Summer time is vacation time for many people, especially families, and with the combination of warm weather and carefree holidays, it can be tempting to let your usual healthy lifestyle slide…just a little. You may be able to get away with adding a few extra diet cheat days to your holiday schedule, but don’t be tempted to slack on your dental hygiene regimen. It doesn’t take long for oral bacteria to begin to do their dirty work.
Here are a few helpful hints on how to stay on track even when you’re far from home.
1. Be sure before you go.
It’s a good idea to schedule a dental exam about a month before a longer vacation, and/or a holiday to a remote area. This will help to ensure that your mouth and teeth are in the best possible shape for the trip, and help you avoid unexpected problems.
2. Do a little research.
Just in case of emergency, try to find out where the nearest dental office, or other clinic where you can have a dental accident or emergency treated that is closest to your destination. Sometimes, the nearest embassy can recommend a local dentist.
3. Be sure to pack everything you need.
This isn’t really as simple as it sounds. If you are traveling to an urban area, you may assume that you can easily buy anything you need, but do you know where, and how much it may cost? If you are camping or roughing it at the cottage, you’ll want to make a detailed list and check it at least twice.
• What are you packing your supplies in? Is it really clean? A survey found that a third of travelers never washed out their toothbrush cases. Don’t be one of them!
• Your container should have holes for drainage and ventilation, and not be packed too tight.
4. Keep your toothbrush dry.
If your toothbrush doesn’t dry thoroughly, bacteria can breed on it.
• Take it out of your travel case as soon as you can.
• Stand it upright in a cup to allow it to drain down from the bristles.
5. Take gear designed for travel.
• You will find handy travel-friendly toothbrushes that collapse, along with a small roll of floss in your neighbourhood drug store.
• Fit it all into your purse or carry-on so that you can brush whenever you need to.
6. Can you drink the water?
• If not, be sure to wash your brush with bottled or boiled water.
7. Carry brushing alternatives.
When you can’t brush, carry some handy items that help keep your teeth clean, and your mouth free of bacteria. This can include,
• Sugarless gum sweetened with xylitol, which helps increase saliva flow to naturally cleanse teeth.
• Some research suggests that green tea can also help kill cavity-causing bacteria.
8. Pack your backup.
• If you wear dentures, pack a backup set just in case the ones you usually use get broken by accident, or even lost. Ditto for any other dental appliances you use.
• Be sure to pack backup denture supplies.
Looking for advice on diet and your oral and dental health? You’ll find the answer at Dr. F. Keshavarz Dentistry in Brampton, ON.
If you’re looking for a well-regarded and highly skilled dentist in the Brampton area, make an appointment with Dr. F. Keshavarz Dentistry by calling (905)-791-3867. Visit our website to learn more about our dental services.
