5 Christmas decor ideas that boost oral health.

Christmas decorations are always a cherished part of the holiday season, especially those you and your child craft together. But did you know that you make this fun tradition educational, too?

The following are some fun Christmas decor ideas with a little tooth-friendly twist. Put these activities into action to spend some quality time with your family, decorate your home, and teach your kids about oral health all at the same time.

1. Toothbrush Wreaths

Wreaths are among the most popular holiday decorating options, and they are made from just about any material you can think of. You can create some unique tooth-friendly Christmas decorations by creating toothbrush wreaths personalized for your children.

The basic premise is straightforward. You take any wreath base, either store-bought or a ring cut out of rigid cardboard. Acquire some toothbrushes to create the wreath. You’re likely going to need around 40 to make the complete wreath, so buy them in bulk.

You then lay the toothbrushes out radially, forming a complete circle around the wreath. The heads face outward, creating something like the shape of a many-sided star. Alternate colors in a pattern for a truly striking effect.

If buying more than 40 toothbrushes sounds like a bit much, consider sprucing up an existing wreath with a few dental decorations. If you lay out toothbrushes lengthwise around the circumference instead, you’ll only need a few.

2. Floss Garlands

Most tips around holiday oral health focus on finding tooth-friendly foods. While this is an important task, it’s also essential to focus on proper brushing and flossing. Flossing is one of the easiest elements of an oral health routine for your children to forget about. Remind them of the importance of flossing by creating some beautiful floss garlands.

Dental floss is strong stuff, as it has to stand up to being used to floss your teeth. That strength makes it an excellent choice for making garlands. You can thread the floss through a needle just like any other thread and then use a variety of items to create your garlands.

Early in the season, autumn leaves are great materials for crafting. You can go with classic popcorn as well. As an alternative, have your children cut different tooth shapes out of paper to string along the garland. You can take this opportunity to teach them about the different types of teeth and how their shapes help them do their unique jobs better.

3. Tooth Fairy Ornaments

Some of the best Christmas decor ideas focus on Christmas tree ornaments. There are endless unique ways to create ornaments, and you can make them oral health-related by focusing on the tooth fairy.

Your children can use a variety of materials to make tooth fairy Christmas tree ornaments. One of the simplest is by cutting out construction paper shapes. Individual sheets can be used for the wings, body, dress, and wand of the tooth fairy.

Air-dry clay can make for some stunning 3D creations and is easy enough for young children to work with. The clay dries in contact with air after being sculpted, so you don’t have to worry about baking it. Remember to include a loop or hole in the sculpture to thread a string through so that you can hang it on the tree.

4. Toothpaste Snowflakes

Choosing the right toothpaste is an important part of promoting strong, healthy smiles. It can also help you make beautiful toothpaste snowflakes on glass surfaces. These decorations have a special sparkle and color that create a stunning visual effect.

First, cut snowflake shapes out of paper. Mix together toothpaste and some water in a bowl to get a smooth material to work with, and soak the paper snowflakes in the mixture. Then, apply the soaked snowflake to a glass surface. Let it dry for a few minutes, and peel away the paper.

You’ll be left with a toothpaste snowflake on the glass surface, providing a naturally frosty appearance for the decoration with little sparkly bits.

5. Dental Stockings

Decorating unique stockings can be a fun family activity. Blank stockings are available just about anywhere during the holiday season, and you can use all kinds of materials and designs to make them your own.

You can have your children cut designs out of felt for their stockings. Teeth, toothbrushes, floss, and other shapes all make for excellent decorations, and you can easily attach them using hot glue. Depending on the age of your children, you’ll likely want to handle that step yourself for safety.

Enjoy a tooth-friendly holiday season with your dentist near Omaha.

Hopefully, these Christmas decor ideas will inspire you and your family to add some holiday cheer while also staying aware of the importance of oral health. To ensure strong, healthy smiles, you can schedule your next dental cleaning with The Tooth Doc today. We’d love to see your holiday projects.