Imagine this: You’re on a vacation you’ve been planning for several months, only to find yourself trapped in your hotel room due to a massive toothache. Or perhaps you’re enjoying dinner when a filling falls out and leaves you with a huge hole in your tooth.
You can never fully prepare for the unexpected. However, a bit of planning can provide you with a safety net for when things take a turn for the worst.
To help you out, the team of dental professionals at Northwoods Dental Group in Columbus, OH, offers the following advice on planning a vacation with your dental health in mind.
Nobody wants to think about medical emergencies during a vacation, but it’s well worth a little preparation, just in case. Before you leave home, look for dental facilities near the place where you're staying. Online resources make it easy to identify medical specialists, and you can ask them if they accept your dental insurance.
To avoid developing chips and cracks in your teeth during your vacation, consider skipping hard candy or other hard food items if you have veneers or crowns.
Participating in sports carries some risk for trauma and may increase your risk for dental emergencies. Therefore, if you plan to engage in physical activities during your vacation, bring a mouthguard with you.
You may need dental emergency services if you experience the following:
If you’re unsure whether your issue is considered an emergency, call the emergency dental center for triage advice.
Did you get a tooth knocked out? Rinse it with plain water and attempt to place it back into its socket.
If you can’t place your tooth back, store it in a container of milk. Don’t wash the roots with chlorinated water or with any detergents, as doing so may kill the friendly bacteria on the tooth root and reduce your chances of saving the tooth.
Knocked-out teeth need to be addressed as soon as possible. After only 30 minutes, your chances of having a tooth successfully replanted significantly diminish.
If you’re concerned about any issue ahead of time, our specialists also offer pre-travel check-ups to help you determine if you have any problems that could flare up during your vacation. For a pre-travel check-up and all of your oral healthcare needs, call 614-347-3291 to reach Northwoods Dental Group. For all other dental issues, book an appointment online or over the phone.
