for chocolate. Chocolate is better for teeth than sticky candies since chocolate washes off of teeth easily. If you can, try dark chocolate sweetened with xylitol instead of cavity-causing sugar. Make sure that your child brushes their teeth thoroughly after indulging in any holiday treats.
Flavored Toothpaste and Floss
If your child is tired of the same old mint toothpaste and floss, try finding exciting new flavors for their dental stocking stuffers. Toothpaste now comes in watermelon, citrus, cinnamon, ginger, strawberry, and more. Floss is available in coconut, strawberry, grape, bubble gum, orange, and lots of other fruity flavors. These dental stocking stuffers can give your child something to look forward to while brushing and flossing, and that little extra motivation can go a long way towards keeping up healthy habits.
A Bright-Colored Toothbrush Case
If your child is often sleeping over their friends’ houses or spending time at sleepaway camps, that means they’re carrying their toothbrush from place to place. A colorful toothbrush travel case will make it easy for your child to remember to pack their toothbrush wherever they go. As a bonus, it’ll keep their toothbrush away from everything else in their bag, so no rogue bacteria can get on the brush. There are so many colors, patterns, and styles to choose from, so you’ll be sure to find one that your child will love.
Tooth Pillow
Tooth pillows are fantastic dental stocking stuffers for small children who are still losing their baby teeth. A happy, cuddly tooth that can accompany them to bed will make them eager to await the Tooth Fairy’s visit. You can even find some pillows that come with a tiny pocket where your child can put their lost tooth, making it easy for the Tooth Fairy to find. Plus, having a smiling tooth friend in their bed will serve as an adorable reminder for them to brush their teeth when they wake up and before they go to bed.
Children’s Books
Healthy stocking stuffers are ones that encourage your child to keep up good habits, and that’s where children’s books come in. Reading is important for the development of any child, so why not kill two birds with one stone with a dentist-related children’s book? You can choose from titles that educate children on good oral hygiene habits, or find a book that teaches them about the tooth-related traditions in other cultures.
Animal-Shaped Toothpaste Dispenser
Getting the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube can be a messy, frustrating affair, especially for young children. To make brushing easier, an animal-shaped toothpaste dispenser makes a great dental stocking stuffer. These cute little animals hold your tube of toothpaste for you. Just stick your toothbrush into their smiling mouths, and they’ll dispense the perfect squeeze of toothpaste every time. They’ll make brushing seem way more fun for your child, and they’ll cut back on wasted toothpaste. Toothpaste dispensers come in a bunch of different animal styles, so you can choose your child’s favorite. If you don’t want an animal shaped one, they’re available in many other styles as well.
When you’re considering healthy stocking stuffers for your child this holiday season, the biggest thing to avoid is too many sticky, sugary candies. It can be tempting to give your child lots of sweets, but all of that sugar can wreak havoc on your child’s teeth and gums. This holiday season, give your child the gift of good oral hygiene with fun but practical dental stocking stuffers. These colorful, lively gifts will make routine habits like brushing and flossing seem much more enticing to your child. After the holiday season is all wrapped up, be sure to make an appointment with Children’s Dentistry to keep your children’s teeth in tip-top condition.