Best Dental Hygiene Gifts for the Holidays

Everyone wants to show off their best smile. Giving dental-care themed gifts shows friends and family they are loved and that their dental health is important. Dental hygiene gifts can be a single item or a collective gift bag of lots of surprises. Price can be as little as $1 for individual travel-size items of essentials like toothbrushes, floss and mouth wash. Who says oral care gifts can't be fun? Dental floss is available in many flavors like mint, cinnamon, bubble gum, cranberry and even bacon. A single pack ranges in price from about $1.99 to $4.99, and multi-packs are about $12.99.

Sugar-free flavorful chewing gums, hard candy or breath mints can be a fun addition to a dental hygiene gift bag. If gum is sugar-free, it can help fight against a day's plaque build-up. Sugar-free breath mints and hard candies can be fun and tasty, while not adding to the chance of developing tooth decay.

Every three months, toothbrushes or power brush heads should be changed. Gifting replacement toothbrushes can be a tremendous gift. Keep in mind the size of the mouth and teeth of the people receiving the brushes. To work properly, toothbrush heads must be small enough to easily get to the teeth in the back of the mouth.

Manual toothbrushes come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, ergonomic hand grips and even character themes to attract children into brushing twice a day, as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA). These are priced under $10, and coupons are often available for name brands.

Electric toothbrushes can be a fun and surprising gift for a life-long manual toothbrush user. These can be especially appreciated by people who have hand and finger mobility issues, because the handle grips of many designs are thicker and more ergonomically designed than manual toothbrushes. A gift that can make someone's daily life easier is a treasure. Battery-powered and rechargeable electric toothbrushes can be purchased for as low as $8, or as high as $200.

Tooth whitening can be another good holiday gift, as long as the receiver has expressed a prior interest in this. Tooth whitening may not make a good surprise, since it takes a little commitment on the receiver's part to make it work. Buy kits at drug stores as brush-on, stick-on strips and tray formulas. Professional whitening treatments are also available by gift certificate through some dental practices. It can cost from about $30 at the drug discount store to around $400 at the dental office.

Good dental health is an ultimate gift. If a dental or hygienist school is nearby, drive someone who can't afford dental care to the school for tooth cleanings and other preventative care. These sites offer very low- or no-cost cleanings, so your help can be vital if it is just one trip this holiday season or one trip every month.

Sources:

"Whiten Your Teeth at Home," Oral Health Center.

American Dental Association.