The holidays are a great time to visit family and friends. It’s also a popular time of year for some people to take a vacation. Whatever your travel plans may be, remember how important it is to take care of yourself while you’re away, and that includes paying attention to your daily oral hygiene routine. It’s easy to overlook your regular habits when you’re away from home, so we’ve compiled these tips to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy when you’re traveling during this holiday season:

• Organize your dental care products. Make sure you have everything you need to stay on track with your daily oral hygiene routine. That includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, an anti-microbial mouthwash if you use one, and a water flosser device if you have one. Choose travel sizes to make sure everything fits neatly into your overnight bag. Another tip for flyers: always keep these essentials with you in a carry-on bag in case you get separated from your check-in baggage.
• Slow down on the sweets. That’s easier said than done during this time of year when holiday cookies and pies are just about everywhere you look. But consuming too much sugar, even for a short period of time, can wreak havoc with your dental health. If you do indulge, try to brush shortly after you eat. Or, at the very least, wash your mouth out with water to remove as much of the food debris as you can, as quickly as you can. This will prevent bacteria from forming – something that happens very quickly when it’s fed by sugary foods and drinks.
• Chew sugarless gum. Not only will this help you to stay away from eating too much – but it also helps to increase the amount of saliva you produce inside your mouth, and that helps to flush out leftover food.
• Keep on track. Traveling almost always throws us out of our daily routines, but don’t let that happen with your oral hygiene regimen. Stick to your regular schedule of brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and anything else you do to ensure you maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Holiday travel plans can be fun and hectic. But don’t get so distracted that you forget about your own oral health. Slacking on your daily routine – even for a short period of time – can have negative consequences for your teeth and gums. And remember to keep your kids on track as well. Once they stray away from a daily oral hygiene routine while on vacation, it can be hard to get them back into that routine after they come home. Here’s wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season!