From entertaining family and friends to traveling to visit loved ones to cooking enough food to feed an army, this is the most hectic time of year for many people. With the busyness of the holidays, it can be easy to forget to buy stocking stuffers. If you need some ideas on stocking stuffers to gift the people you care about, check out these five tooth-approved options.
#1: Healthy Snacks
Candy canes, butterscotch, and other classic holiday candies may be tasty, but they can really do a number on your oral health. Rather than filling your family’s stockings with these cavity-causing sweets, replace them with tooth-healthy treats, including:
- Dark chocolate – This is easier to wash away and has less sugar in it than milk chocolate.
- Sugar-free candy – Peppermint patties, peanut butter cups, and sugar-free hard candy are good alternatives to their sugar-filled counterparts.
- Almonds or other low-salt nuts – Almonds contain calcium and protein, which shields and reinforces your teeth against cavity-causing bacteria.
- Sugar-free gum – It doesn’t contain sugar for bacteria to feed off of, and it helps increase your saliva production to wash away harmful bacteria and food particles.
#2: Reusable Straws
If your loved ones can’t go a day without their morning iced coffee, consider drinking it through a reusable straw. They’re better for the environment than single-use straws and can prevent dental staining from coffee, tea, cola, and other dark or highly pigmented beverages.
#3: Toothpaste
There are tons of fun toothpaste flavors, including bacon, licorice, citrus, cinnamon, ginger, cupcake, pickle, strawberry, watermelon, bubblegum, chocolate, coffee, and many others. These are an excellent way to fill up Christmas stockings while also making maintaining good oral health more enjoyable.
#4: Lip Balm
Lip balm is a small, portable, and inexpensive stocking stuffer. It can also help prevent winter mouth issues by keeping your lips from becoming dry and cracked.
#5: A New Toothbrush
If it’s been three or four months or you’re loved one just got over an illness, it’s time to replace their toothbrush. For kids, consider putting a toothbrush that features their favorite characters into their stockings. If they’re ready, you can even upgrade them to an electric toothbrush, which will be more effective at removing plaque from their pearly whites.
With a quick trip to your local grocery or drug store, you can stock up on tooth-approved treats and gifts to stuff stockings with. By the end of the holiday season, your loved ones will be sporting healthy, happy smiles!
About the Practice
Market Heights Family Dental aims to make their patients feel safe, comfortable, and well cared for from the moment they enter their office. They offer exceptional oral health services to both new patients and returning ones so that you can get the care you deserve in a stress-free environment. If you need ideas on stocking stuffers this holiday season, they can recommend ones that will improve your family’s oral health and leave them with lovely, luminous smiles. If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or have questions for their talented staff, call them at (254) 699-3565 or visit their website.