The holidays are upon us! ‘Tis the season for gatherings with family and friends, traveling to see loved ones, and holiday feasts to remember. With that being said, it’s also the easiest time to grow inconsistent with the at-home dental care routines that we’ve worked tirelessly to create. Quick! Before you head out for your family vacation, here are a few tips you can follow that will make the team at Timp Pediatric Dentistry proud.
Personalized Travel Case
Traveling can be exciting for families with young children. So exciting in fact that we often forget the essentials for proper oral hygiene. We recommend that instead of packing up toothbrushes and other essentials right before you leave the house, to have a dental travel case ready to go with everything you’ll need. Have you don’t trust the kids to remember their own case, be sure to pack enough supplies for everyone.
It can be fun, however, to give your kids a bit of responsibility! If your children aren’t interested in dental care, make it a little more fun with a personalized case. Allow your child to decorate their case, and have them choose their favorite toothpaste and toothbrush to put inside. Not only will the personal case make them feel more engaged and excited about teeth cleaning, but it gives them a bit more personal responsibility. Already have a designated case but haven’t checked on it in a while? Always grab a fresh toothbrush. Make sure that no matter where the toothbrush is stored, bristles are kept clean and protected from unnecessary germs.
Pack Extras
You can’t really brush your teeth without toothpaste as you can’t keep up with a flossing habit without dental floss. Traveling can be hectic and smaller hygiene products often are nowhere to be found right when you need them. To save yourself a headache or a last-minute trip to the supermarket, make it a habit to pack an extra of everything you might need.
Don’t Forget to Floss
Flossing, the bane of a child’s existence, but a habit that is highly important to keep up with, even on a holiday. Remember that brushing only clean about a third of the surface of the teeth. Those hard to reach places remain uncleaned. Make sure that dental floss is in each travel case, and that children floss at least once a day. Have a child that doesn’t like to floss? Play the floss game! Play their favorite songs or show until every space between teeth has been flossed.
Create a Cleaning Schedule
It can be a challenge to keep up with home dental routines during a long holiday away from home, but with holiday sweets and treats in abundance, it’s more important than ever to keep to a routine. If you’re always tight on time during the holidays, schedule out a window for teeth care. This should be at least 10 minutes of time twice a day. You can even use this time to relax, practice dental hygiene as a family, and reflect on a fun day. Keep it fun, get every child involved, and your next visit to the pediatric dentist should be a great one!
Have a happy and safe holiday! Have a pediatric dental emergency over the holiday break? Contact us with your questions, concerns, or to set up an appointment!
