Crucial Tips for Dental Health While You Travel

Oral hygiene is an important part of our daily lives and when we travel, our routines are disrupted. This can result in neglecting dental hygiene. However, there are a few additional oral hygiene considerations to be cognizant of when traveling. In this blog, we’ll cover five crucial tips to ensure you stay on top of your dental health while on the road.

Complete Dental Care

Book a dental appointment approximately two to four weeks before you travel. And, if you have any procedures to complete, ensure you complete them before your travel date. It’s important to address issues like loose fillings, cavities, and gum disease. In addition, don’t delay procedures such as root canals or crowns until after you’ve traveled because you may end up with complications while you’re abroad. Attend to them before traveling.

Ask Your Dentist About Toothaches Caused by Flying

If you’ve recently had a dental procedure, ask your dentist about barodontalgia before you travel. This refers to altitude and pressure changes (barometric pressure) which may cause a toothache when you travel by air. It’s important to note that this is not a separate dental issue but rather a toothache brought on by pressure.

Pack Smart

Traveling exposes you to many different germs. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure you not only pack smartly but efficiently as well. Your first point of order is to pack proper storage devices for your dental supplies. For example, use a breathable toothbrush cover and a dry container. It helps to avoid bacterial buildup. In addition, pack emergency supplies such as pain relievers and antiseptic gel. Most importantly, ensure you pack a travel-sized dental kit. This includes toothpaste, floride, sugar-free gum, and mouthwash.

Don’t Let Standards Slip

If you’re traveling to a country that has questionable tap water, it’s best to buy and use filtered water to brush your teeth. Keep it on hand for morning and evening brushes. In addition, always ensure you have sugar-free gum with you. There are two reasons for this. You may be tempted to eat sweets and snacks from the destination you’re visiting. These may increase your risk of tooth decay. Chewing sugar-free gum can help you combat this. Also, chewing sugar-free gum during flights may help to reduce pressure-induced toothache.

Prepare for Emergencies

Always make sure you have travel insurance. In addition, do your homework. Research the location (if abroad) that you’ll travel to and locate all nearby dentists. You can also contact the local embassy to find out about recommended dentists in the area. Lastly, if you do happen to get dental care while abroad, make sure you keep all your receipts. You’ll need to hand them to your insurance provider and, if you need to get follow-up treatment.

Contact Pearly Whites Dental Care in Morrisville, PA!

Being prepared is essential, both before and during any trips abroad. For more tips and information, visit our blog on dental hygiene in Morrisville.

Take control of your oral health this travel season and contact us today!