If it’s your first time to have braces, you may feel quite awkward and quite uncomfortable. And in case you’re going on a holiday somewhere, you may feel quite anxious about it. Don’t worry, as you can still travel the way you used to even if you have braces on. You’ll just need to carry on with your good dental habits.
Since braces are new to you, you know too well the challenge that comes with dental care. You exert extra effort to keep everything clean. And now that you’re going to travel somewhere, it may be a concern to you how you’re going to maintain it. However, you can still easily keep the routine when you plan things ahead of time.
Before you leave home and hop on the plane, there are a few things that you need to remember when taking care of this helpful orthodontic appliance. Here’s a list that you may want to check out:
Assemble a travel kit designed for your braces
Of course, you will be packing your clothes, toiletries, extra shoes, and even extra underwear. However, your dental kit should not just include a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Because you’re wearing braces, you understand that the effort you need to exert should be double. Your dental kit, in this scenario, should also include a bottle of mouthwash, dental floss, interdental brushes or bristles, a small mirror, and dental wax.
In case you’re using Invisalign aligners, you need to have a case with you to avoid losing them. You don’t have to pack everything in one go; you can buy some of these items at your destination.
Be aware of what you should not eat
Show your teeth and your braces some care by avoiding certain food. This is because several dishes, especially hard and extremely chewy ones, may damage the braces. For one, hard food, such as candies and pork rinds may break your bracket and wire. Chewy fares, such as pizzas, soft candies, and even bagels, may get stuck in your braces.
Should you need or want to eat crunchy food, such as fruits and vegetables, it would be wise to cut them into small bite-size pieces. That way, eating them will not be hard for you.
Observe post-meal routine
When you’re traveling with your aligners or braces, you will have to be more conscious of your cleaning routine. Every after meal, try to remove the food debris and particles stuck in your braces; you can do this using an interdental brush and even floss. You may not be able to always brush your teeth during midday, but you can still feel fresh by rinsing your mouth with water or mouth wash.
Call your dentist in case of an emergency
Ideally, you will come home with your braces still intact. But in rare cases, some people experience problems, such as bent wire, broken bracket, and exposed wire. All these can be painful, and it may make you feel anxious. When it comes to this, don’t hesitate to call your dentist. They should be able to guide you through the pain.
Don’t remove your aligners
Some travelers who wear Invisalign often remove their aligners during picture-taking moments. Removing aligners is advisable, especially if you’re eating. However, dentists usually recommend that you wear aligners 22 hours a day. Should the reason be valid, you need to keep your aligners in your case, so you will not lose them.
There is no reason you should not enjoy traveling even if you have braces. However, when you get back, it is advisable to go to your dentist, especially if you have experienced some pain.
