Even with a busy summer planned, how can you keep your smile bright and healthy? Here are a few essential tips to maintain your oral health on the go!

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated isn’t just beneficial for your body—it’s excellent for your smile too! Drinking water helps flush food particles out of your mouth and prevent them from sticking to your teeth, which can lead to plaque formation and tooth enamel damage.

Drinking water also supports hydration, which prevents dry mouth. Your saliva plays a crucial role in protecting your teeth from bacteria, so preventing dry mouth goes a long way towards keeping your breath fresh, your teeth clean, and your smile healthy [1]!

Use Sugarless Gum

If you’re traveling this summer and aren’t in your regular routine or forget to brush your teeth, sugarless gum is immensely helpful. Chewing sugar-free gum increases saliva production, and saliva acts as a buffer between your teeth and harmful bacteria. Chewing sugarless gum can actually help prevent cavities while keeping your breath fresh [2].

Excellent for after meals or those rushed mornings when you forget to brush your teeth, keeping sugarless gum handy is a great way to support your oral health on the go!

Pack Healthy Snacks

What you eat can influence your oral health just as much as your brushing and flossing routine.

By skipping sugary foods and drinks, you can help keep your teeth healthy this summer. When going on a trip or even for your snack at work, pack healthy choices such as apples, carrots, and celery. These crunchy foods have a high water content and can help hydrate you while reducing plaque formation on your teeth throughout the day [3].

Healthy summer treats to enjoy this season include melon such as cantaloupe and watermelon, blueberries, homemade frozen yogurt, blackberries, and apricots!

Don’t Neglect Your Brushing and Flossing!

Although each of these activities is excellent for your smile, they should never replace your home care habits for your teeth and gums. You should still brush twice a day and floss once a day, and continue to keep your regular checkups with your dentist.

What do you have planned for this summer? Whether you’re going on a vacation or staying put for a staycation, keep your smile healthy during this busy time of year with the above tips!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/nutrition/food-tips/water-best-beverage
2. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/chewing-gum
3. http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-

The post Keeping Your Smile Healthy This Summer (On the Go!) appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Whether you want to help your kids take better care of their oral health or if you just want to
enjoy some teeth-friendly snacks, the following options are sure to make your summer (and
your smile) shine all season long!

Fresh Fruit

Summer offers an array of fruits that are in season. The natural sugar in these fruits is different
from refined sugars—their high water content and fiber makes them a healthy snack for your
teeth as well as your body.

Get creative when eating fruit this summer, especially if you have kids in tow! Try making:

 Sorbet. From frozen strawberries and fresh lime juice to bananas and cherries, simply
blend and enjoy!

 Frozen fruit bars. These tasty bars are easy when you have a popsicle mold and some
fresh pureed fruit.

 A fruit salad. Try grapes, cherries, peaches, kiwis, pineapple, and strawberries.
Whatever your kids are crazy about!

 Fruit kabobs. Have your kids make their own fruit kabobs, or, you can try fruit and
cheese kabobs for an extra calcium boost.

 A fruit necklace. Your kids will love making these (and eating them too)!

 Fruit pizza. Use watermelon as a base for this “pizza” and have your kids top with their
favorite fruits!

Sundried Tomato Hummus and Veggies

Give your hummus a summer vibe with sundried tomatoes. Add about a quarter cup of
sundried tomatoes to your favorite hummus recipe and enjoy! The crunchy veggies you can
enjoy with hummus—including carrots, celery, cucumber, and green pepper—can actually help
clean your teeth and get rid of plaque.

Do you live with picky eaters? Try having kids make a cup filled with their favorite vegetables
that they can use to eat the hummus or make veggie “pictures” on a tray and then decorate
with hummus for a custom hummus plate!

Frozen Yogurt Bark

This twist on frozen yogurt adds nuts and seeds for extra protein, fruit, and fiber while you and
your kids enjoy the calcium and probiotics of yogurt. To make frozen yogurt bark, simply spread
yogurt onto a layer of parchment paper, have kids add their toppings (or add your favorites!)
and freeze.

Once firm, break apart and eat quickly—this snack will melt fast! If you or your kids are lactose
intolerant, you can try cashew milk yogurt, coconut milk yogurt, or soy milk yogurt for similar
results. For toppings, you can add almonds, blueberries, blackberries, or chia seeds for
something fun and different!

You can enjoy all summer has to offer with these fun and unique snacks you and your kids are
bound to love. Your teeth will reap the benefits of extra hydration from fruits, scrubbing action
from vegetables with hummus, and calcium from frozen yogurt. Enjoy them while they
last—soon summer will be gone!

The post Healthy Summer Snacks Your Teeth (And Your Kids) Will Love appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

When Traveling, Pack the Essentials

Of course, you want to ensure you have the right clothes, sunscreen, bug spray, and whatever else you need for your trip. However, it’s also important to not forget the essentials for your mouth—toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss! If visiting friends or relatives, don’t assume they’ll have these things for you. Going to the store when you first arrive somewhere isn’t going to be ideal. It’s better to make sure you pack these items and have them with you when you arrive. Better yet, keep them in plain sight so that you remember to use them every morning and evening as you’ll be off your normal routine!

Keep Hydrated

There are lots of different beverages that are popular to consume during the summer—from iced coffee to energy drinks to margaritas, you’re going to have options when it comes to what you want to drink. However, drinking water rather than sugary alternatives not only keeps you hydrated, but also helps cut down on dental plaque. Keep water with you during the day so you can sip and provide your mouth with the saliva it needs to properly nourish your teeth and stop plaque from sticking to your teeth. If plain water gets boring, try seltzer water with some crushed fruit in it!

Choose Healthy Summer Snacks

It’s the time of year when you hear the ice cream truck, buy the kids French fries at the beach, and snack on popcorn at the movies. This summer, you can protect your smile by being choosy about your snacks. Watermelon is an excellent choice because of its water content. Ice cream, although it contains calcium, is packed with sugar. Other swaps to make include fresh fruit as opposed to prepackaged foods, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, and sweet potato fries or kale chips as opposed to potato chips or French fries. By enjoying sugary foods in moderation, you can help protect your smile from tooth decay.

Visit the Dentist

The kids might be on summer vacation, but tooth decay and gum disease never take a break. This is the perfect opportunity to get your kids to the dentist while they’re out of school. Schedule an appointment to see how your kids’ teeth are doing. Your dentist can also tell you where they need to improve with brushing and motivate them to brush and floss daily!

When it comes to your summer this year, don’t put your oral care at the bottom of the list just because you’re on vacation. You can maintain a healthy smile by packing your toothbrush, drinking plenty of water, choosing healthy snacks, and visiting your dentist. Enjoy your vacation!

The post Tips to Maintain a Healthy Smile during Your Summer Vacation appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.