As everyone thinks about finally getting away for summer, it’s easy to forget about the importance of keeping up your oral health. Why spoil the fun by having to bother with taking all that gear for a few days here and there?

Gum Infections

In fact, that sticky bacterial film called plaque that develops around particles of food and drink that are not thoroughly cleaned off can turn into hardened tartar in a few days, which only a dental hygienist can scrape off with special tools. Unless you’ve had a professional cleaning in the dental chair within the last six months, you really don’t know whether the result of inadequate brushing and flossing has you already in trouble. If a gum infection has started before you go on  a summer vacation, your gums will likely start bleeding, they will pull away their support from your teeth, then eventually become loose and fall out.

Cleaning & Flossing Thoroughly

If you have recently been given a thumbs up for your oral care habits, you want to continue them on vacation, especially if you will be away for an extended period. A soft-bristled  toothbrush (instead of bringing the electrical one you may normally use) and  a small tube of preferred toothpaste can be packed away, along with floss. As you may already know, you should brush both sides of each tooth and chewing surfaces for two minutes twice a day (ideally after breakfast and the last snack of the evening). Before you go to bed, you should floss thoroughly, which means moving the string each time you scrape each side of every tooth, to avoid contaminating them with plaque.

Other important oral care tips for summer:

• If you have not had your dentist do a full oral health checkup in the past six months, including a digital x-ray (which involves minimal radiation), call for an appointment before you leave, to avoid getting into a dental emergency on the road.
• Avoid sugary and sticky foods that are prevalent at summer events (you could bring along sugar-free snacks to avoid temptation, munch on fruit when you feel a sweetness craving), and try to include more protein, healthy fats, dairy products (which stimulate saliva that fights oral bacteria), vegetables, and whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, and peas in your vacation diet: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=4062
• Don’t chew on ice, which can damage dental work. Likewise, don’t eat hard, hard-to-chew, or sticky foods and treats like jerky, dried fruits, hard candy, caramels, and lollipops.
• Instead of drinking sugary beverages or alcohol (which dries the mouth), consume much more water (many people are dehydrated without realizing it and this can cause a reduction in saliva). 

You can also put into your luggage a dentist-grade mouthwash and small brushes that can clean tight areas between teeth (in lieu of bringing a water flosser).