There’s nothing like Mom’s smile to light up a room. She’s reassuring and dependable, so you’ll want to get her a unique, luxurious, and thoughtful dental gift this Mother’s Day.
Now is a great time to start thinking about what type of gift would best suit your mom. Here are a few gift suggestions that will help you let one of your favorite people know how much you love and appreciate her smile.
Whiten her smile
Busy moms may want a whiter and brighter smile, but finding time to fit this kind of self-care into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. A few prescheduled dental whitening sessions will help your Mom feel pampered, and this is exactly the kind of gift she might want but wouldn’t get for herself.
Whitening sessions in a dentist’s office provide the most immediate and even results. At-home kits can be effective, but risks include gum sensitivity and uneven whitening, and they can take much longer to produce results.
The whitening technology used in a dentist’s office is safe, comfortable, and thorough. Only dentists have access to professional-strength products that remove even stubborn stains that won’t budge with over-the-counter whitening kits.
Enjoy a healthy and delicious meal
Treat Mom to a special Mother’s Day brunch that includes teeth-whitening strawberries and nutrient-rich salmon with omega-3 fatty acid to help fight gum disease. Bring Mom a cup of green or black tea to help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth. Vitamin C is essential for healthy teeth and gums. Be sure to include lots of fruits and vegetables for a dose of vitamins A, B2, and B12 as well.
Good nutrition is an integral part of oral health. If your Mom loves to cook and try new foods, treat her to a variety of special snacks with her teeth in mind. Be sure to include sugar-free gum and an assortment of single-serving munchies she can take with her on the go. Almonds are a wonderful source of calcium, and they have enough protein to stave off hunger for a while. They are also delicious and low in sugar.
Calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice are also good choices for oral health and tooth strength. You can get a full day’s worth of calcium from just one glass of fortified juice. Look for single-serve containers that Mom can take with her on the road.
Waterpik flosser
The Waterpik flosser is popular among dentists for its ability to thoroughly and quickly clean in hard-to-reach crevices between teeth. Using a strong and effective amount of water pressure, these ingenious little devices work like traditional flossing but take about half of the time.
When bacteria and plaque build up between the teeth they can cause inflammation and discomfort, sometimes even resulting in the need for professional help. The Waterpik makes flossing easier. It even helps to remove yellowing plaque from the outer surfaces of teeth for the ultimate healthy, white smile.
Flossing helps remove the bacteria and build-up that causes bad breath from below the gum line. When you give Mom a Waterpik flosser so she can enjoy feeling like she just walked out of the dentist’s office all the time. When she does need to see the dentist again, she’ll enjoy a more comfortable and relaxed visit because her teeth and gums will be cleaner.
Electric Toothbrush
Let’s face it, Mom doesn’t usually get the most luxurious or indulgent of available choices. She may be more likely to use a $.99 toothbrush than anyone else in the family. Dental health is important to overall health, though. The toothbrush you use matters a great deal. While expensive toothbrushes aren’t automatically better, it’s always a good idea to upgrade to an electric toothbrush.
Electric toothbrushes may be a much as twice as effective as a manual toothbrush. They offer advanced technology such as preset timers and pulsing silicone brushes, as well as features like smaller heads and contoured handles that cater to individual preferences.
Rechargeable electric toothbrushes are convenient and popular. Look for a model that gets great user reviews and consider whether your mom would like additional features, such as pressure sensors that let you know when you are brushing too hard or in-handle timers that let you know when two minutes has passed.
The average person can’t oscillate their toothbrush 20,000 cycles per minute, so an electric toothbrush offers an increase in efficiency. This is a gift that may help your mom’s next dentist appointment be smoother and more pleasant.
Don’t forget the chocolate
Did you know dark chocolate is great for teeth? Help Mom indulge her love of “real” chocolate by treating her to the powerful compounds in chocolate that help fight decay. Some scientists even believe dark chocolate is better for your teeth than fluoride. A chemical compound called CBH found in dark chocolate helps harden the enamel on teeth.
For the best cavity-fighting chocolate, look for dark chocolate (sorry milk-chocolate lovers) with fewer than eight grams of sugar per serving. Chocolate also elevates mood and increases blood flow throughout the body. So, no matter what you get Mom this Mother’s Day, include a bit of dark chocolate for all of its benefits.
