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Travelling Tooth Tips

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The world is opening up again and more and more people are travelling. Here’s how to keep your oral hygiene it’s best while on the road.

1. Schedule a dental appointment before your trip

If you are due for a cleaning and check up, now is the time to get it done. Your annual x-rays will find any problems that need to be sorted out before you leave – the last thing you want is to need emergency dental care on vacation! Have you had a dull or on and off tooth ache you’ve been avoiding? Travelling by air can aggravate it – get it checked before you leave.

2. Clean your travel bags

Most of us just throw our toothbrush into our toiletries bag when travelling. Can you remember the last time you cleaned the inside? Me neither. I know I don’t want my toothbrush bristles rubbing up against my spilled hair gel!

3. Dry it out!

Ideally, you shouldn’t pack your brush into a closed environment where it stays wet. The moisture will help to feed bacteria. Whenever possible, let your toothbrush dry out before it goes into a case or toothbrush holder. Since that’s not always possible, and you may need to pack it away wet, make a habit of unpacking your toothbrush, cleaning it and leaving it in an airy spot as soon as you arrive.

4. Forgot your toothpaste?

It’s easy to get toothpaste from a convenience store, but if you find yourself with a last minute missing toothpaste situation, don’t let that stop you from brushing. Use plain water and clean your teeth as you ordinarily would. Toothpaste is ideal but brushing without it is better than not brushing at all.

5. Can you trust the water?

When you’re used to clean drinking water on tap, you can forget that even brushing your teeth or rinsing your toothbrush with contaminated water could make you ill. Find out about local water quality, and if you need to drink bottled water in the country you’re visiting, be sure to brush your teeth and rinse your toothbrush with bottled water too.

6. Slow down on sugary treats

If you’re on holiday, you’re likely to spoil yourself with foods you don’t usually eat. And if you’re travelling overseas, you’ll be eager to try the local sweet treats and desserts. By all means enjoy your culinary holiday but take good care of your teeth too! Try to stick to one or two sweet treats a day and eat sugar-free gum afterwards to keep bacteria at bay.

Your teeth don’t get a holiday,  so be kind to them while you’re having a good time. A holiday may only last a few days or weeks, but your teeth must last a lot longer than that. Keep up your oral health routine, use these tips for oral health on the go, and have a great time!

Gifts Your Teeth will Love

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Give the gifts of beautiful teeth this holiday season. Dental products can make a great gift whether your budget is big or small!

Tooth brushes and tooth paste make great stocking stuffers. Especially for kiddos who are still learning how to brush. Bristles can become chewed up and ineffective faster when toddlers are just learning to brush.

Bigger kids may find their brushing technique more effective with a disposable electric brush. These do a better job of cleaning the teeth, even when your child’s brushing style is less than ideal.

Fun flavours of toothpaste encourage good oral hygiene habits and get kids excited to brush every day.

If you have a bigger budget for gifts, electric tooth brushes can greatly improve oral hygiene. Oral B electric toothbrushes have a round head and behave like a dental tooth would in our office – though the can be a touch loud, the brushing technique is highly effective. If the noise of an Oral B brush is too much for you we also recommend Philips Sonicare toothbrushes. They are quieter than the Oral B, though often more expensive.

Do you have a big event coming up in 2022 or do you want your smile to be glamorously white for your New Years Kiss? Treat your self to the gift of tooth whitening. Our office offers Opalescence Go (a more concentrated version of a white strip), Custom Trays made for your teeth that come with take home bleach syringes, or in-office whitening for the fastest results.

Not sure which gifts to pick? Call our office to discuss your specific dental needs!

Oh Baby! Caring for your baby’s teeth and gums.

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Dental health starts before there are any teeth to brush! Caring for your baby’s teeth early on develops good oral hygiene habits for the future.

Before your child has any teeth it is important to clean the gums after each feeding with a warm, wet washcloth. You can also buy “thimble” style rubber gum stimulators to brush your baby’s gums.

Teething is difficult, but there are a few things you can do to help. Rub your baby’s gums with a clean finger or a clean washcloth. Many babies find the applied pressure comforting. Keep their mouth cool with a cold washcloth, spoon, or chilled teething ring. If your child is already eating hard foods, offer them something to gnaw on like chilled cucumber or carrot. Keep close watch as they chew as any broken off pieces pose a choking hazard.

Baby teeth are important too. A common misconception in adults is that primary teeth do not need special care because they eventually fall out and are replaced by our permanent teeth. But these first teeth preserve the spacing for the permanent ones and help Baby chew and talk. If they’re not cared for properly they can decay, leading to a gum infection called gingivitis, which can affect the spacing of permanent teeth.

Put them to bed with water. The first sign of decay in your child’s teeth is discolouration and minor pitting. Putting your child to bed with milk or worse, juice, is notoriously bad for their teeth. This allows sugars to sit in their mouth and breed bad bacteria all night – water is the safest bedtime beverage.

For more tips on brushing and cleaning your child’s teeth see the Canadian Dental Association Website: http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care_children/cleaning.asp

To book your child’s first dental check-up, contact us today by phone (604) 936-1263, or email https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Am I doing my flossing right?

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Did you know there is a right and a wrong way to floss? Many patients receive oral hygiene instructions when they are young but do not receive tips or information about their technique later in life to “refresh” their knowledge.

How to FLOSS

  1. Pull 18 to 24 inches of dental floss from the floss dispenser.
  2. Wrap the ends of the floss around your index and middle fingers.
  3. Hold the floss tightly around each tooth in a C shape; move the floss back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth.

We are happy to provide oral hygiene instruction, tips, or answer your questions at your regularly scheduled appointments. Schedule yours today! (604) 936-1263

Why do I need Fluoride?

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Anyone who has seen their Dentist for a regular cleaning and check up knows that a fluoride treatment will be offered at the end of the appointment, but why?

Fluoride reduces the ability of plaque bacteria to produce acid, and repairs tooth decay by building up the tooth in a process called remineralization. In fact, the occurrence of cavities has significantly dropped since the 1960’s after the American Dental Association approved the use of Crest’s first fluoridated toothpaste.

While it is important to use a fluoride toothpaste regularly, having a higher dose of concentrated fluoride treatment at your dental cleaning appointments is the most effective way to prevent decay.

If you have any questions about fluoride or you’re ready to schedule your next cleaning and check up, give us a call! Dr. Shahriary and his staff would be happy to help!

604-936-1263