Smile-Friendly Stocking Stuffers Presented by Aspen Grove Dental
Santa's all about big, bright smiles just like the dentists and staff at Aspen Grove Dental. For the holidays, our team came together and compiled a list of our favorite dental health stocking stuffers for kids of all ages. Each one is sure to bring a smile on Christmas morning and help keep those smiles shiningbrightlyt all year long.
Brush Up on the Holidays
A toothbrush probably isn't going to be the most exciting thing in your stocking this holiday season, but this is a great time of year to replace your family's old brushes with some fun, new options.
For Young Ones
No matter what characters your children love, there's probably a cartoon-themed toothbrush that will help make their daily brushing more fun. We really like the cool new Star Wars The Force Awakens-themed set from Firefly. It includes a Ready Go Brush light-up-toothbrush that helps kids brush the recommended sixty seconds on each row of teeth. For older kids (8 to 12), Crest and Oral-B have teamed up on aForce Awakens Specialty Pack that includes an electric toothbrush.
Got a girl that's all about girl power? Firefly offers the same Ready Go Brush toothbrushes in Barbie and Hello Kitty models. Disney offers a number of Frozen-themed brushes but our favorite, by far, is the children's Bath & Body Gift Set that presents shampoo, body lotion, a bath pouf and cotton swabs with toothpaste and a toothbrush. You may never get her out of the bathroom!
Our go-to favorite for the kid that loves music is the Spinbrush Tooth Tunes, "the only toothbrush that pumps two minutes of your favorite music directly through your teeth...straight to your head." With songs like Queen's "We Will Rock You" or Selina Gomez's "Round & Round" your bathroom may be transformed into a dance floor.
Another fun stocking stuffer that goes great with a new toothbrush is a packet of plaque disclosing tablets. You might remember these from your childhood. These small tablets contain a harmless food coloring agent. When the child chews a tablet, a red stain is left anywhere the dye comes in contact with plaque. It's a safe way to monitor their effectiveness and promotes regular brushing.
For Adults and Teens
If you're aiming to wow the teen or adult in your family with the boss of clean, white teeth, you won't do much better this season than the Electric Rechargeable Oral-B Pro 5000 SmartSeries with Bluetooth.
Yep, Bluetooth! The brush communicates with your smartphone to give you real-time feedback on your brushing so you don't brush too hard or miss important areas. It also tracks your brushing habits over time and provides motivational tips to keep you in the habit of brushing.
For those with travelers in the family or maybe a teen that likes to brush after lunch at school, we recommend checking out the very stylish Violife line of electric toothbrushes. They resemble a pen, about the diameter of a standard AAA battery and come with their own cap so they can be tossed in any purse or carry-on for teeth cleaning anywhere.
Have Fun with Flavors
Using the same toothpaste day-after-day can get pretty mundane. Fortunately, spearmint is far from your only option these days when it comes to toothpaste or dental floss. Spice things up for your family with some of these tasty (sometimes quirky) flavor options.
For Young Ones
We think some of the most fun toothpaste on the market today is GUM Crayola Squeeze-a-Color. This cool pack of anti-cavity fluoride toothpaste includes red melon blast, green jazzy apple and blue blueberry burst flavors your kids can choose from at each brushing. The tubes are uniquely designed with smaller mouths that reduce waste and messy toothpaste smears.
If you're trying to stick with more natural healthcare products, you're still not resigned to mint as your only choice. JASON offers a yummy, kids-only orange flavored toothpaste that's all organic with nothing artificial.
For those who are happy with their current toothpaste but not as excited about the mess and waste that comes from kids using too much toothpaste, you might want to surprise them with a goofy toothpaste dispenser. Our favorites are the line of Spread Heads Toothpaste Caps that include Toothpaste Rex, Pete Dog and Oscar Cat. (Spread Heads also has a giggle-worthy line of ketchup bottle toppers that will have your kids hurrying to the table.)
For Adults and Teens
The options for flavored toothpaste thin out for teens and adults, but if you've got someone on your list who needs the incentive to floss, we found a few options from Accoutrement that could motivate them.
Flosses come in flavors like "cupcake "for the sweet lover, absinthe for the liquor enthusiast and banana monkey floss for the fruit lover. But our favorites, by far, are the breakfast selections. Coffee, waffle and, of course, bacon is served up in the name of optimal dental health and a little break in the mundane. And, they fit perfectly into any stocking!
Floss Bosses
Did you know that when you don't floss, you leave forty percent of your tooth surface un-cleaned?
We realize bacon-flavored floss may not be everyone's thing but, as dentists, we're always adamant about flossing. That's why we thought these flossing accessories would make great Christmas morning surprises with long-lasting smile power for family members of any age.
For Young Ones
Dental flossers are great for developing good flossing habits for kids because they make flossing easier to manage. Christmas is a great time to stock up on a new package of flossers and the options are nearly limitless. From Firefly Animal Pluckers to The Amazing Spiderman, you can find something colorful and cute to keep your kids stocked well into the new year.
For Adults and Teens
Older kids, adults and traditional spool flossers can find floss dispensers in any number of characters to fit their personality. We liked the friendly Parana from Koziol Kai and Otto dental floss dispensers in multiple colors from Alessi.
We hope we've given you some fun ideas to introduce some healthy and practical dental health tools into your holiday season that will last well into the new year. But above all, we hope that your Christmas is filled with family, friends and big, big smiles!
Happy Holidays from all our family at Aspen Grove Dental!
Call Aspen Grove Dental Associates at (615) 790-8494, or request an appointment online.
