1. Address Dental Problems Before Leaving
If your child has cavities, gum irritation, or other kinds of teeth and mouth problems, take them to a reputable children’s dentist before leaving for vacation. In this way, you can start administering treatment and getting them used to the routine before you have a new routine altogether when you arrive at your destination.2. Give Them Full Responsibility
If your child is old enough to brush and floss unsupervised, leave them to it. Start giving them full responsibility for their oral hygiene days or even weeks before you leave for vacation, and emphasize that they are now mature enough to handle it on their own. Kids love being independent and love it when they are praised for it. So, trust your child and let them take care of their teeth on their own. As a result, you not only have a more responsible child, but you can also ensure that they are brushing and flossing even when you are busy with other things while on vacation.3. Buy Kid-Themed Travel Dental Care Tools
Make oral hygiene more fun by buying your child kid-themed travel dental care tools. There are lots of travel-sized kits available that feature cartoon characters, celebrities, and cute designs that appeal to children. Better yet, have them choose their own dental care travel kit and make a day out of it. They will more likely be able to remember to brush their teeth on vacation when they are excited about their new toothbrush and toothpaste.
4. Brush Together
The best way to remember to keep up the whole family’s oral hygiene routine is to brush together. So, when you’re brushing, have your child brush at the same time. In this way, you are less likely to forget about their brushing and your child will be more willing to brush their teeth when they have someone to do it with.5. Watch What They Eat
Even when you’re on vacation where most rules are thrown out the window, don’t let your child consume too much sugar. Aside from being bad for their teeth, excess amounts of sugar will get them hyper for hours on end and then cranky once the sugar crash sets in. Do yourself and your child’s teeth a favor by limiting their consumption of sugary treats and drinks. Instead, have them eat and drink teeth-friendly options like- Fresh fruits and vegetables: carrots, oranges, apples, celery, bananas
- Seeds and nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
- Grains: pretzels, tortilla chips, bagels
- Healthy drinks: fresh fruit or vegetable juice, plant-based milk, flavored water
- Dairy: low-sugar yogurt, cheese slices, cheese sticks
6. Be Patient with Objections
Sometimes, your child may be too tired from traveling to brush their teeth. Or perhaps they are too excited to watch what’s on the hotel TV to go in the bathroom. Whatever the reason may be, stay patient when your kid makes protests about dental care. Instead of getting mad and forcing them to brush, ask them why they don’t want to brush, and then make them realize why they need to brush and what can happen if they don’t. We get it; you’re also tired from the day’s events, but having a negative reaction over your child’s protests may only serve to put them off of proper dental care even more. Maintaining a normal routine for almost everything, from tooth brushing to bedtimes, is a challenge when you’re on vacation and in an unfamiliar place. Nevertheless, it is important that you keep up with your child’s oral hygiene routine no matter where you may be. If they fail to brush and floss away food residue for more than a few days, they may start developing oral problems that can ruin the vacation entirely. Meta title: Guide to Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy While on Vacationmeta desc: Every parent should know how to prevent a toothache in their kids in the middle of vacation. Learn how to maintain your child’s oral hygiene routine while you’re on a trip.