Ensuring your teeth are looked after while you’re on holiday

holiday dental routineIf you’re planning on jetting off for some out of season sunshine, or you’re considering hitting the slopes for some fun in the snow, your teeth are probably not high up on your checklist. Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we believe your teeth should definitely earn their place on your pre-holiday checklist, to ensure that they don’t give you any cause for concern while you’re away

Find time for that last-minute dental check up

It is sensible to arrange a dental check-up before you leave. This way your teeth can have a quick inspection before your holiday and you can have the peace of mind that they are in good health and shouldn’t cause you any unexpected troubles. It is a good idea to have this check-up a couple of weeks before you are due to go, just in case a filling or any other treatment is required that may need a follow-up appointment.

Be mindful of what you eat and drink

Holidays are often a time when we let our hair down and eat and drink things that we wouldn’t always indulge in at home. On holidays, there is probably a tendency to treat ourselves to fizzy and surgery drinks, so make sure that you’re giving your teeth a really thorough brush in the mornings and evenings to wash away all these holiday naughties.

Don’t forget your dental routine

Even if your usual routine is completely thrown by the wayside, ensure that your dental routine doesn’t suffer. As well as remembering to brush your teeth in the morning and evening, why not treat yourself to a post-siesta brush as well?

Don’t forget your toothbrush!

Finally, remember your toothbrush! In fact, we’d recommend taking two. Anyone who has been delayed on a flight can relate to that feeling of needing something that you have packed that is tucked away in the suitcase and unobtainable if you’re hanging around the airport for longer than envisaged. Packing an extra toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste (under 100ml due to liquid restrictions) can make all the difference when you want to freshen up.

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State of children’s teeth in England exposed

[From The Guardian] Twice as many children under the age of 10 receive hospital treatment for tooth decay as those treated for broken arms, figures for England show.

There were 34,205 cases of patients under 10 needing hospital treatment for dental caries in the year to March, the youngest less than a year old, according to the faculty of dental surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Over the same period there were 17,043 broken arms, as well as 19,584 cases of asthma, 10,397 cases of epilepsy and 3,805 cases of appendicitis needing hospital treatment in the age group, according to analysis of NHS Digital data.

Read the full article in the Guardian… 

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Trick or treat? It’s that time of year again when sweets are calling…

Good dental habits HalloweenWith Halloween comes all kinds of fun and excitement, ranging from pumpkin carving and dressing up, to spooky stories and trick-or-treating. But, even once Halloween has been and gone, the legacy of the ‘treats’ from trick-or-treating live on. Whether your children have come home with hoards of sweets they have procured from the neighbours or if you stocked up for trick-or-treaters and have got lots left over, the chances are your house might be looking a lot like a sweet shop at the moment.

Here’s some ideas from CK Dental in Bristol on how to keep Halloween fun while keeping your teeth a bit more healthy….

Make fun substitutions

Instead of a bag of sweets, think more creatively about what ‘treats’ might look like. Stickers are a great alternative, cheap, fun and a big hit on the playground. Especially if they happen to be sticker packs that your little ones can swap with their friends.

Bubbles and balloons are another good party bag offering that would substitute for sweets nicely. Children love blowing bubbles, especially younger ones. At this time of year, it’s very easy to pick up some ghoulish-themed bottles of bubbles or some black and orange balloons which will keep them entertained for ages.

This can extend to other Halloween dress-up items, like some witches fingers, a set of vampire teeth, a (pretend) spider, a plastic eyeball or two….these items can be picked up very cheaply at supermarkets and discount stores and kids will have great fun customising their outfits with them.

Make sure you’re still encouraging good dental habits

Although these spooky substitutions will help reduce sugar intake, they won’t evade the problem entirely, so be prepared to embrace the fun of trick-or-treating and make sure you reiterate the importance of a thorough teeth brushing session once the sweets have been consumed. Also, bear in mind that if your children have acquired a lot of sweets these may need to be consumed over a number of nights. If this is the case then make sure to explain that this is all part of the Halloween hangover, and that having sweets after tea is not to become a habit, otherwise you may find it is hard to break!

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