Check Off Your Gift Giving List with Presents that Offer Something for Everybody
As the holidays approach, you may be searching for a gift for a child, teacher, friend or family member. Why not give something that will help them keep their teeth and gums healthy in the coming year?
Eating foods that are high in sugar, without proper oral care, can result in tooth decay and cavities. What better way to counteract the extra sugars and starches we often consume during the holiday season than to give your friends and family the tools to care for their teeth?
Here’s a couple of hot new products for a healthy mouth this holiday season plus some great stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank:
Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected Toothbrush
Royal Philips introduced this year the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected, its latest innovation that uses Smart Sensor technology to help consumers identify the areas of the mouth missed in their current brushing routine. The advanced toothbrush synchronizes with the Philips Sonicare app via Bluetooth to track brushing habits in real time and provide a personalized 3D mouth-map to help coach users to improve their brushing technique.
New Smart Sensor technology provides personalized feedback on brushing habits every time it is used. These sensors identify missed regions, when brushing with too much pressure, and how to achieve better coverage. The Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected is able to map the user’s mouth through the Smart Sensors, with sophisticated detection technology.
Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser, WP-660 Oral Irrigator
There is a wide range in pressure from lowest to highest setting. The Aquarius Professional is part of an exclusive club. It is one of three Waterpik models capable of reaching 100 PSI.
Unique to the Aquarius is the addition of a massage mode. In the regular mode the water will spurt in a constant and uninterrupted stream. Pressing the mode selection button will activate what Waterpik calls the Hydro-Pulse Cleaning Mode.
Massage mode causes the stream to stop and start quickly resulting in a pulsing sensation when placed against the gums. If you have been told by your dentist that you need to massage your gums then you may find additional benefit in it.
There is a timer built into the standard cleaning mode. When 30 seconds has passed the water flosser will briefly pause the stream, prompting you to move on to the other half of your mouth.
In addition to the basic Aquarius professional model (WP-660), Waterpik has released four spruced up models known as the Designer Series. The difference between the Aquarius professional and the designer series is just looks. Chrome buttons, a sleeker design and a color to suit your personality are the major differences. When it comes to functions and performance, all Aquarius models perform the same.
FLIX – Interdental Stick
FLIX is the professional “In-Between” stick. Use it in-between your teeth, in-between morning and evening brushings, in-between those great meals you have with friends, in-between important business meetings, and in-between close encounters, when bad breath can impede your progress. You know what we mean, don’t you?
FLIX packs a lot of punch in this little miracle stick. FLIX, with its worldwide patented technology, accomplishes all of the following each time you use one throw-away stick:
Removes plaque
Freshens breath
Massages gum tissue
Reduces odor-causing bacteria
Provides a time-released fluoride treatment to reduce cavities
Use FLIX throughout the day, each time you want to have a full-mouth clean feel. Use it once, and then throw it away.
And Don’t Forget This List of Practical Stuff for Stockings
- Toothpaste is available in pumps and tubes and as a gel or paste. You can buy toothpaste with special ingredients for controlling plaque and gingivitis, tartar or sensitivity, or for whitening teeth.
- For example, consider giving a child a bucket filled with a few child-sized toothbrushes and tubes of children’s toothpaste. A cartoon-character towel and small bars of soap will encourage them to make that trip to the bathroom each night to care for their teeth when they wash up. Manual toothbrushes should be replaced every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles become frayed. An alternative to the conventional toothbrush is the electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes come with vibrating, oscillating or sonic brush heads; and the basic models are relatively inexpensive. They also have themes for all ages and some play a tune for two minutes to encourage proper brushing intervals.
- Dental Floss. There are many types of dental floss to choose from unwaxed or waxed, flavored or unflavored, and regular or wide. Waxed floss may be easier to slide through tight teeth, while unwaxed floss will spread out its fibers during use for greater tooth contact. For a special treat, give holiday-flavored floss, like cinnamon.
- Plaque-Disclosing Tablets. You might entice a teen to do a better job of cleaning his or her teeth in the coming year with some plaque-disclosing tablets. Disclosing tablets, sold over the counter, are used after brushing and flossing. They produce a red stain that clings to plaque, a thin film of bacteria that forms constantly on the teeth and gums.
- Sugar-Free Gum. Acids in the mouth have a detrimental effect on tooth enamel. Many studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum after meals and snacks helps reduce the acid level and can stimulate the flow of saliva, which cleanses the mouth, especially at times when brushing is impractical. Give gum that includes xylitol, an artificial sweetener believed to reduce the incidence of cavities.
- Travel Bag. Frequent travelers will make good use of a fashionable travel bag filled with travel-sized tubes of toothpaste, extra toothbrushes and dental floss.
Give the gift of great hygiene this year and don’t forget to schedule an appointment to see us for some real holiday cheer!
Sources: DeltaDental.com, Colgate.com OralCareTech.com
