You have taught your children to practice good oral hygiene habits at home to keep their smiles healthy. But when you leave for a vacation, regular routines become disrupted. It might be difficult to make sure your kids keep brushing and flossing as they should.
Laxing oral hygiene routines even for a brief vacation can harm your child’s teeth. But you can keep up with your child’s oral health and avoid dental damage when you plan ahead. Read on to find advice from your pediatric dentist about maintaining good oral hygiene while you and your children travel.
Oral Hygiene Tips for Traveling
Keep Hygienic Supplies Handy
As you prepare to leave for your trip, your child’s oral hygiene supplies will likely make the top of your packing list. They use their toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss every day, so you will remember to put them in your luggage.
However, you do not always have easy access to your suitcase as you travel. Your bags might be checked and stowed on a plane or locked in a hotel room. This could mean you and your children cannot complete your oral hygiene routine when you need to.
It might be a good idea to keep travel-sized toothbrushes and floss on hand to avoid this problem. These materials can fit into a handbag or pocket. Then your family’s oral hygiene will not experience disruption.
Plan Healthy Snack Options
You likely have a home-cooked meal or special restaurant you want to try on your vacation. But just as you plan these meals, you should also consider snacks before you leave for your trip. Snacks play a major role in your oral health just as your larger meals do.
If you do not have healthy snacks prepared, it can be tempting to cave and indulge in cravings. Sugary foods are notoriously bad for your teeth, eroding the tooth enamel to heighten the risk of cavity formation.
You can pack healthy snacks or plan to purchase them later. You can avoid foods with added sugar to protect your smile. Crunchy foods like nuts will boost oral hygiene by scraping plaque build-up from teeth as you eat.
Drink Plenty of Water
With a busy schedule on your vacation, it can be difficult to remember the little parts of your regular routine that keep you and your smile healthy. Drinking plenty of water is a major example. It may be harder to drink the amount of water you need to while on the go.
You should pack an easy-to-carry water bottle for you and your kids so that you can drink the recommended amount of water and stay hydrated. This will prevent dry mouth, a condition that could put your smile at risk of gum disease and other oral infections.
To maintain adequate hydration, you should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Water will also rinse your mouth of lingering food particles that could cause bad breath and hurt your dental structure if they remain on your smile.