Stuck for some last-minute stocking fillers? Our Lead Treatment Coordinator, Anne-Marie suggests 5 small gift ideas that can help bring happy, healthy smiles to your loved ones.
1- Reusable straws are not only a sustainable, eco-friendly gift, but using them can help prevent tooth staining caused by certain juices, smoothies and herbal teas, mulled wine, sangria and other drinks that darken tooth colour. Anyone who has had tooth whitening treatment will likely want to maintain their pearly whites! Using drinking straws can also minimise the amount of harmful acid and sugar in alcohol and fizzy drinks attacking teeth, though this is clearly of benefit to front teeth only. Bamboo or metal straws are widely available online and the latter come in silver, gold and pretty metallic hues. However, care is advised to avoid knocking your teeth with metal in particular, as chipped teeth could occur.
2- A cheese platter is a mouth-friendly alternative to cookies and sweets. Chewing cheese neutralises the cavity-forming acid in wine and other foodstuffs! It’s not just a great gift – consider adding a cheese board to your own Christmas menu as a tooth-friendly alternative or encore to the trifle and pud!
3- Lip balms and lipsticks with SPF are very affordable and thoughtful stocking stuffers. The higher the SPF, the more effective it will be at keeping away harmful rays that can cause lip and mouth cancer. Sun exposure can also bring on or irritate cold sores in sufferers. Go for a minimum of SPF30 but if gifting to someone who loves the outdoors, especially skiing and hiking, choose a zinc-based balm SPF50 and if they love the beach and/or water sports, ensure it is water resistant too.
4- Chocolate may be a surprising addition to this list, but if you really can’t resist gifting a little sweetness, dentally speaking chocolate is favourable over toffees and caramels or slow-melting lollipops and boiled sweets. It dissolves faster and doesn’t stick to the teeth in the same way. The bacteria in the mouth has less time to interact with the sugars to produce cavity-causing acid.
5- This list would be incomplete without some inter dental products, all affordable stocking fillers and a very thoughtful gift – as long as you know which ones the recipient uses. Our dentists and hygienists are best placed to advise a patient which is the most appropriate product according to individual needs. It is recommended to regularly use inter dental products to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Our creative tip for festive trim
So, you’ve chosen your gifts and discover you have no ribbon or trim to decorate the wrapping?
Forget finicky tape and get creative with a little dental floss and minimal effort. The floss is stretchy and flexible so it’s easy to thread through an old button for a simple but crafty look.
Merry Christmas from Portobello Dental Clinic !!!
