You still have time to finish up your last bit of Christmas shopping for the year. That’s why we thought it was the perfect chance to give you some ideas for stocking stuffers that will help keep your family’s teeth healthy.

Our team at Rod Eccles, DDS, is dedicated to keeping everyone in your household smiling. Today, we’re offering some ways that you can give your kids the gift of healthy teeth as we say goodbye to the year and welcome a new one!

Power Up The Stockings!

It’s part of your daily oral hygiene routine. Brushing your teeth twice a day is an invaluable part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Instilling this habit into your kids’ lives can be challenging at first, but there are certainly ways to make the experience fun.

A great way to make dental care more fun for kids, and to keep your teeth thoroughly clean, is to invest in an electric toothbrush. Although you don’t have to use one, studies have shown that they’re very effective in reducing your family’s risk of cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Make sure to choose electric toothbrushes that suit each family member’s age, size, taste, and personality, such as bright colors or ones that have superheroes or cartoon characters on them. You can even find many that have built-in timers that let you know when it’s time to move to the next part of your mouth.

Timing Is Everything!

Part of proper brushing, according to recommendations by the American Dental Association, is brushing your teeth for two minutes each time. But we don’t have built-in clocks with quite that much precision!

This is especially challenging for kids who are still developing an intrinsic sense of timing, so how about a fun little timer to put in everyone’s stocking this year?

As we’ve suggested, you could find electric toothbrushes with timers. But if you have a large family, the cost can add up. Purchasing a timer to keep on the bathroom sink is a great alternative!

It could be digital, include a colorful, kid-friendly design, or maybe even one that plays songs so your kids enjoy the oral care routine a bit more.

Dental Floss For Everyone!

Maybe this isn’t something every child wishes for when they sit on Santa’s lap, but it can make a fun stocking stuffer this Christmas.

Flossing is an essential part of a healthy oral hygiene regimen, but it can be tough for kids to get the hang of it. Try to make this a fun part of your family’s morning and nightly routine by throwing them into the stockings with each person’s favorite color and flavor of dental floss.

Floss With A Water Pick!

Despite the importance of daily flossing, survey after survey reveals the disturbing truth that a surprising number of adults tend to skip this part of oral hygiene.

If you’re one of those adults, then this is the perfect time to make a New Year’s resolution that the whole family can achieve in 2018.

Fortunately, if you don’t like to floss, there are alternatives to standard dental floss that may make it an easier habit to form for both you and the kids. Water flossers can be kept in your shower and used conveniently during bath or shower time!

This device gets between your teeth with a powerful stream of water for easier, and even fun, detailed cleaning your mouth needs to be free and clear of harmful plaque.

Schedule Your Family’s Next Checkup!

When your family’s holiday celebrations have all come to an end, make sure to start everyone’s year off on the right track with a dental cleaning and exam at Rod Eccles, DDS.

Dr. Eccles and our team love seeing our smallest patients and helping them learn good dental habits and proper brushing and flossing technique. We also want to hear all about the presents Santa left under the Christmas tree!

We’re excited about helping you and your family achieve your best oral health in the coming year.

Call our Plainfield, IN dental office today at 317-682-0884 or fill out our convenient online form to schedule an appointment!