What are your plans this summer? Are you going to cooler places with the fambam, taking full advantage of the scorching heat by hitting the beach with the gang, or exploring new, foreign places with the best company ever — yourself? Regardless of your travel plans, maintaining a healthy mouth should never take a backseat. Because what’s worse than going home from a vacation with mouth sores and a heavily damaged set of teeth? We’ve listed down useful dental hacks so you can enjoy your trip without putting your oral health at risk.
One thing you never want to be caught without is your own set of oral care products. To make sure you never miss a single item, put them all in one pouch. If you can, get a pouch you can write on, so you can list all its contents on the outside and make sure you never forget anything. You can also do this for your skin care and other personal hygiene products — that way, you only need to pull out the pouch you need from your bag without mixing things up.
This one is common knowledge for well-travelled individuals, but worth mentioning for everyone else. Products that come in travel size are easier to carry around, lighter in your bag, and won’t get flagged at airport security.
Don’t want to bring a bottle of mouthwash with you? Mix ½ teaspoon of salt with one cup of warm water and rinse your mouth in the morning and at night — it works just as well. And if you happen to extend your trip and run out of toothpaste, salt makes a reliable substitute too.
We can’t emphasise the importance of preventive care enough, especially during vacation when one tends to eat more. Bring your floss and be sure to use it twice a day to make sure there are no nasties hiding between your teeth.
The thing about tooth pain is that you’ll never know when it will strike — so the best way to deal with it while on vacation is to be prepared. Bring a couple of dentist-approved pain relievers so you can keep enjoying your trip even if pain comes. But be sure to have your teeth checked when you get back home.
It’s a good idea to look up duly-licensed dental clinics at your destination, just in case you run into an accident. You might also want to check if they are accredited by your HMO policy — just for that extra assurance.
The tips above are general reminders that apply to most travellers. If you can, it’s still best to drop by your dentist before your holiday for care instructions specific to your case. Don’t have a regular dentist yet? Get in touch with Beduya Dental and we’ll be happy to help.
