Summer holidays have come and we have already started pondering about traveling, ice creams, sodas, all the yummy food that we’ll have and how much fun it will be. And none of us wants to fall sick whilst we enjoy this well-deserved summer break. Our lifestyles and eating habits have changed so much over the years with unhealthy fast food becoming a part of our daily life. Most of the time, it’s unavoidable. Therefore, we need to follow some oral health care tips this summer so that a sudden toothache won’t ruin our holiday.
1. A visit to the dentist.
Before you jet off to your holiday destination, the first thing you should do is pay a visit to your dentist. Yeah, it seems odd thinking about having to go to a doctor, when all you can think about is beaches and martinis, but it is essential. If you can’t make it before, then make sure you do pay a visit immediately after. Your teeth deserve a little scaling and polishing after going through a hard time.
2. Continue to maintain your daily oral hygiene.
The holiday season means extra oral health care. Thus, ensure that you are even more careful about your daily oral healthcare routine than you usually are. Replace your old toothbrushes, floss and get travel sized ones as well.
3. Carry your toothbrush, without fail.
Through all the mayhem before the summer holiday, there are high chances that you are gonna forget something, like your toothbrush maybe? So, it is better to have a spare one in your toiletry kit. (An excuse to buy a new kind of toothbrush.)
4. Keep sugar at bay.
Summer holidays and sugary treats definitely go hand in hand, so naturally, your daily sugar intake would be spiked. Thus, to avoid decay or erosion, it is advisable that you stick to three-meals-a-day rather than having seven to ten different sugary treats. Also, replace these sugary treats with lots of vegetables and fruits. Bottled water takes the place of acidic soft drinks. Sorry kids!
5. Keep alcohol consumption in check.
Holiday luxuries can’t continue without alcohol, but you need to ensure that you don’t go overboard with it because alcohol and teeth health sure don’t go well together. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of oral cancer, so keep it in check, fellas!
6. Choose water.
Water, the magic drink is essential during summers obviously, but it is important for our oral health too. Fruit juices, sports drinks – all these contain high amounts of sugar. So switch to water instead. It will keep you hydrated and rinse food particles away from the mouth. It also boosts saliva levels in your mouth, which help prevent your teeth from decaying. If you’re traveling abroad, then it is advisable to use bottled water vs tap water.
7. Carry with you a dental first aid kit.
You don’t know what awaits you on a summer holiday. So pack a dental first aid kit that has everything you would need in a dental emergency, along with your normal safety kit. This includes a gauze, a handkerchief, a container with a lid and your dentist’s contact information. You may be very careful, but accidents do happen so you wanna be prepared for any situation.
If you wear dentures, then it is advisable that you carry a spare pair, because there’s quite a possibility that you are going to lose them and the rest of your holiday would be a misery.
8. Take care of your lips.
We take care of our skin by using lots of sunscreen during the summer, but most of the time, we tend to overlook the fact that our lips need protection from the sun too. And summer calls for prolonged exposure of the lips to the sun. Thus protecting them is as necessary as protecting our teeth. Use a lip balm with SPF to protect your lips, along with the rest of your skin.
9. Beware of a sports injury.
The holiday season is time for a lot of fun and adventure, and that calls for fun activities. Although, these activities can sometimes be dangerous. Not much can be done to avoid accidents, but if you’re careful you may be able to avoid potential dangers. So it is advisable that you have safety measures on, such as a mouthguard when you participate in any activity.
In the case of an emergency, use warm water to clean the area and use an ice pack to reduce the swelling, if any. To stop the bleeding, use the gauze.
10. Keep information handy.
You should know where to look for support, wherever you are traveling as you may need it any time.
These are some oral health care tips that you need to follow for maintaining proper oral hygiene and getting through the summer, worry free. These tips are very useful, especially if you have kids. Happy holidays!