The holiday season is often filled with sweet treats of all kinds. From decorated cookies to candy in stockings, your children can enjoy an abundance of items that might not always be the best selections for their teeth. Fortunately, there are a few kid-friendly sweets and treats that can make your child’s teeth sparkle and shine just like holiday lights on the tree.
Toothpaste
Although this might not be at the top of every child’s Christmas list, it can be a fun treat for stockings or even as a gift basket if you combine it with other oral hygiene items. Try to find toothpaste in a fun flavor that your child might enjoy and that’s in a package designed with characters that your child likes. You can usually find toothbrushes that have fun designs on them as well. If your child sees that oral hygiene can be fun, then it will likely be successful when it’s time to brush your child’s teeth. To make brushing even easier, consider getting an electric toothbrush.
Treats
Even if you don’t get a lot of candy for the holidays, your child can still enjoy a few treats. Choose candies that are sugar-free. Another option is to put healthy treats in bowls around your home so that your child has these options available instead of turning to candy all the time. Oranges, apples, nuts, and popcorn are good treats to have on hand. Aside from keeping them in bowls on counters and tables in your home, you can also put them in stockings instead of a lot of candy. Vegetable and fruit sticks can be enjoyed with a variety of dips for holiday celebrations. You can also get small bags of dehydrated or baked fruits and vegetables for snacks, especially if you need to keep something in the car while you’re traveling for the holidays.
Dental Kits
When your child spends the night with friends during the year or you plan to travel throughout the year, then a travel-size dental kit would make a good Christmas gift whether it’s wrapped or put in a stocking. The kit can include a small tube of toothpaste and a small toothbrush. You can also find small bottles of mouthwash to put in the kit as well. Try to find flavors that are fun to use, such as bubblegum or fruit. Another way to make the kit fun for your child to use would be to find items designed with bright colors. You can also put stickers of favorite characters on the outside of the package that is used to make the kit.
Dental Education
A gift that you can give your children for Christmas is that of dental education. However, you want to make it as fun as possible so that your children want to brush their teeth and provide good oral care until they go to the dentist during the year. Books, videos, and toys are options to consider with many age-appropriate items instead of getting younger children something that they might not understand.