Summer’s here, which means that your family’s daily routine will change because school’s out! Whether you’re going on vacation, taking a road trip, or just planning on staying in, having extra time in your schedule can upend you and your child’s oral hygiene routine. As a result, you could experience dental emergencies, like tooth infections or dental damage, that ruin your plan to soak up the sun. Read on for five dental hygiene tips to avoid a trip to your emergency dentist this summer.
Prepare an On-the-Go Dental Emergency Kit
Whether you’re in your vacation rental or at the pool, bringing a dental emergency kit with you can help you act fast and prevent additional damage from occurring to your smile. You’ll want to include the following necessities:
- Your emergency dentist’s phone number
- Clean, individually wrapped gauze squares
- Saline solution
- A small container with a lid
- A temporary filling and crown repair kit
- Ibuprofen or another over-the-counter pain medication
Stick to a Consistent Oral Hygiene Routine
A loose summer schedule can make it more likely that you or your children will skip out on important dental hygiene maintenance. Try to stick to brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing, and rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash the same time every day to create a habit. Each of these tasks is crucial to maintain healthy gums and teeth.
Stay Hydrated with Water
While it may be tempting to substitute drinking water for refreshing sports drinks, this could put you and your child at a higher risk of developing cavities. Water helps rinse away sugars and carbohydrates lingering in the mouth that could increase you and your child’s risk of developing cavities.
Stay Safe While Playing Sports
If your child has sports camps that they attend before school starts, like for football and volleyball, be sure to provide their smile with effective protection against the threat of trauma. This can include getting them a custom-fitted mouthguard that will cushion their teeth, gums, and jaw from a rough tackle or flying volleyball!
Visit the Dentist for a Checkup & Cleaning
Lastly, but most importantly, be sure to schedule you and your child’s routine checkup and cleaning with the dentist this summer, before they get busy with school again. With more space in your schedule, summer’s the perfect time to stay on top of your oral health by tackling the small issues that may arise before they lead to any emergency situations.
About the Practice
At Sprout Dentistry for Kids of McKinney, our team is led by two board-certified pediatric dentists with specialized experience in treating growing smiles, Drs. Justin Chan and Sage Yoo. They truly love being dentists and helping children build positive and healthy views surrounding their oral health and hygiene. They also offer a variety of kid-friendly services, including emergency dentistry, so parents have specialists they can count on to take care of their favorite smile, even during urgent situations. For questions or to schedule an appointment, visit our website or call 469-813-7127.