Summer is here, school is out, and that likely means that you and your family are starting to think about vacations. Whether taking a road trip across the country or catching a flight to a new locale, consider the following tips from a professional dentist in Matteson, Il to avoid dental emergencies that could derail your plans for adventure.
Take care of any dental problems before you take a trip overseas.
Sensitive teeth or slight jaw pain may seem like mere nuisances that can be put off until after your busy travel season. But if the pain escalates or you experience complications on your vacation, dental care may be overly expensive or even hard to come by. Time spent on a remote island may be great for recharging your batteries, but could leave you a bit stranded if you have an emergency. Go in to get any small issues checked out well before your departure date.
Schedule kids’ dentist appointments at the beginning of summer.
You may be used to taking kids to the dentist right before school starts in the fall—and there’s a lot of value in starting the year off with a clean bill of dental health. But if you know you’ll be traveling over the summer, consider making appointments right after school gets out in the spring. Your dentist will be able to detect any problems or correct any potentially harmful habits so you can avoid any mishaps or emergencies on the road.
Stock up on healthy snack options.
Yes, you should be doing this year round, but in the summer, it’s harder to limit snacking when kids are sitting in a car or a plane with not much else to do. Minimize sugary or acidic foods like cookies, candies, sodas, and sports drinks. Instead, stock your road trip snack bag with healthier options like ready-to-eat seasonal fruits and vegetables and bottled water.
Practice safe swimmw locale, consider the following tipsing.
What does pool time have to do with your dentist? It turns out that during the summer months, pool accidents are one of the top causes of dental emergencies. Swimming underwater and surfacing suddenly can cause children to bump into others. Running on slippery decks can lead to falls, and diving in shallow water can result in hitting the bottom face first. Any of these may lead to chipped, lost, or displaced teeth. Make sure your kids know and follow safe practices to ensure they’re spending their free time in the water, not the waiting room.
Pack an emergency dental first aid kit.
Even when you take every precaution, accidents can happen. Be prepared for the unexpected by taking along a small, portable kit stocked with the following:
- Your dentist office’s phone number
- A small container with a lid
- Saline solution
- A handkerchief
- Gauze
- Ibuprofen (not aspirin, which is an anticoagulant and could lead to excessive bleeding)
Get out there and enjoy the freedoms of summer! But first, get your family summer-travel ready. Set up a pre-vacation dental appointment by contacting Olympia Fields Dental Associates today.
If you need emergency dental in Olympia Fields, contact us today!