Last week’s Thanksgiving holiday also marked the beginning of the holiday shopping frenzy and the endless 
quest to find those perfect gifts. While most children are not shy about putting their wish lists together, we often need to find those small little extra gifts or stocking stuffers. A nice counterpart to large extravagant items or state-of-the-art electronics, is to balance them out with fun, educational gifts. There is a wide variety available on various subject areas, from science projects to do-it-yourself arts and crafts kits. There are also many health-oriented gift ideas, and of course, we are particularly fond of those dealing with oral health.
Park View’s Point of View
At Park View Pediatric Dentistry, we always present oral health and oral health education in the most positive light. In addition to always giving our patients oral health goodie bags, we offer many oral health items for purchase. We are extra pleased when parents choose to buy them as gifts, as it reinforces our efforts that good oral hygiene and bright smiles are such an important part of young, growing lives.
Here are some of our favorite oral health gift suggestions:
— Tooth Brushing Timer — The American Dental Association advises that for optimal results, children should brush for two minutes, twice a day. We call this the 2 x 2 technique. Believe it or not two minutes, especially for a child, is a lot longer than you think. There are many wonderful timers that even play songs and are a delightful addition to this important oral health routine.
— Mouth Guards — Are you giving your child any sports items this year like skates, hockey sticks or hover boards? Why not include a mouth guard or two to ensure that this important preventative measure does not get overlooked? There are many great ones on the market that you boil first and shape to your child’s mouth for an exact fit. The last thing that any parent would want is for a wonderful gift to be the cause of a dental emergency, so be prepared with this important addition to your sports equipment gifts.
— Electric Toothbrush — This is such a wonderful gift item for children, as many see it as a rite of passage, graduating from the traditional toothbrush to their very own grown-up, electronic one. There are many colorful options geared toward children.
— Oral Health Children’s Books — There are so many wonderful children’s books and coloring books available today, devoted to oral health and first trips to the dentists. Many are beautifully illustrated, charming and always present the dental experience in a very positive light. They can easily be found in the children’s book section of bookstores or online.
— Tooth Brush Teaching Pals — Though too big to fit in a holiday stocking, there are a variety of “Dental Stuffed Animal” available. From dinosaurs to bears or tigers, all have a full set of chompers and come with a large toothbrush. Kids love learning to brush by practicing on these adorable creatures. We know, as we have them in our office! They can easily be found online.
Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!
You can contact us at:
Park View Pediatric Dentistry
212-879-6518
www.ParkViewPedDent.com