Winter is just around the corner, and if you’re like an estimated 122 million Americans, you may be planning to travel out of town for the holidays. Whether you’ll be vacationing on the beach or reuniting with family and friends in your hometown, it’s important to remember to care for your teeth.
Brushing and flossing twice daily removes plaque and bacteria, reducing the risk of cavities and gum disease. But you might struggle to stick to your usual routine when you’re away from home. Continue reading to learn 3 tips that can help you prevent potential issues this season!
Tip #1: Stick to Your Schedule
Many people who are dedicated to a consistent oral hygiene routine struggle to maintain their habits while they’re out of town. Changes in your schedule and activities can make it challenging to stick to your usual schedule.
For example, if you usually brush and floss before work in the morning, you might forget to do so during vacation, especially when traveling to another time zone. If you’re fighting jetlag or tend to be forgetful, setting an alarm or reminder on your smartphone or another device might help you remember.
Tip #2: Get a Checkup Before You Go
Many people look forward to the holidays for the delicious foods traditionally offered at this time of year. But many tasty treats, like candy canes or freshly baked cookies, are full of sugar that increases your vulnerability to tooth decay and gum disease.
Thankfully, visiting your dentist for a standard checkup and cleaning before you leave town can help you avoid developing problems while you’re gone. Plus, you’ll be able to fully enjoy the present moment knowing that your smile is as healthy as it is happy when you’re laughing with loved ones.
Tip #3: Plan for An Emergency
Proper prevention, like keeping up with at-home oral hygiene and visiting your dentist for routine visits every six months, helps strengthen your smile to avoid oral issues. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll never have an emergency, and if you’re somewhere unfamiliar when it happens, you might not know where to go for help.
But you can prepare ahead of time by researching your destination location to find a suitable emergency dentist. For example, you might look for a provider who is in-network with your dental insurance plan, or who offers same-day visits for urgent issues. Then, be sure to store their contact information somewhere you know you can find it.
Taking these few simple precautions can help you maintain your smile over the holidays this year!
About the Practice
At My Frederick Dentist, patients benefit from a team of dentists passionate about helping families enhance their dental health. Dr. Aziz, Dr. Hong, and Dr. Akber share decades of combined experience and collaborate to offer a comprehensive menu of services to people of all ages. Their caring approach, combined with advanced technology, improves patient comfort and delivers accurate treatment results to help prevent and treat dental problems. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (301) 698-9552.