Whether you’re going on vacation or taking your kids to see family, maintaining a quality dental care routine for your children can be difficult when you’re traveling. Preventing cavities and preserving a white, healthy smile is important to your kids’ overall health. Here are a few ways you can make dental care on the go a little easier. 

3 Tips for Keeping Your Kids’ Teeth White When Traveling

1. Wake Up a Little Early

With all of the driving, meals, and planned outings, each day will be a little hectic, especially with children. To ensure they don’t skip cleaning their teeth in the mornings, wake your kids up a little earlier than necessary. This gives them enough time to eat breakfast, get organized for the day, and make sure their teeth are taken care of before heading out. Similarly, starting their bedtime routines earlier at night will also ensure they have time to attend to their smile.

2. Watch What They Eat

Your kids’ diets directly affect their oral health, so be mindful of what they’re eating. While vacations and family time are often filled with treats and more lax rules, try to limit the amount of sugary, starchy, and acidic items they consume. When packing snacks for the trip, choose healthy options like apples or popcorn, which have natural cleaning properties for teeth, and encourage your kids to pick healthy items for meals. To keep their teeth white, limit their consumption of staining items like sodas, tomato sauce, tea, and dark chocolate.

3. Let Them Make a Traveling Dental Care Kit

To get your kids involved in their dental routine, have them make a travel dental kit before leaving. Take them to buy traveling dental supplies, and allow them to pick out the items they want, such as a specific color toothbrush case, new flavor of toothpaste, or a flossing tool. Buy a compact pouch and let your child decorate it. This will increase their attachment to their dental supplies and make them see the kit as something special, so they’re more likely to remember to brush while traveling and not lose the kit.

If your kids need to see a dentist before or after a trip, contact Alaska Dentistry for Kids in Anchorage. This quality kids’ dentist makes dental care fun for your child, while instilling healthy habits and positive dental experiences at a young age. They provide a range of services, including routine cleaning, treatment for lip and tongue-tie, and emergency dentistry. Learn more about their dentist online, and call (907) 274-2525 to schedule an appointment.