The holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and family, eat a ton of tasty food, and rest and relax before it’s time to return to work or school. Many people put a lot of focus on tracking down headphones, video games, shoes, and other gifts that their loved ones put on their holiday lists to put a smile on their faces. Speaking of smiles, many of the foods and habits of the holidays work again yours. Snacking often, consuming too many sweets, and losing track of your oral hygiene routine are all things that can result in a damaged beam. To encourage good oral health this holiday season, continue reading for ideas on smile-healthy stocking stuffers.
Idea #1: Reusable Straws
Coffee, tea, berries, and other darkly colored or highly pigmented beverages and foods can leave unsightly stains on your smile. Though cutting back on or fully cutting out these things is the easiest way to lower your risk of staining, you can also use a straw. Reusable straws are great stocking stuffers since they create less waste and can lower one’s risk of smile discoloration.
Idea #2: Healthy Snacks
One of the most popular things to find in one’s stocking on Christmas morning is candy. Chocolate, caramel, and candy canes may be tasty, but they’re full of smile-damaging sugar. Some alternative treats that won’t do damage to your pearly whites include:
- Sugar-free candy – Chocolate, hard candy, peanut butter cups, caramel, and gummies all have sugar-free variants.
- Almonds – These are packed full of protein, which will help protect your pearly whites from damaging oral bacteria.
- Dark chocolate – This contains a lot less sugar than its milk chocolate counterpart and is easier to wash away easier than gummies, caramel, and other sticky treats.
- Sugar-free gum – Since this doesn’t contain any sugar, it’s much less damaging to your beam. Chewing on it also increases saliva production to prevent dry mouth as well as wash away food particles.
Idea #3: A New Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth twice per day is one of the most important parts of keeping your smile healthy and strong. Even so, if you don’t have a good toothbrush, you won’t be able to effectively remove plaque and food particles from your smile. That’s why toothbrushes are a great stocking stuffer. If you have a little one who is still using a manual toothbrush and is ready to go electric, this is the perfect opportunity to help them make the switch.
Idea #4: Toothpaste
Along with a new toothbrush, consider giving your family new toothpaste as well. This is especially beneficial for younger kids who are still getting used to taking care of their smiles. There are all kinds of fun flavors of toothpaste that will make taking care of their smiles more fun, such as cupcake, bacon, and bubblegum.
Stocking stuffers are one of the best parts of maintaining a healthy smile, so make sure to take advantage of the opportunity. This will help you and your loved ones keep your smiles healthy and bright during the Christmas season and beyond!
About the Practice
Fromuth & Langlois Dental of Manchester is a practice that takes pride in helping patients learn the best ways to keep their beams healthy and strong. They administer quality care in the form of preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency treatments. They can also offer you advice on the best ways to care for your smile at home. Call Fromuth & Langlois Dental of Manchester at (603) 931-4137 or visit their website to learn more about their services or to set up an appointment.