Here are 7 Dental tips for Frequent Travelers to Greece that are easy to pick up and will ensure your teeth stay in tip-top condition wherever you are.
Even if you have a perfect oral health routine at home, perhaps you’re feeling like you go off track when you’re away from home. Many frequent travelers to Greece feel a little guilty that their dental hygiene regimen isn’t as it should be. It is easy for it to fall short, since when you travel you are busy, and you don’t have the comforts of your own home bathroom.
Thankfully, it only takes a few small changes to ensure that your routine away from home won’t let your teeth and gums down. These steps take little extra time too, so are perfect for even the busiest travelers or for dental tourists that visit Greece.
Airline freebies and mini-travel toothbrushes are convenient and useful in an emergency, but if you’re regularly spending time away from home, you really do need to be looking after your teeth just as well away as you do at home. If not, over time you’ll probably see a decline in your oral health.
If you do forget your own brush (everybody does it at some point!), then sparing a few minutes to seek out a suitable replacement at a drugstore or supermarket is recommended.
And if you’re on holiday on a Greek island, don’t make the mistake of taking a holiday from looking after your teeth, too. So, be sure to take your preferred toothbrush , and your favored brands of toothpaste, mouthwash and floss. Most come in handy travel sizes.
Wet toothbrushes kept inside cases are a breeding ground for bacteria. To avoid nasty build-ups, air dry your toothbrush as much as possible before storing it away for a journey, keep it out of the case as much as possible, and regularly clean out your toothbrush case when you can. Alternatively, use a Ziplock bag which can be replaced regularly.
Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to anything dental. Minimize the risk of a dental emergency away from home by keeping up-to-date with visits to your dentist.
Try to prioritize scheduling regular checks ahead of time for periods when you know you won’t be travelling. If you can, pick a time when you know you won’t be dashing out the dentist’s door and straight onto a plane; this is because if a follow-up treatment is needed, you will have allowed sufficient time for the problem to be dealt with before you jet off again. If left until you return home, the problem may worsen significantly, or begin to cause you pain and discomfort.
Most of us have our physician’s number in our phones, and know who to call if we have a general health problem, but how many of us can say we have our dentist’s number at hand?
Surprisingly, many minor issues can be solved by some over-the-phone advice from your dentist. By having their number stored in your phone, you reassuringly always have somewhere to turn to for dental help, no matter where you are in the world.
If you do need emergency dental treatment in Greece and near to Piraeus Port, you could try contacting your hotel concierge for assistance, or your country’s embassy or consulate for advice, or contact us at KlironomouDental Clinic.
You may not be a regular gum chewer, but it can be your mouth’s best friend when traveling. Generally, when we are away, we tend to be further from our toothbrushes when we eat out, and there may be longer periods of time between meals and brushing.
To make up for this, chewing gum can provide an interim clean until you have a chance to catch up on brushing. It’s not a substitute, however, so brushing at least twice a day is still a must.
There are lots of travel destinations where it is not recommended you drink water from the faucet. But can you clean your teeth with it? The simplest answer is probably not; bacteria unfamiliar to your body can often be found in untreated water and can make you sick. So err on the side of caution and use bottled water to clean your teeth.
Often when away from home, we tend to drink less water, perhaps because of unsafe local water, or because we are treating ourselves to sugary drinks. Add in extra sugary foods in the form of desserts and tempting local snacks on the go, and you can see that often, your diet isn’t as healthy as it would be at home.
If you are a regular traveler, it’s best to consider the impact that excess sugars may be having on your long term oral health. At the very least, ensure your teeth are always well-brushed to combat some of these extra sugars.
AUTHOR BIO
Dr. Yvette Porter is the founding dentist at Apple Dental in Newstead, Brisbane, which she started over 11 years ago, and continues to own and practice there today. She works with a team of female dentists who aim to provide gentle, and affordable dental care to patients in Brisbane. Dr. Porter is a member of the Australian Dental Association and is passionate about family, and children’s dentistry, hoping to make their dental experience truly pleasant.
