When vacations come around, remember the importance of maintaining proper care of your braces. Travel can make it difficult to keep up with oral hygiene, but not impossible. You can still practice good dental hygiene while traveling to properly take care of your braces. Because braces require special care, be sure to carry the essentials when traveling.
At Kraus Orthodontics, we offer a range of orthodontic services to patients of all ages. Yet, we also seek to share our knowledge and expertise with our patients so they can practice correct dental hygiene for their braces and orthodontic appliances. Having said that, we’ve provided some great tips to care for your braces while traveling below. Seeing as how Spring Break is just around the corner, we thought they’d be quite helpful!
How to Take Care of Your Braces: The Orthodontic Travel Kit
It is important to equip yourself with the right tools to clean your braces and make sure your teeth are free of debris. We all commonly snack while on the road or in a plane, so naturally you’ll have a lot to to clean on your teeth. While avoiding snacking may be best, you can still be prepared in the cases when you do eat. Here are some tools that are perfect for your dental kit:
- A Travel-Sized Toothbrush: No matter where you go, you still have to brush your teeth. Have a toothbrush handy so you can always brush off the debris.
- Dental Floss/Floss Threaders: This will help you clean between your teeth and between the wires of your braces. Floss threaders can be harder to find, so be sure to pack enough for the trip.
- Orthodontic Wax: This aids any discomfort you may feel from your braces. This is especially helpful for those who are new to braces.
- A Compact Mirror: Mirrors can be hard to come by while traveling. A compact mirror will allow you to see your teeth and make sure they are clean.
Travel takes you off your regular schedule and restrooms are not always readily available to practice oral hygiene. Be wary of your schedule and be sure to clean your teeth whenever the opportunity arises. Spending this time may never be convenient, but your teeth are worth the extra care.
Foods To Avoid While Traveling
Although you may be on vacation, your braces never are! Nobody wants to risk losing a bracket while they are too far away for a repair appointment. There are still snacks you should avoid because of the extra hassle they take to clean from your teeth and the potential damage that can happen while eating. Here are some snacks to avoid consuming or chewing on while on the road:
- Nuts of any kind
- Chewy, sticky, or gummy candies
- Ice from your drink
- Corn on the Cob
- Hard cookies
- Pretzels
- Bagels
Be sure to eat foods that are easy to clean and remove from your braces. This will make your oral care much easier and give you smoother travels. Plan carefully to know when you will be at a location that will ease your dental care. If you arrive at a location, such as a hotel, you will be able to utilize the facilities and take proper care of your braces.
Visit Kraus Orthodontics for Orthodontic Care!
Orthodontic care is important to giving you a bright and beautiful smile. If you have been looking for excellent orthodontic care, look no further than Kraus Orthodontics. We provide care to people of all ages and education to maintain your braces and teeth. Give us a call at 469.619.9959 or contact us here to schedule an appointment!
