Travel usually disrupts our routine. We are so excited about the new places we’re going to see that we usually forget about the routines we’ve set for ourselves. But remember that in the midst of seeing the Merlion in Singapore or marvelling at the Marina Bay Sands, we still have to make a quick stop in a bathroom and check if we need to floss our teeth and dislodge a tiny morsel of food that got stuck there.
Nothing is more alarming than experiencing tooth and gum pain while travelling. You barely want to see a dentist back home since you’re deathly afraid of one, but to find a foreign dentist in a foreign land? The thought is inconceivable.
Tooth Decay and Plaque
Drinking and eating will contribute to the development of tooth decay, gum disease, plaque, and other oral health diseases. You don’t have to worry immediately about tooth decay and gum problems. As long as you are committed to addressing these problems immediately, they don’t have to be exacerbated. When you eat, the sugars in your food and drinks will mix with the bacteria in your mouth. The mixture will then create a plaque that surrounds your teeth and gums. This is what’s causing dental problems.
It’s a huge problem when travelling because it’s harder to brush and floss your teeth when you’re out and about. How do you brush your teeth when you’re rushing through winding Parisian streets? You usually forget these things when travelling. In your mind, they are trivial and don’t need much attention.
Missed Treatments
If you are in the middle of a teeth bleaching treatment, it will be hard to follow up with the treatment when you are travelling. So, what can you do about it? First, don’t forget to visit your dentist before your trip. Ask the dentist about how you’re going to keep up with the treatments if you are gone for a week or more. Usually, they can provide you with a teeth whitening device that you will use at night to ensure no gaps in the procedure.
Are you travelling for the long term? Then, you may want to ask your dentist for a recommendation in your destination. What kind of dentist should you look for? Is there a specific dental speciality that you need to search for? You’ll have an easier time keeping up with your treatments if you already know where you need to go once you arrive at your destination.
Sugar
One of the best things about travelling is the number of new dishes you can try. While it’s tempting to feast on sugary treats in Italy, the worst thing you can do for your oral health when travelling is to eat many sugary foods. Since you won’t always have access to a restroom where you can gargle, floss, and brush your teeth, the sugar in the food you eat will get stuck in your teeth and mouth. This will lead to tooth decay. You might suffer from excruciating pain throughout your vacation if you are not careful.
Remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day and every time you eat foods that are high in sugar. Stay away from sugary treats when you know you can’t access a restroom. Better to take the desserts back to the hotel where you can brush your teeth immediately after eating.
Regular Brushing
Speaking of brushing your teeth, do you know that 44% of men and 37% of women brush their teeth twice a day? Also, only one in three millennials brush their teeth once a day. That’s a revelation, right? So, if you’re at home and not brushing your teeth twice a day, it means brushing is not part of your routine. Just imagine how many times you’re going to forget about it when you are travelling. Brushing your teeth might not be a part of your travelling routine, so how big of a problem are you creating for your oral health?
Yes, stopping at a gas station to brush your teeth is not the best thing to do in the world. You are so focused on what you’re seeing and experiencing that dental hygiene is the farthest from your mind. Yet, you don’t want to go back home with a massive oral health problem. Not only is it expensive, but it is also time-consuming to get treatments for something that could have easily been avoided. Simply remembering to brush your teeth while travelling and follow up with your dentist virtually if you notice a problem will make a difference.
