As a traveler, I’m sure you want a bright smile, fresh breath, and healthy teeth and gums.
If that’s your goal, then you need to understand that your mouth is the channel to your body. When you take care of your mouth, there’s a likelihood you’d keep the rest of your body healthy.
That’s why you must pay attention to your teeth and gums. Because healthy oral hygiene leads to better overall health.
According to United Concordia Dental, “Poor oral health can interfere with breathing, eating, swallowing, sleeping and speaking.” In the same vein, delaying routine dental visits will cost more money over time.
Are you planning to fly abroad? There are many factors that you should consider. You will note that most people normally fly abroad due to various reasons.
In most cases, most people normally ensure that they book hotels early in advance in order to avoid inconveniences once they land in their next destination.
One of those things that you should not forget is your oral health.
You should therefore ensure that that you take care of your teeth even as you travel to your desired destination. Failure to take care of your oral health can make you incur future dental health issues.
This might cause you to spend more money in the long run.
It’s therefore important that you consider the following airplane oral health tips in order to remain to mitigate this problem:
1. Visit your dentist early in advance.
How often do you visit your dentist? You will note that some people normally visit their dentist when they have a dental problem. This should not be the case.
You should purpose to visit your dentist early in advance before traveling. The good news is that this professional will check your teeth and fix any dental issues that you might have.
If you know that you are going you extend your stay in your next destination, you can consider getting a full dental check-up before leaving your home country.
This might cost you some money but it is worth it. This has actually worked well for many people out there.
2. Ensure that you stock up your oral supplies.
Sometimes, you might not get all the oral supplies that you need in your new destination.
You should, therefore, stock up your oral supplies before traveling. In this case, you should consider getting some toothbrushes, toothpaste, and so on. You should choose the toothpaste that suits your needs.
Ideally, you can ask your dentist for the best toothpaste to buy so that your teeth can remain healthy.
Besides a toothbrush and toothpaste, you can consider carrying the following items; dental floss, mouth rinse, sugarless gum, and some pain killers.
3. Identify reputable dental clinics in the place that you plan to visit.
There are many dental clinics out there. However, some of the clinics are not very reputable. Some of them do not offer reliable services.
If you want to get the value for your money, you should consider visiting reputable clinics out there. Your dentist can help you determine the reputable dental clinics in the place that you plan to visit.
You can also check this information online and check the reviews of different dental clinics online.
If you have some relatives abroad, you can ask them for recommendations. This can help you get quality dental services.
4. Ensure that you confirm whether your insurance covers dental emergencies.
It’s important that you confirm whether your insurance covers dental emergencies or not.
If it does not cover such issues, you can consider carrying some money for this purpose.
This is because dental emergencies usually occur when you least expect them. Finding out what your insurance policy covers can help you to avoid frustrations.
5. Remember to use a mouth rinse from time.
Sometimes, you might not have adequate time to brush your teeth.
This is because there might be many people who are using the bathroom and so on.
In the event of air turbulence, you might be asked to remain seated for longer periods. In this case, it is advisable that you use a mouth rinse in order to freshen up your breath.
- Avoid sugary substances.
You might be tempted to take some sugary snacks when you are traveling. This might seem to be a good idea but it can be detrimental.
You will note that sugary substances can damage your teeth. You might end up getting cavities and other dental problems.
The situation can be worse if you fail to brush your teeth regularly. Ideally, you should take healthy snacks that are sugar-free. You can consider taking water instead of taking the soda.
You can also consider taking yogurt instead of taking biscuits along the way. You should also consider taking black tea of green tea. This can help to prevent bacteria that might be present on your teeth.
- Remember to chew a sugarless gum
Once you have taken your meals, you should consider chewing sugarless gum in order to increase the flow of saliva in your mouth.
This can actually help to get rid of food particles present in your mouth. This can go a long way in ensuring that you keep your teeth clean.
8. Brush your teeth regularly.
You should consider brushing your teeth at least two times a day. This can help to get rid of food particles and bacteria that might be present in your mouth.
You should ensure that you use a soft toothbrush in order to avoid hurting your gum.
Failure to brush your teeth regularly can make you experience various problems such as cavities, gingivitis, and even tartar buildup.
You should actually do this once you arrive at your next destination. You should make it a habit in order to have healthy teeth.
9. Remember to floss more often.
You should remember to floss your teeth more often in order to get rid of tartar from your tooth surface. It’s important to do this often.
According to studies, “Brushing your teeth without flossing is like washing only 65% of your body, and lack of dental flossing is the primary cause (90%) of halitosis bad breath.”
Dental floss can help you to reach those areas that your toothbrush cannot reach. In addition, a floss can actually help you to prevent gingivitis.
If you are in a location where you cannot access your toothbrush, you can use water to rinse your mouth. This can still help you to get rid of food particles from your mouth.
Once you arrive at your next destination you should avoid drinking local water as it might contain fluoride and other chemicals. Ideally, you should consider drinking bottled water.
You can even boil water before drinking it.
You can still use this boiled water to brush your teeth. You should also ensure that you keep your toothbrush clean all the time.
Putting your toothbrush in a case can allow bacteria to breed. Ideally, you should put it in a cup straight up in order to allow it to dry well.
This can allow water to evaporate and thereby hinder the chances of bacteria growing on your toothbrush.
Conclusion
If you are a frequent traveler, you should not neglect your oral health. Remember that if your teeth have issues, you might not be able to afford a good smile.
You might even feel embarrassed when you are in public.
Before traveling you can consider visiting a dentist in order to check these issues and fix them for you. Ideally, you should take care of your teeth even when you are traveling so as to avoid this problem.
You should also ensure that you take healthy snacks along the way. This can help to prevent tooth decay in the long run.
You should make a habit of brushing your teeth at least twice in a day. This can help to get rid of food particles and other substances that might be present in your mouth.
If you notice that you have developed a tooth issue in your next destination, you should visit a professional dentist in your new destination. This can help to alleviate this problem.
Consider the above-mentioned airplane oral health tips today and you will not regret it.
These ideas can help to ensure that your teeth remain healthy and strong while you’re traveling or on an airplane.
