Avoid dental emergencies if you plan to have a fantastic summer. Whether reading by the pool or playing on the beach, an oral health crisis would derail your experience and send you to the local dentist. You don’t want to spend your hard-earned vacation days in a doctor’s office, do you?
Here are three tips on how to prevent dental emergencies in Hutchinson. Practice them throughout the summer so you’ll have genuine fun in the sun!
Monitor Summer Oral Hygiene
Even if you aren’t going to work or school during your trip, you’ll still need to follow a regular oral hygiene routine. Plaque and bacteria won’t take a break just because you do.
Remember to brush your teeth twice daily and floss once daily, preferably after breakfast and dinner. If you’re with family, remind them about the habit as well.
Also, try to pack travel-sized toothbrushes and toothpaste for your vacation. You could even keep disposable brushes and other tools in your car for unexpected changes in your itinerary.
Practice Pool & Sports Safety
Follow proper conduct whenever you’re near a swimming pool. Don’t run around the edges or dive in shallow ends. Be mindful of the people around you to ensure they aren’t doing these things too. That way, the odds of avoiding a doctor’s waiting room will decrease for everyone.
Don’t’ let your guard down when it comes to summer sports, either. Sports injuries usually involve broken or chipped front teeth, fractured roots, and cut lips. You can prevent such accidents by wearing a mouthguard. If you don’t have a mouthguard, talk to your dentist about getting one.
Schedule Checkups
Before your vacation, consider getting a summer checkup for yourself and your kids. You’ll likely have the time for it given paid time-off and local schools’ closures.
By seeing your dentist sooner rather than later, any necessary dental work will be done ahead of time. As a result, you and your family will be less likely to have a toothache or lost filling while away on vacation. That clean bill of health will pay off when autumn arrives, and school starts again.
You won’t find summer excitement in the dentist’s chair. Remember the tips above, so your seasonal vacation goes off without a hitch!
About the Author
Dr. Grant D. Ringler is a dentist based in Hutchinson, KS. Having earned his DDS from the University of Nebraska’s College of Dentistry, he has practiced in the field for over thirty years. This experience has led him to develop specialties in root canal therapy, dental emergencies, conscious oral sedation, cosmetic dentistry, and more. He’s also committed to comfortable, pain-free, and relaxed dentistry for his patients. Dr. Ringler currently practices at his self-titled clinic and can be reached at his website or by phone at (620)-708-4045.