There are so many things to love about travel; the thrill of seeing new places, meeting new people and new cultures, and finding great places to come back and visit again. But travel can also cause problems when trying to take care of your dental needs. No matter where you are going, you should make it a top priority to take care of your oral hygiene and make sure you don’t make your dental health even worse.
You don’t have to bring a large tube of toothpaste on your trip, (unless you will be gone for months at a time), so just pack a travel size tube. And even though it takes more room, I like to pack my Sonicare electric toothbrush. It cleans teeth much better than a manual brush and I can brush my teeth a lot faster with it too.
If you are worried about whitening, you can pack some trays or strips with you, but one of the easiest and most convenience ways to keep your teeth white is to use a simple gel pen. These pens contain carbamide peroxide that ranges in strengths, from 10% to 30%. You should use something in the 22% range and apply it a few times a day.
Depending where you travel you also need to worry about the water. You can easily get sick from brushing your teeth with contaminated water or water that is not pure, so always use bottled water when brushing abroad. I also recommend rinsing with some mouth wash to kill any extra bacteria in your mouth.
Don’t forget the dental floss. Most people don’t enjoy flossing, but it is the single biggest reason that people get cavities. And when cavities are not taken care if it will turn into the need for a crown or root canal. Floss will not take up much room in your suitcase, so you should definitely pack some. And you don’t need to be near a sink to use it, unlike a toothbrush.
Look into travel insurance. You never know when an unexpected dental emergency will come up. And you may find yourself with a serious tooth ache while in the middle of your traveling adventure, but all things come to a halt when this kind of pain strikes. With travel insurance you can offset the costs of dental procedures like this and it makes your trip a little less stressful, knowing that your trip won’t put you further into the financial hole.
These tips will help you to keep your beautiful smile so you can proudly show off your teeth in all of your vacation pictures.
About the Author
Phillip, the author of the “Taking Care of Your Teeth While Traveling” is part time travel blogger and a full time NHS dentist. He loves