Travelling Tooth Tips
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!
