Summer is great, and if you are anything like our dental team, you’ll want to make the most of every minute. But it can be a time when daily routines go out of the window, and summer diets are often a little different from the norm. We’ve put together a few oral health tips to help ensure you and your family can enjoy the great weather, avoiding long-term damage and dental emergencies.

Schedule Your Dental Checkups
Before your vacation, make sure your family is up-to-date with their dental checkups in Oshawa. Often parents will schedule checkups for kids just before they go back to school so they can begin the new term with a clean bill of dental health.

Keep Up with Oral Hygiene Routines
Brushing twice daily and flossing once-a-day is essential year-round, but with long lazy days at the lake or pool, you might need to remind your kids to brush regularly. If you are going away, make sure you stock up with toothpaste and dental floss, and everything else you might need. Although you can almost certainly buy oral hygiene products easily, why spend a moment of your precious vacation time trying to track down your family’s favourite brand? It is also an excellent opportunity to buy fresh new toothbrushes for the family. If you are likely to be out and about a lot, you might want to pack some travel toothbrushes and mini tubes of toothpaste as well.

Eating Healthily
Summer is often about sweet treats including candy, cookies and ice cream, but if you can try to ensure your family sticks to healthier snacks. The summer is a great chance to buy fresh, local fruits and veggies that you can keep ready in the fridge for anyone to snack on. Instead of sugary pop or other acidic soft drinks, encourage everyone to rehydrate with water. Purchase refillable water bottles for an eco-friendlier solution when you are out and about, and it’ll be cheaper too. When you and your family do indulge in something sugary or sticky, then make sure everyone rinses their mouth with water afterwards. Ideally, wait half an hour before brushing your teeth which allows acidity levels in the mouth to normalize, reducing the damage to your teeth. It is better to have sweet treats as part of a main meal rather than as a snack.

Preventing Dental Emergencies
Often dentists in Whitby will see dental injuries in summer that could have been avoided. Make sure your child stays safe by ensuring they follow some simple rules while by a pool. Diving in shallow waters or running on slippery decks can lead to chipped teeth or may even knock out a tooth. If the worst does happen and you have a dental emergency, then knowing what to do is important. When a permanent tooth has been knocked out, try to place it back in the mouth if possible, ensuring it faces the right way. If this isn’t possible, put the tooth in a small container and keep it moist with milk or salt water and visit an emergency dentist in Ajax immediately. Milk teeth shouldn’t be replaced, but your child will still need to see a dentist. It is also helpful to ensure you have an emergency dental care kit along with you that includes a small container with a lid, clean gauze and over-the-counter painkillers.

Lastly, keep safe in the sun and when you apply sunscreen don’t forget your lips because they are susceptible to burning.