When embarking on vacation, it is important to remember that your braces are accompanying you in your travels. Because of this, you will need to maintain your braces care while on vacation. However, this does not have to hinder you or prevent you from enjoying your vacation. By just doing a few simple things, you can ensure you maintain your braces care on vacation and still have a wonderful time. Listed below is a vacationing-with-braces guide to help you out.

Make a Pre-Vacation Appointment

Before you leave on your vacation, it is a good idea to notify your orthodontist and schedule an appointment before you leave. Depending on the stage of your treatment, your orthodontist may need to make certain adjustments to keep your treatment on track, especially if your plan on being away for an extended period of time. They will also make sure all your brackets and wires are in the appropriate place with nothing poking or sticking out. This is very important since you do not want to be uncomfortable on your vacation. Finally, your orthodontist can help you stock up on any supplies you may need while away on your trip.

Pack Your Supplies

This brings us to the next point, which is to pack all the right supplies. Just as the location of your vacation requires you to pack certain items, vacationing with braces also requires you to pack certain things. Some of these things, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, are simply things that you would normally pack. However, other things like floss picks, mouthwash, orthodontic wax, extra elastics or rubber bands (if needed), over the counter painkillers, and a small mirror may deviate slightly from your normal packing routine. Nonetheless, it is important to have all these supplies on hand if you need them. This packing list of supplies will help you combat almost any possible issue that may arise with your braces while on vacation.

Eat the Right Foods

While on vacation, you will want to maintain the same specialized diet that you practice at home to avoid damage or breakage to your braces. Most foods are okay to eat, however you will want to avoid nuts, hard candies, corn on the cob, chewy or sticky candies, pretzels, bagels, ice, and large pieces of hard fruits. Remember that if you break a bracket, it will be more difficult to get it fixed since you’re away from your normal orthodontist.

Keep Up Your Oral Hygiene Routine

In addition to watching what you eat, you will also need to maintain the same oral hygiene routine you practice at home. This means brushing twice a day and flossing once a day. This also means that you will need to rinse your mouth with mouthwash after every meal to remove large particles of food and brush after meals or snacks to remove smaller particles. While it is easy to rush through your routine or skip parts of it altogether, keep in mind that they don’t take that long and setting aside a few extra minutes a day could prevent serious oral consequences.