Let’s be honest, it can be easy to neglect your oral health habits when travelling; after all, you’re somewhere completely new and away from your normal routine. But this doesn’t have to be the case. With a bit of advance planning, you can still keep your dental hygiene in tip top condition, wherever you are in the world! Keep reading to discover our top dental travel tips.
1. Keep Your Toothbrush Clean and Protected
The whole point of a toothbrush is to clean your teeth, but if your toothbrush isn’t clean to begin with, you’ve got a problem. This is why it’s best you keep your toothbrush in its own case, protecting it from the dirt and germs that may be in your bag. If you don't have a toothbrush case, a toothbrush bristle holder would also do a great job protecting the bristles from touching other items in your luggage.
If you like to keep your toothbrush in your toiletries bag along with your other cosmetic items, ensure that the inside of the bag is clean and disinfected. Bacteria breeding on your toothbrush is not what you want while you’re on your travels, or any time for that matter.
Once you have finished brushing your teeth, always remember to rinse the bristles and handle under the tap to ensure no toothpaste residue is left.
2. Let Your Toothbrush Dry Properly
Ideally, you don’t want to pack your toothbrush into a closed environment where it can’t dry out, as moisture will help to feed bacteria growth. So, if possible, let your toothbrush air out before it goes back into its case or holder.
But we know that when travelling from place to place, you may not always have the time to air out your toothbrush. Therefore if you have no choice but to pack it away wet, make a habit of unpacking your toothbrush, cleaning it and leaving it in an airy spot as soon as you arrive at your next destination.
3. Ensure You Can Trust The Tap Water
When you’re so used to clean drinking water on tap at home, it’s easy to forget that even brushing your teeth or rinsing your toothbrush with dirty water could make you seriously ill. This is something to be increasingly mindful of when travelling from country to country, as there are a lot of countries with dirty, contaminated water, unsuitable for human consumption.
Please note: if your toothbrush gets exposed to potentially unsafe water, it’s best you replace it with a new one if you can or rinse it thoroughly with bottled water before you next use it.
4. Prepare for Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, including while you’re travelling, so it’s important you’re fully prepared for these circumstances ahead of time. Bring your dentist’s contact information with you, so you can call about any problems you’re having, such as tooth pain, tooth sensitivity, an impacted wisdom tooth, gum inflammation or a cracked tooth. As well as providing you with guidance on what to do, they might even be able to recommend a dentist for you to visit in your location.
Another thing you want to think about is dental insurance. If you already have it, check to see if it covers treatment outside of your home country. If not, you’ll want to consider purchasing travel insurance that includes dental coverage, in case any emergencies happen.
5. Be Mindful of Your Sugar Content
If you’re on holiday or a business trip, you’re likely to consume foods you don’t usually eat for a) convenience and b) because you want to treat yourself while away from home. Likewise, if you’re travelling to a new country, you’ll be eager to try the local sweets and desserts. Now, we’re not telling you to completely avoid these treats, but ensure you’re taking care of your teeth at the same time.
Simply be mindful of the amount of sugar you’re consuming and carry sugar-free gum on you for afterwards to keep bacteria at bay. This gum causes you to produce more saliva, which in turn helps move bacteria away from your teeth.
6. Don’t Forget Toothpaste
You can’t effectively brush your teeth without toothpaste, so remember to pack your favourite toothpaste alongside your brush. Toothpaste tablets are a great option for travelling as they contain no liquids and therefore designated as "safe to travel" with (i.e.you won't get stopped at security). Their compact size means they won’t take up too much space in your toiletries bag which, when limited on space already, is a pretty significant benefit.
Natural & Vegan Toothpaste Tablets
Our tubeless, zero waste toothpaste tablets are everything you need to keep on top of your oral hygiene while at home or on your travels. They are vegan, cruelty free, ethically sourced and contain no nasty additives. What’s more, they come packaged in completely recycled cardboard, so once you've used them you can then dispose of the packaging in your recycling bin - no plastic tubes to worry about going to landfill!
If travelling for a long period of time, our 3 month-supply or ‘family pack’ of toothpaste tablets would be the perfect option to ensure you don’t run out.
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Brush Fresh Co. is founded and run by a group of UK-based dentists, who specialise in environmentally-friendly and sustainable dental products. From biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes to zero waste toothbrush tablets, our product range has been designed to put both your dental health and the environment first. For more information and dental care advice, head over to our blog page or get in contact with us here.
Written by Kate, on behalf of Brush Fresh Co - the UK's Dental Experts Providing eco-friendly dental care.