3 Summer Oral Health Tips to Remember While on Vacation

It’s that time of year when the family prepares to head out for a week-long getaway. Whether it is to the beach, mountains, desert, or one of the country’s national parks, you’ll want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep everyone’s teeth and gums healthy and safe from injury. To avoid any potential trips to the emergency dentist, here are 3 summer oral health tips to keep in mind while enjoying your vacation.  

Skip the Soda…Drink Water

While it may be tempting to reach for a cold soda out of the cooler, you and your family are better off staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water. This beneficial beverage not only helps to flush out toxins throughout the body, but it also keeps your saliva production moving swiftly so that left behind debris from food won’t stick to your teeth and gums. Water is one of the most pivotal components of a healthy diet and positively impacts your mind, body, and smile. If you want to enjoy a soda, juice, or coffee now and then, that is fine, just be sure to keep a glass of water nearby, so you can easily wash down any remnants and keep your smile free from decay.

Bring a Reusable Straw

Taking care of the environment is important, which is why it’s recommended that you bring along a few reusable straws for you and your family. But this isn’t the only reason you should bring along these helpful beverage additions. You will also find that using a straw while consuming dark-colored, stain-causing beverages like soda, coffee, or red wine minimizes the chances of the liquid coating your tooth enamel and causing it to break down. Because many of these products contain sugar and acid, they can dry out your mouth and make it difficult to neutralize harmful acids that can eat away at the outer layer of your teeth, causing cavities to form. In choosing to use a straw, you lessen your chances of experiencing this particular problem; however, it’s best to be safe and either rinse your mouth with water after finishing your drink or brush your teeth to remove any remnants.

Consume Tap Water if Possible

Depending on where you are traveling, you should drink tap water. Why? Because if it is local city water, it will likely contain fluoride, which is a beneficial, natural mineral that helps to strengthen tooth enamel and combat decay and cavities. Although this may not always be possible depending on your location, it’s best to use tap water when brushing your teeth and when you need a refreshing beverage to cool you down in the hot summer sun.

You can also benefit by meeting with your dentist in Weyauwega before you leave to ensure no one in your family is experiencing dental issues beforehand. But by keeping these 3 tips in mind while on vacation, you will do more to protect your teeth and gums while enjoying time spent with the ones you love.

About the Author
Dr. William Twohig has dedicated the last 20 of his 40 years of practicing dentistry searching for alternative methods to offer his patients. Working with a large group of natural practitioners, chiropractors, acupuncturists, traditional doctors, and specialists, he and his staff practice a natural and holistic approach. He offers a wide range of care including preventative, periodontal and gum disease treatment, emergency care, restorative dentistry, aesthetic dentistry, ozone dentistry, dental implants, and dentures. To find out how we can help you, visit our website or call (920) 867-3101.